These new creative players are shaking up Singapore’s cocktail and mixology scene.
Mixology Salon
Mixology Salon a celebrated craft cocktail bar in Tokyo opened its first international outpost in Singapore on 7 June. The intimate 17-seater bar is on level 2 at InterContinental Singapore, Robertson Quay just opposite Wolfgang Steakhouse. The bar is well-known for its signature ‘tea tails,’ a unique concept that showcases modern mixology techniques and perfectly balanced top quality Japanese green tea leaves such as gyokuro, oolong, and hojicha in expertly crafted cocktails. Mixology Salon is founded by Japanese master mixologist Shuzo Nagumo, who will fly to Singapore every few months. Meanwhile, his protégé Kaoru Takii will helm the bar here.
To craft unique flavour profiles, Shuzo’s cocktail philosophy zeroes in on the combination of fresh fruits, vegetables, herbs, and spices with spirits instead of using conventional flavoured liqueurs. Among the series of unique cocktails is the Four Seams a savoury concoction that fuses genmaicha with redistilled Grey Goose vodka and yuzu. Presented in a square wooden masu cup, the drink offers the taste of genmaicha from one side of the vessel, while on the other side, you’ll get to taste an interplay of miso, dashi, and cassis powder which perfectly complements the concoction. There’s also the Hoji Tea-tail No 2, made with roasted green tea, vintage port, age cognac and cassis. And the Green Tea Old Fashioned comprising delicate matcha balanced with chocolate bitters, kuromitsu, vanilla bitters, bourbon and rye whiskey.
The Signature Tea Cocktails Course allow you to experience a series of concoctions. You can pick three ($72), four ($98) or five ($122) cocktails made with fine Japanese tea – including Sencha Gin Tonic; Fruits and Tea Cocktail; Hoji tea-tail No. 2; The Exclusive Gyokuro Vodka/ Hoji Cha Dark Rum and Matcha God Father.
There’s also a small food menu to enjoy with your drinks. Think: naturally sweet dates stuffed with butter and topped with walnut (highly recommended), matcha terrine, pork katsu sandwich, yaki onigiri, charcuterie platter and assorted cheese plate.
Plume, Pan Pacific Singapore
Over at Pan Pacific Singapore, Plume is a new destination bar that serves up botanical cocktails inspired by the vibrant, indigenous birds of Singapore.
Everyday birds are transformed into cocktails that delight the imagination - don’t miss out on the Asian Koel, a negroni spruced up with sandalwood and earthy green coffee tequila, or the Pink Necked Green Pigeon, a fruity tipple inspired by the bird’s diet of fruits and fig leaves.
Accompanying these libations is a colourful menu of light bites that reimagine beloved local dishes. From chicken rendang croquettes served with creamy rice to tender wagyu satay grilled to perfection, the inspired menu promises to be as colourful as the beverages that pair perfectly with these bites.