Spirited’s latest Drinkspotting issue again sees our chief drinks editor Daniel Goh traipsing across town trying new cocktails, this time from Jungle Ballroom, Madame Fan, and Punch Room.
It’s again cocktail galore this August, as yet another slate of cocktail bars unveil new offerings. Just like last month where we saw five cocktail-centric bars issue new menus, this time we have Jungle Ballroom at Mondrian Singapore Duxton, NCO Club’s Madame Fan, as well as Punch Room at The Singapore EDITION show off new theme-based concoctions.
If you’re looking to try some interesting new cocktails around town, you know where to drop in.
Go explore Jungle Ballroom’s Jungle Journeys Vol.2
Mondrian Singapore Duxton’s Jungle Ballroom may be known as party central, but it was originally first and foremost a contemporary cocktail bar. Its debut menu last year was a cocktail deep dive into the bounty of the jungles of Southeast Asia; its upcoming one, “Jungle Journeys Vol.2”, continues that exploration but with a wider Asia footprint.
The new menu comprises of 16 signature pours that celebrate Asia’s indigenous spirits. So while you’re still going to find many familiar labels on the back bar, dotted among them are bottles exotic and unfamiliar, many of them inspired by head bartender Adrian Besa’s own travels around the region.
From Cambodia is Lil Pari, a herbaceous tipple combining Cambodian gin from Siem Reap’s Herbal Khulen, mezcal, and vermouth – along with lemongrass oil – for a viciously potent martini meets margarita, while tea-based highball To Gather is inspired by Seoul with its vodka, soju, black tea and kombucha base. Then there’s Pampanga representing the Philippines, the creamy vodka and ube liqueur concoction with coconut and jackfruit totally channeling Filipino halo halo dessert vibes. Closer to home, whisky-based Chendol – with its notes of gula melaka, pandan, coconut, and cream – is an alcoholic recreation of the favourite Malaysian dessert.
Do note that the full Jungle Journeys Volume 2 cocktail menu will be unveiled in their entirety this October; for now Jungle Ballroom will showcase sneak peeks of four of them every fortnight till launch.
Jungle Ballroom | 16A Duxton Hill, #03-03 Mondrian Singapore Duxton, Singapore 089970 (Google Maps link) | 7pm to 2am Tuesdays to Saturdays; closed on Sundays and Mondays | mondrianhotels.com/singapore-duxton/dining/jungle-ballroom | 6019 6005 | book here
Head to Madame Fan for Storied Encounters
We’ve not been back to JW Marriott’s contemporary Chinese restaurant and bar Madame Fan for a while, so we were pleasantly surprised to see a recently-appointed new head bartender Chew Qing Ting – formerly of House Bar and Origin Bar – behind the sticks. Her debut cocktail menu is “Storied Encounters”, a two-fold curation of libations that pay homage to the classics and Madame Fan’s modern chinoiserie roots on one end, yet offer a perspective of the future – and where she wants to take the bar to – on the other.
You’ll find, for example, the lovely Osmanthus Paloma with its fragrant floral notes of osmanthus and refreshing citrus of grapefruit complementing its mezcal base, or Golden Vesper, a heady creation of gin and vodka, along with a splash of Lillet Blanc and some notes of fruit so you don’t think you’re drinking pure booze.
As for her future-forward cocktails? There’s Leo’s Voyage, served up in a curious contraption that allows you to enjoy your gin-centric libation either straight up or mixed into a tea tincture, or Phoenix, a tea-twist on the classic vodka martini.
Madame Fan | 32 Beach Rd, The NCO Club, Singapore 189764 (Google Maps link) | 11.30am to 2.30pm and 6pm to 10pm Mondays to Fridays; 11.30am to 3pm and 6pm to 10pm Saturdays and Sundays | www.madamefan.sg | 6818 1921 | book here
Follow the Little Blue Dot to Punch Room
First opened in September last year, Punch Room – the cocktail hidey hole discreetly tucked away within The Singapore EDITION – has finally unveiled its official debut cocktail menu called “Little Blue Dot”, a homage to Singapore as well as a cheeky throwaway reference to the eye-catching blue-hued disco ball that hangs from the bar’s ceiling.
The punch-focused cocktail lounge pulls together 12 signature cocktail punches for ‘Little Blue Dot’, each of which are inspired by the history of Singapore, as well as its myths and legends. You have the likes of Tempest Punch, a gin- and rum-laced concoction of silver needle jasmine tea, lime, cucumber and coriander named for the storm that almost wrecked Sang Nila Utama’s ship before he reached Temasek – now Singapore – safely, or Straits Punch, a hat tip to Singapore’s first resident commander William Farquhar, with its bold gin, whisky and ruby port base. Otherwise there’s Kusu Island Punch, a refreshing and perfumed tipple referring to the tiny island off Singapore where many Taoist devotees go to pray for good luck.
History and legend in cocktail form? We’d drink to that.
Punch Room | 38 Cuscaden Rd, The Singapore EDITION, Singapore 249731 (Google Maps link) | 6pm to 12am Tuesdays to Thursdays; 1pm to 1am Fridays and Saturdays; closed on Sundays and Mondays | www.editionhotels.com/singapore/restaurants-and-bars/punch-room | 6329 5000 | book here
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