Two of our favourite Singapore cocktail icons have unveiled new cocktail menus; ‘Simple Pleasures’ from ATLAS and Nutmeg & Clove’s ‘Singapore Personalities’ cannot be any more different.
Not all cocktail menus are alike, and some are more different than others. We love cocktail bars that not only put incredible thought into individual cocktails, but also somehow find commonalities between each creation and tie them into a storied whole. Recently, we were most intrigued by Origin Bar’s exploration of special moments in history, as well as pioneering Jigger & Pony’s introspective search for identity.
Here are two newly-launched cocktail menus from ATLAS and Nutmeg Clove, both award-winning venues, that are as well-composed in every sense of the word (and taste).
[Cover image courtesy of ATLAS]
ATLAS explores the ‘Simple Pleasures’ in life
Grand lobby bar ATLAS, that veritable lifestyle destination with its towering gin collection and soaring gilded ceilings, has introduced its latest cocktail menu that continues its exploration in the Golden Age of Drinking. Called ‘Simple Pleasures’, it follows after the previous menu ‘Sense of Place’ to ‘celebrate the simplicity of well-made cocktails and the pleasures that transcend time’.
‘Simple Pleasures’ deep dives into the origins of four classic cocktails – the Martini, Sour, Old Fashioned, and the Champagne Cocktail. For each, ATLAS offers up a signature take, as well as four modern interpretations including one non-alcoholic option. For example, under Martini there’s Diamond Lynd, a vodka- and gin-based twist made floral and nutty using basil and fino sherry, or The Occidental, a far punchier version that’s herbaceous with thyme and citrusy sweet from the use of limoncello. There’s the boozeless Farewell to Arms, too, or you can simply build your own if you like your classic Martini dry or dirty.
Like your Sours? Try the creamy low-ABV Ode to Odyssey that’s a quirky Ramos Gin Fizz and Clarified Milk Punch hybrid, or Crossing Waves, the Sour’s spicier, smokier cousin (though we lean towards the classic ATLAS Gimlet for its assertiveness in flavour and strength). Fans of the Old Fashioned should try Crimson Pipe, a modern twist with herbal and cocoa notes, while 27 Rue de Fleurus is a fruity, cognac take on the French 75 champagne cocktail.
ATLAS | 600 North Bridge Rd, Parkview Square, Singapore 188778 (Google Maps link) | 12pm to 12am Tuesdays to Thursdays; 12pm to 2am on Fridays and Saturdays; some Sundays; closed on Mondays | www.atlasbar.sg | 6396 4466 | online reservations
Nutmeg & Clove spices up its cocktail menu with ‘Singapore Personalities’
If you’re a true-blue local, Nutmeg & Clove’s new cocktail menu will put a smile on your face. In more ways than one.
The new menu ‘Singapore Personalities’ – its seventh menu ever – is everything you’d expect from Nutmeg & Clove, a bar that champions everything Singapore. It draws inspiration from notable Singaporeans across different fields – such as music, television, radio, and the culinary arts – and pays them homage with its new cocktails.
In the section for television you’ll find Hu Hu Who?, a reference to the trademark phrase by Liang Po Po, a character played by local actor and director Jack Neo during the 1990s and 2000s. This apple and sherry gin highball is light and refreshing, and dusted with an earthy fennel and lavender garnish that hints at grandma’s favourite scents. There’s Yellow Boots too, a Mai Tai-like spiced rum-based tipple with hints of jalapeno and pineapple obviously inspired by Gurmit Singh’s character in Phua Chu Kang, Singapore’s longest running English sitcom that ran from the 90s.
Under radio section is Breakfast Margarita, a liquid hat tip to radio duo Justin Ang and Vernon A of Muttons in the Morning breakfast show on Class 95, as well as the contemporary take on a Martini that is Wander-Thirst, named for former radio personality Rosalyn Lee (better known as Rozz). In the culinary section is Fried Rice Paradigm, a smoky and creamy Mezcal-laced concoction that’s a tribute to singer-songwriter Dick Lee, who wrote the musical Fried Rice Paradise. Our favourite though is F** Your Banana, a fantabulous spirit-forward Daiquiri that tastes altogether like goreng pisang (banana fritters), a tribute to pioneering local mod-Sin chef Willin Low.
Nutmeg & Clove | 8 Purvis Street, Singapore 188587 (Google Maps link) | 5pm to 12am Mondays to Thursdays; 4pm to 12am Fridays and Saturdays; closed on Sundays | www.nutmegclove.com | 9389 9301
[…] award-winning Singapore-themed Nutmeg & Clove for the cocktails alone, each of which gives specific insight into an aspect of Singapore culture. But its Asian pub grub is also delightful, a mishmash of bites inspired by different regional […]