One-Ninety Bar at Four Seasons Hotel Singapore draws on iconic botanic gardens around the world for a creative floral and botanical-driven cocktail menu.
Four Seasons Hotel Singapore’s One-Ninety Bar doesn’t normally turn up in cocktail conversations. But that’s rapidly changing. The Orchard Road hotel some time back recruited not one but two highly-acclaimed bartenders with Head Bartender Sophia Kang and Beverage Manager Gabriel Carlos – both previously from award-winning Manhattan – to head the bar and revamp its offerings.
The result? A new cocktail menu called ‘Secret Gardens’. And with its latest offerings, One-Ninety Bar finally comes into its own.
And their pedigree shows.
Kang and Carlos took their time over the pandemic period to research and hone this inspired menu. While the bar previously had a floral-themed cocktail menu, its latest doubles down on that theme by rolling out 12 new cocktails that draw their inspirations from some of the most iconic botanic gardens of the world, specifically Singapore’s own Botanic Gardens, Royal Botanic Gardens (also known as Kew Gardens) in London, as well as the Brooklyn Botanic Garden in New York City.
Cities which just so happen to be among the cocktail capitals of the world as well.
Representing Singapore’s Botanic Gardens is the likes of Zingiber, named for the ginger family prized for its culinary value. Here it is celebrated as a twist on the Paloma, anchored by smoky Mezcal and spiced up with the use of chilli liqueur, as well as turmeric and ginger, or Bandstand, a coffee variation of the classic Manhattan that’s a tribute to an iconic landmark in the Gardens. Those who love their dessert cocktails will enjoy Kampung Kueh, a Rum Flip that tastes entirely like a Peranakan kueh salat with its pandan and coconut notes.
But the one that possibly represents Singapore the most is Rose of Sharon. This is a tribute to both the hibiscus as well as the Singapore Sling, a more elegant version that’s more floral with hibiscus than fruit-driven like the original.
As for Kew Gardens, Kang and Carlos tap the Temple of Arethusa – a war memorial which stands within the gardens – as well as the orchid known as Dragon’s Mouth for Arethusa. This is a stunning Martini variant, and comes with a side of Japanese ume plums and pickles for the briny hit to accentuate the gin within. Or if you like a fancy take on the Bloody Mary, there’s Kitchen Garden. What sounds like vegetable discards – celery, mushroom, tomato, and citrus – is turned into cocktail V8.
Otherwise there’s The Hive, a Gin Sour that borrows classic British breakfast flavours – particularly orange marmalade – for a refreshing, tangy hit.
New York City’s Brooklyn Botanic Gardens is best known as a world leader in plant research and conservation. The ‘Secret Garden’ creations it inspires include Palm House, a spunky Gin Fizz named for the popular wedding venue in the gardens, as well as Lightscape, a punchy White Negroni with notes of raspberry.
And if you love a smoky Old Fashioned? Go with Dumbo, an earthy, smoky concoction that’s a hat tip to Brooklyn’s cobbled streets and warehouse buildings that once housed a former tobacco factory.
“As a bartender, inspiration for crafting unique cocktails comes from the world around us. From the streets of New York, to the speakeasies of London and the bustling bars in Singapore, it just made complete sense for us to create a menu that pays homage to the craft and culture of the world’s best cocktail capitals,” shares One-Ninety Bar head bartender Sophia Kang.
In that sense the One-Ninety Bar ‘Secret Gardens’ is more than just a cocktail menu; it’s really a liquid collection of stories that delve into the serene botanical oases located within London, New York City, and here in Singapore that offer a respite from their urban chaos.
You’ll be hearing more of One-Ninety Bar within cocktail circles soon enough.
[Photos courtesy of Four Seasons Hotel Singapore]
One-Ninety Bar (Four Seasons Hotel Singapore)
Address 190 Orchard Blvd, Four Seasons Hotel Singapore, Singapore 248646 (Google Maps link)
Opening Hours 8am to 12am daily
Tel (65) 6831 7671
Web www.fourseasons.com/singapore
Facebook OneNinetyBarSingapore
Instagram @oneninetybarsg
