Ring in the new year with these new bars and exceptional spirits
Stay Gold Flamingo
Situated at the bend of Amoy Street is a new Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde-esque watering hole. The name Stay Gold Flamingo breaks the space into two parts — a café by day (Flamingo) and a bar by night (Stay Gold), where each area is separated by a velvet curtain.
The space, which opened last August, is co-founded by two homegrown bartenders, Jerrold Khoo and Bi JiaWei. The concept is anchored in the Stay Gold bar, a dimly-lit modern cocktail lounge that’s illuminated by neon lights and a mirrored low ceiling — the latter is a feature that’s meant for a dance space, an idea that will come to fruition when crowds are back again.
The mixology style at Stay Gold is a fusion of American and Japanese bartending, where dexterity and meticulous craft result in creative and well-executed tipples. Intro to Absinthe is a cocktail that’s highly recommended and a great one to start with. It’s mixed with sparkling coconut juice making it a real thirst-quencher, with the addition of clarified earl grey tea. Each drink is kept simple using just three ingredients, based on the “holy trinity” ideology. While there is no order in terms of alcohol strength, classic favorites square off against more experimental concoctions on the opposite page. This would reference that A Perfect Sazerac, a Remy Martinbased cocktail, gives a sweeter, fuller, and rounder finish compared to the absinthe, with the addition of Michter’s rye, bitters, and just a spray of absinthe for that floral finish on the nose.
Visit Stay Gold Flamingo at 69 Amoy Street, Tel: 8876 7364
Republic Bar
Taking up part of the Ritz-Carlton Singapore’s East Wing is a new food and beverage concept, Republic Bar. It looks to the ‘60s for inspiration, which was a revolutionary decade that inspired the bar’s style, music, and overall atmosphere.
There is much history behind the selection of spirits at Republic Bar, which showcases an extensive cocktail menu devoted to a narrative of historical anecdotes originating from Singapore, the United Kingdom, USA, and Italy. What’s more, one can request for a cocktail containing a 1960-dated spirit (mainly rum, gin, and whisky), which is, no doubt, on a limited supply — there’s no restocking once the bottle is done, unless we go back in time.
The four countries that were chosen during this revolutionary decade feature four main cocktails. They were inspired by significant moments in music, film, and art of the time, such as the UK menu featuring a vodka-inspired cocktail that transpired from James Bond’s famous line in You Only Live Twice. Made with Ki No Bi Kyoto Dry Gin, vodka, lillet blanc, and sakura vermouth, the drink is preferably stirred not shaken, as the hospitable bartending team would so gladly insist.
Visit Republic Bar at The Ritz-Carlton, Millenia Singapore at 7 Raffles Ave, Tel: 6434 5288
Johnnie Walker Blue Label Ghost & Rare
The latest Johnnie Walker Blue Label Ghost & Rare is the fourth release in the limited-edition Ghost and Rare series – one that explores the distinct character of exceptional and very rare whiskies from one of Scotland’s most short-lived distilleries. This follows the release of Johnnie Walker Blue Label Ghost and Rare Glenury Royal (2019), Johnnie Walker Blue Label Ghost and Rare Port Ellen (2018), and Johnnie Walker Blue Label Ghost and Rare Brora (2017).
The “ghost” distillery in question is the Speyside distillery of Pittyvaich, which closed in 1993 and is now considered a hidden gem for its unique Speyside style. Crafted by Johnnie Walker Master Blender Jim Beveridge and his team, the Blue Label Pittyvaich is a blend of two other “ghost” whiskies from the distilleries of Port Dundas and Carsebridge, an exceptionally rare Scotch from Speyside distilleries, as well as the Highland whisky of Royal Lochnagar.
The resulting taste is a subtle sweetness from notes of autumn fruits — a trait that’s recognizable in a Blue Label, before encountering some slight heat from the cinnamon and gentle wafts of butterscotch.
Johnnie Walker Blue Label Ghost and Rare Pittyvaich is available for purchase at 1855. Each bottle in this special release is individually numbered.