Bar Review: Tippling Club Singapore Showcases The Symphony Of Arathorn Grey’s New Cocktails
PUBLISHED March 11th, 2023 06:00 am | UPDATED March 23rd, 2023 02:54 pm
A cosy nook for evening tipples, Tanjong Pagar’s Tippling Club will forever be iconic, thanks to its vibey atmosphere, music and definitely its gastronomic adventures. Adding to the repertoire of perfumed cocktails, and alcoholic gummy bears, the restaurant-bar is now turning heads with the latest continuation of their bar menu — A Guide to Modern Drinking, Volume III – 6 Decades of Music.
Following the footsteps of legends like Joe Schofield and Andrew Loudon, Head Bartender Arathorn Grey takes to the helm at Tippling Club with an ode to his passion for music. Though named ‘A Guide to Modern Drinking’ the menu takes us back the past, with each of the 31 drinks inspired by an artist and their music through the 1940s to 1990s.
A musician himself, Grey knows his way around a classical guitar, saxophone, drums, and also has a history of being part of marching band in secondary school and a cheerleader in polytechnic. “Like most of us, my life and career have been accompanied by a soundtrack through the decades”, says Grey. Now, he perceives bartending as his stage, and his latest performance is transcendental, where the ring of these golden hits evokes memories and emotion.
Just a tip, don’t ask Grey for his favourite sipper on the menu – like any good parent, he refused to pick a favourite. But whether you are coming alone or with company, here are all the deets to what we sipped away on during our cocktail session:
From The 90s
Maybe it’s the Millennial-Gen Z in us, but we went for the 90s straight away. This era celebrates the emergence of pop, rap and alternative music and we see a line-up of hits like Big Poppa by The Notorious B.I.G. (S$32), Bitter Sweet Symphony by The Verve (S$28), and Funky Monks by The Red Hot Chili Peppers (S$24).
We went for the third option, inspired by Grey’s musical journey and Red Hot Chili Peppers’ unique guitar sounds. The refreshing and sweet tipple blends Rhum Agricole (rum distilled from sugarcane juice), ginger, blackcurrant and soda for a drink that packs a punch. For us, the garnish of lime coated in togarashi is what took the drink up a notch and added a layer of tangy ‘funkiness’ and heat. Guests are challenged to bite off the garnish before sipping the cocktail.
From The 70s
In an era, where music was going through a transformative stage and innovation was on the mind of every artist, we see big names like Fleetwood Mac, Queen and the ever-popular Rocket Man AKA Elton John in this category. From one of Elton John’s best-selling album, Captain Fantastic and The Brown Dirt Cowboy (S$26) encapsulated the ‘country’ feel of the song with butter-washed mezcal, sunflower seeds, Montenegro, bitters, wildflower honey, and a touch of apple juice. On the rim, you find flavours of apple gel and chrysanthemum to get your palate started and for a touch of acidity.
Needless to say we understand why it’s the most time-consuming drink on the menu to make. Due to its punchiness, we reckon the bitter-sweet drink is for folks that like their tipples strong or those that prefers to nurse their drink.
From The 50s
With the Jitterbug and the Twist being the prominent dance styles in the 50s, what better way to end the evening than with some fun, jazzy tunes. The Greenbacks by Ray Charles (S$25) stirs down stout whiskey, carthusian monk liqueur, chardonnay, and lime. This unique drink is citrusy and herbaceous, highlighting the green chartreuse, which is created with 130 botanicals. Alongside the earthiness and slight bitterness, expect minty and peppery notes too. The best part? The savoury dollar bill garnish made with rice paper.
There’s much of the menu still left to discover, so we’ll be heading down again for sure. If you’re planning to drop down too just a reminder to bring your headphones, as the drinks are even more enjoyable as you listen to their curated playlist. Complete the night with autographing the menu for a shared community experience.
Tippling Club is located at 38 Tanjong Pagar Road, Singapore 088461, p. +65 6475 2217. Bar is open Mon-Tue, Thu-Sat 12pm–12am. Closed Wed & Sun.
