Singapore urban microbrewery restaurant LeVeL33 unveils its LeVeL33 Hopped Dry Gin, a collaborative gin made with local distillery Brass Lion.
In what is one of the latest spirited collaborations to have taken place, LeVeL33 – a sky-high microbrewery restaurant perched on the, you guessed it, 33rd floor of Marina Bay Financial Centre – has just announced the release of a special gin it’s created in partnership with Singapore distillery Brass Lion. But while it’s collaborated on many ventures – a special golden ale with Melbourne’s Two Birds Brewing, for example – the exclusive LeVeL33 Hopped Dry Gin by Brass Lion is the microbrewery’s first foray in the world of distilling.
The special gin was the brainchild of LeVeL33’s founder and Managing Director, Dr Martin Bém, who reached out to Brass Lion on the idea of combining the world of beer and gin. “I approached Jamie Koh of Brass Lion Distillery with this idea to create a special gin for us that included beer ingredients, and she was very open and receptive,” recalls Dr Bém (pictured above with LeVeL33 resident brewmaster Gabriel Garcia and Brass Lion brand ambassador Kino Soh). LeVeL33 recently renovated and now boasts three different concepts in one space, including elevated beer-inspired dining at its new dining room.
“We are very excited to have this great opportunity to work with Brass Lion, and provide a new experience for our guests and extend the range of locally produced wares through LeVeL33,” he adds.
Brass Lion Distillery was officially founded just last year, and already has gone on to creating some Singapore firsts, such as establishing the country’s first “gin school” as well as making Singapore’s first whisky. For the LeVeL33 Hopped Dry Gin, the signature flavours of the Brass Lion Singapore Dry Gin formed both its inspiration, which is redolent with citrusy and spicy notes from herbs and spices such as galangal, kaffir lime leaves, pomelo and mandarin peel, and lemongrass. But the magic here is the use of Citra hops, one of the most coveted American hop varieties that pack punchy floral and citrus notes. As it’s intense in both aroma and flavour, it’s commonly used in strongly hoppy beers like American-style pale ales and IPAs.
What would have completed the gin and beer love story was if the base spirit was made from distilling LeVeL33 wort or beer. Indeed Dr Bém and LeVeL33 resident brewmaster Gabriel Garcia first tried distilling beers and infusing them in different concentrations, but the resultant distillates – which were big in roasty coffee and chocolate notes – weren’t exactly what they were looking for so they settled on using regular grain alcohol as a base instead.
The result though is a refreshing yet complex gin. There’s a muted nose reminiscent of waxy cheese, cereal and grain with a touch of citrus peel, but on the palate explodes with zesty pink grapefruit and spicy lemongrass, supported by hints of white pepper.
LeVeL33 Hopped Dry Gin is currently available at LeVeL33 at the price of S$21++ for a standard pour (30ml), S$35.50++ for a gentleman’s pour (45ml). It’s also available with the Signature G&T at S$29.50++, or a full bottle (500ml) at S$220++. The gin is also available for retail at S$160 (500ml), and S$20 (50ml).
