The Fine Art Of Alcohol Appreciation

With former Noma staff behind the concept, you can be assured of a certain baseline of quality, creativity and foremost, sustainability. @fura.sg owns its vision of the “future of food”, with a menu revolving around plant-based local produce sourced from smaller businesses and plants from their own rooftop garden. The sleek lines within the minimalist interior at once impresses and puts one at ease, and the long, expansive bar counter invites you to watch the chef and bartender at work.
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The cocktails are playful, inventive and most importantly tasty af. Make Tomatoes Great Again sees Monte Lobos Espadin Mezcal, MSG-Lacto fermented local tomatoes, coriander seed infused vermouth, green apples, parsley, and basil premix freshly carbonated before it hits your table. the drink is at once bright and refreshing with savoury, smoky undertones, bringing to mind an elevated and effervescent Bloody Mary.

It’s rare to see natural wines made in-house in Singapore bars, so I definitely had to try at least one at fura.sg. On the sweeter side than I’m normally used to for natural wines, Strawberry Generation was easying-drinking and summery, lush with the essence of 60 day fermented strawberry, cherries, red apple and a top note of vanilla.

A tripartite of whiskies come together in this beguilingly smoky beverage exuding the spirit of the Islays, helmed prominently by the commanding presence of a Laphroaig 10, further fortified via a smokey Monkey Shoulder and house whisky blend. Umami bitters and a splash of lemon raises the complexity of the cocktail, lifting it to even greater heights. They finish it off with a garnish of Japanese sea grapes dangling from the rim, its ocean-y brininess conjuring the wind-swept coasts of the Scottish isles.
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Taste: 4/5

Dehydrated pineapple takes the form of a golden sun setting on a sea of striking cardinal purple, a saccharine and floral solution of Brass Lion Butterfly Pea Gin, butterfly pea tea, kaffir lime leaf, sage, elderflower and citrus. Its sweet, easy to drink, and almost reminiscent of Ribena.

Taste: 3/5

Cocktails with flair and inventiveness is the name of the game at this speakeasy hidden in plain sight behind a tailor shop frontage in the heart of town at One Raffles Place.
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Inspired by the famous Hong Kong triad flick of yore - Young & Dangerous, this firmly tongue in cheek libation channels the vibrant spirit of 香港 through its use of the refreshingly aromatic
Perfume Tree Gin, itself hailing and made with ingredients from the aforementioned island. In keeping wih the theme, the bartenders here have deftly taken unorthodox ingredients in the form of herbs that go into the making of lung tonic soup - a traditional Chinese remedy for the lungs - and created an infusion that at once soothes as well as stimulates the senses. Chief among the herbs is white fungus, which is here not just used as a garnish, but also statement of intent that this is not your everyday cocktail bar.

Taste: 3.5/5

Christmas may have just gone by but that still doesn’t mean we can’t have breakfast dranks to usher in the holiday spirit. Cheery and eggnog-esque, this smooth and creamy concoction of arabica liqeur, vodka and spiced vanilla will warm hearts as well as bellies. Topping things off are a trio of adorable mini roasted marshmallows on a stick.

Taste: 3.5/5

Like a cool sip of summer, Arquitecto tequila and the combined zestiness of calamansi, Kaffir agave and Cointreau will slake even the most parched of throats. Be warned, this is highly drinkable.

Taste: 3.5/5

Reassuringly alcohol-forward, the double trouble combo of Wild Turkey Bourbon and Wild Turkey Rye leaves a pleasant, lingering burn as it travels down your throat, gradually revealing the complexities of the cocktail - a whisper of chocolate from cacao nib, the sweet maltiness of beer syrup, herbal bitters and the woody scent of hickory smoke.

Taste: 3/5

I don't usually like floral cocktails, but the understated flowery sweetness of the rosella was complemented by the botanicals from Widges gin and offset by the slightest hint of smokiness from peated whisky. Clever use too, of instant foam from a bottle for a sour instead of the traditionally laborious process of whipping egg whites.

Taste: 3.5/5

Good intentions such as committing to running in the morning lead to even better chance discoveries, such as this cafe and bar that serves coffee and cocktails at 10am. Get the buzz... sorry, best of both worlds with the Burnt Butter Espresso Martini, a definite perk me up consisting of brown butter Wild Turkey 81, Giffard coffee liqueur, Smitten espresso and a hint of vanilla.

Taste: 3.5/5

Don’t be afraid of the dark, this stout is easy on the belly but goes hard on flavour. Coffee dominates the palate with a smoothly lingering dark chocolate finish. Match its robustness with the smoky greasiness of char kway teow or the richness of pork satay from Chinatown Complex Food Centre.

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Probably the smallest craft beer place in town, Mikeller takes over the premises of what used to be Good Beer Company.

Their refined and balanced yet extremely flavourful beers are a perfect match for the plethora of great hawker food its neighbours are known for.

The Vesterbro Wit, a refreshing wheat beer with splashes of cinnamon, allspice and banana, is not the first beer that comes to mind when you think of tze char, but here complements the sweet and sour pork beautifully, the inherent notes of tropical sweetness in both food and drink the common thread that ties everything together.

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