Can't head out for a drink with the gang? No problem. Now's a good time as any to harness your inner mixologist and recreate these mouth-watering cocktails recipes, courtesy of our favourite bars and alcohol brands.
Amanpulo Farm Gin
On the tranquil Pamalican Island in the Philippines sits the beautiful resort of Amanpulo, just one of many award-winning resorts by Aman Resorts. What makes this estate uniquely different is that it blends its own gin using freshly-picked botanicals from its organic garden and distilled at Full Circle Craft Distillery in Laguna, Philippines. The artisanal spirit embraces a melange of homegrown flavours with notes of kaffir lime and lemongrass, a touch of dill, the citrus tang of calamansi, and a hint of spice from Thai basil and ginger. It’s the perfect base for a mean gin and tonic or a thirst-quenching mojito, which you can recreate here. Email amanpulo@aman.com to buy.
Mojito
Serves: 1
Ingredients
45 ml Amanpulo Farm Gin 2 tsp Brown sugar
Method
Muddle the lime wedges, mint leaves and sugar to- gether in a glass. Add ice. Pour in the Amanpulo Farm Gin, add soda and stir. Take a refreshing sip!
Jigger & Pony
No. 2 on the Asia’s 50 Best Bars 2021 list and Singapore’s overall best bar, Jigger & Pony now retails its own brand of bottled cocktails called Pony, featuring “quarantini” classics such as the Old Fashioned, Sakura Martini and Manhattan. The bottles are priced at $74 to $78 for 500ml, and $32 to $34 for 200ml, available for delivery on ordering site jiggerandpony.oddle.me/. Simply open your bottle, serve as suggested and enjoy. Pony will also be launching limited edition bottled cocktails created for the various establishments under the Jigger & Pony group in a diffusion line called Pony X. Visit their respective websites to order your fave flavours: Jigger & Pony, Gibson, Live Twice, Caffe Fernet and Humpack. Here, Jigger & Pony’s principal bartender Uno Jang helps us to recreate the Pony X Expresso Martini sold at Caffe Fernet.
Expresso Martini
Serves: 1
Ingredients
50ml Chilled vodka
Method
Combine vodka, syrup and freshly-brewed espresso shot into a cocktail shaker (you may also use a protein shaker) filled with ice cubes. Shake for 15 to 20 seconds. To serve, strain the liquid into a chilled martini glass. It should be frothy enough to form a thick foam to top your cocktail.
Notes:
• Freshly brewed espresso is crucial. Jang strongly recommends using Nespresso as its espresso yields a silky, fluffy cream.
PHOTO: Eatingwell.com
The Old Man Singapore
Recognised among Asia’s and World’s 50 Best Bars list, The Old Man Singapore is an intimate speakeasy on Keong Saik Road that serves spirit-forward, highly creative drinks inspired by Hemingway novels, just like its flagship outlet in Hong Kong. Fans can continue to enjoy the bar’s signature libations in bottled form from as little as $38 for 250ml, with fun names like The Sun Also Rises, The Torrents of Spring and A Moveable Feast from theoldmansg.com.
If you’d like to try being a home mixologist, you can purchase a bottle of Smoke Lab Vodka ($90) and create founder Andrew Yap’s favourite tipple, the Moscow Mule.
Moscow Mule
Serves: 1
Ingredients
45ml Smoked Lab Vodka Classic
Method
Yap’s preferred way of serving is to combine all ingredients in a mixing tin and stir well, before serving in a tall glass with crushed ice. Zest it again with lime and discard.
IB HQ
The Indigenous Bartender Headquarters (IB HQ) is the brainchild of husband-wife team Kamil Foltan and Zurina Bryant who offer a stellar selection of cocktails showcasing the exotic flavours and cultures of the region. Foltan, a well-known name in mixology from his time at Potato Head and Tippling Club, has been hard at work preparing a range of creative blends for you to enjoy cocktail night in your own home. To give customers a chance to try all its flavourful concoctions, IBHQ will change up the menu every week and release a new set list every Monday on its Instagram account @ibhqsingapore. Prices start from $24 for one cocktail, $88 for four, and $120 for six. Here’s an off-menu cocktail that Foltan created for The Edge readers to try at home.
Jam & Booze
Serves: 1
Ingredients
50ml Gin or whisky (London Dry Gin works best, or blended whiskies such as Macintosh or Monkey Shoulder) 2 Teaspoons of marmalade or jam (your preferred flavour)
Method
Chill a martini glass in the freezer. Combine all ingredients in a shaker and add two ice cubes. Give a quick shake until ice has melted and pour into the chilled glass.
Origin Bar
Housed in Shangri-La Hotel, Singapore, the Origin Bar pays homage to the great landmarks of Singapore in six key districts. For example, a cocktail inspired by Orchard Road (once an orchard) showcases a refreshing medley of fruits, flowers and spices; a Chinatown blend uses TCM ingredients; while a rum-centric cocktail highlights Balestier’s origin as a sugarcane plantation.
Bar and beverage manager, Adam Bursik, shows us how to whip up his version of Ma-sa-la – a clarified milk punch that has equal parts Indian spiciness and citrusy sourness. It’s a little more laborious but gives us a chance to discover the milk washing technique.
Ma-sa-la
Serves: 3–4
Ingredients
120ml Gin
Method
• Combine milk and Garam Masala Spice Blend into a pot and warm up on low heat. Keep stirring and switch off just before it starts to boil. Let it sit for 10min to infuse.
See also: Shake or stir it up
Atlas Bar
Ranked 7th in Asia’s 50 Best Bar list, everyone’s favourite art deco enclave Atlas Bar has a full menu of bites and bottled drinks for takeaway or delivery at The Atlas Shop shopatlasbar.sg. We recommend the popular Atlas Afternoon Tea (from $48) which includes scones, banana cream pie, truffled egg brioche buns, lobster crostini and more, plus a gin-inspired tea called Atlas Art Deco Blend.
For those with a passion for crafting their own cocktails, The Atlas Shop sells a range of premium bar tools. Here, head barman Jesse Vida teaches us how to make a decadent Bitter Soma.
Bitter Soma
Serves: 1
Ingredients
20ml Campari
Method
Pour all ingredients into a stirring vessel, add ice, stir, then pour into an old fashioned glass, add ice and garnish with an orange twist. Enjoy the marriage of bold, smokey and rich flavours!
Kinki Restaurant + Bar
Kinki has collaborated with boutique gin bar Cin Cin to create six bottled cocktails (370ml each) using foundational techniques woven with Asian influences. Spend $80 with your Mastercard to enjoy $10 off delivery by using promo code MC10, or free islandwide delivery when you spend above $100 with Mastercard using promo code MCFREE. To order, visit delivery.kinki.com.sg.
Cin Cin’s head bartender, Fadly Sujebto , shares his favourite blend here which can be bottled away for easy imbibing. The cocktail can be stored in the fridge for up to one week.
She’s So Unusual
Serves: 6
Ingredients
225ml Green Tinted Roku Gin 75ml Yuzu Umeshu
Method
Fill a cocktail shaker half full with ice. Pour the green tinted Roku Gin, Yuzu Umeshu, sugar syrup, and shiso bitters into a cocktail shaker. Shake in a horizontal motion over your shoulder, for a slow count of ten. Strain the cocktail into a glass and garnish with a slice of dehydrated lemon.
See also: The cocktail hour
Brown-Forman
One of the largest American-owned spirits and wine companies, Brown-Forman is home to some of the biggest bourbon whiskey brands like Jack Daniel’s, Old Forester and Woodford Reserve, and sells in more than 170 countries. To get a hold of them locally, you can visit Brown-Forman flagship stores on Lazada and Shopee. Purchase a bottle of Woodford Reserve on either platform and enjoy a free bottle of Old Fashioned Cocktail Syrup, for a limited time only.
For those who enjoy their spirits a little darker, here are two bourbon-based recipes that deliciously marry the sweet with the sour.
Bourbon Porch Swing
Serves: 2
Ingredients
90ml Woodford Reserve Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Method
Combine ingredients into a tall glass, stir and garnish.
Tennessee Honey & Lemonade
Serves: 1
Ingredients
50 ml Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Honey 200ml Lemonade
Method
Fill a highball glass three-quarters with cubed ice. Pour Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Honey over ice, top with lemonade and garnish.
