We all know Singapore is lionised when it comes to food. Though while dining through the city-state is definitely something every gourmand needs to do at least seven times in their life, it’d be a big mistake to gloss over the incredibly diverse and creative cocktail scene coursing in between all those hawker markets and Michelin starred restaurants.
Mixology is paramount here, and to help showcase that we’ve sourced several cocktail recipes from Singapore’s best bars for you to perfect at home. But be warned, these won’t be easy to master and may require quite a bit of experimenting before arriving at something as complex as what you can expect from the below bars.
“Bomb Glacee” from Tippling Club
Consistently ranked as one of the top 50 bars in all of Asia, Tippling Club is a reference point for Singapore’s more playful and innovative gastronomy scene. Chef-owner Ryan Clift regularly surrounds his menu with the wow factor, and that immense reputation flows through to the cocktails seamlessly. A drink at the Tippling Club is a special occasion, so give this one some extra flair as you attempt to conquer the James Bond inspired “Bomb Glacee”. It’ll be difficult to master, but once you’ve become a pro, you may as well open a bar and watch the acclaim roll in.
Ingredients
– Vetiver grass
– Fig leaf
– Vanilla
– 50ml bee pollen distilled Altos Reposado Tequila (get it here
– 20ml lemon juice
– soda
– citrus
– Lemon meringue with mint dust for garnish
Method
1. The Vetiver, fig leaf, and vanilla should be made into a syrup. Take 20ml of this. How to extract most things to a syrup can be discerned from a simple syrup recipe.
2. Shake with all ingredients and strain over block or cubed ice.
3. Garnish with lemon meringue
“Soapberry Sling” From Operation Dagger
Operation Dagger is oft listed as one of the World’s 50 Best Bars, reiterating the city-state’s incredible density when it comes to top-shelf spots to grab a drink. They are known for their complex and labour-intensive concoctions, like the “Soapberry Sling” which was conceived as an homage to the famous Singapore Sling (created the The Long Bar, Raffles Hotel) but with a sweet twist from either lychee or longan. The recipe below is split into three parts to help smoothen the process.
Ingredients
Fermented oat & lychee soda:
– 500g peeled lychees
– 250g oats
– 250g longan nectar honey
– 5L water
Coconut Rum:
– 350g coconut oil
– 1L white rum
To serve:
– 150ml soapberry soda
– 1 x fresh longan or lychee
Glassware:
– Spear ice
– Highball
Method
Fermented Oat & Lychee Soda:
1. Add all ingredients to a vacuum bag and seal. Leave bag to ferment at room temp for 2-3 days or until bag has expanded.
2. Once fermented strain, add coconut rum and ferment in swing top bottle for 1-2 days or until well carbonated.
3. Once secondary ferment has completed, refrigerate bottles for service.
Coconut Rum:
1. Combine all ingredients in vacuum packed bag and ‘cook’ sous vide for 4 hours at 45*C.
2. Once ‘cooked’ place in freezer to solidify coconut oil, strain and bottle for service.
Serve:
1. Build over ice in chilled high ball and garnish with fresh longan or lychee.
“Forager’s Garden” from NATIVE
You guessed it – another one of the World’s Best Bars; NATIVE list plenty of techniques needed to achieve their sustainable, inventive cocktails. A lot of work and patience goes into arriving at these meticulously crafted drinks, which regularly attract discerning drinkers from all over the world. To showcase just how serious they are about mixology, we’ve sourced two different recipes for you – first, the “Forager’s Garden”, conceptually tied to the city-state’s bountiful gardens, with foraging at the forefront. Read through, find your substitutes if you need, and get to work.
Ingredients
– 30ml Brass Lion Gin (can be replaced with a regular house gin)
– 15ml pandan kombucha (recipe below)
– 4 or 5 springs of pandan leaves
– 1L water
– 200g Trigona honey
– 10 to 12 calamansi
– 25g wild ginger flower
– Handful blue pea flowers
– 30ml tonic water
– Edible flowers
Glassware:
– Whisky chunk ice
– Rocks glass
Method
Kombucha infused with pea flowers:
1. Break fresh pandan leaves, approx 4 to 5 sprigs.
2. Make a pandan tea and boil town with water and a touch of honey for approx. 15 minutes at low heat.
3. Ferment with kombucha scoby for about 4 to 7 days in a warm environment.
4. When ready, roughly cut calamansi and ginger flower.
5. Reduce kombucha for approx. 45 mins with a handful of blue pea flowers, torched ginger flower and calamansi.
Cocktail:
1. Pour 15ml of pandan kombucha into a mixer.
2. Add 30ml of Brass Lion Gin (or substitute) and shake.
3. Pour mixture into a circular rocks glass over a whisky chunk ice.
4. Add 30ml tonic water and decorate with edible flowers before serving.
Sarong Punch” from NATIVE
The second cocktail from NATIVE we wanted to help you recreate is the “Sarong Punch”, inspired by the classic Peranakan flavours and nodding heavily to one of the most endearing desserts in Singapore’s rich food scene: Potong ice-cream
Ingredients
– 30ml Coconut Arrack infused with toasted red beans.
– 10ml Ceylon Arrack (can be replaced with a simple rum)
– 20ml coconut water (real and unsweetened)
– 10g red beans
– 20ml clarified milk punch
– 2 sticks cinnamon
– 20g fresh turmeric
– 20g palm sugar
– 5g pandan
– 10g jackfruit
– Edible flowers
Glassware:
– whisky chunk ice
– Rocks glass
Method
1. Toast red beans and infuse with Ceylon Arrack in Sous-Vide at 55 degrees for approx. two hours.
2. Add clarified milk, fresh turmeric, cinnamon, palm sugar – blend.
3. Add jackfruit enzymes for milk to curdle and strain overnight, this results in a clear drink.
4. Serve over rocks.
5. Plate with a whisky chuck ice and decorate with edible flowers.
