Vesper
As far as cocktails made renown by showbiz go, the Vesper is certainly a grand dame. Immortalised by James Bond in Casino Royale, the Vesper was the cocktail that heralded his infamous ‘shaken not stirred’ line. It was Bond’s personal take on the martini—except made with both gin and vodka, and Kina Lillet instead of vermouth—and spontaneously named after his collaborator, the beautiful Vesper Lynd. Alas, the Vesper martini fell out of favour with 007 in his subsequent escapades—not surprising, really, given his ill-fated liaison with the femme fatale.
Over at Live Twice, the Jigger & Pony group’s mid-century Japan-inspired bar, principal bartender Yinying Leow upholds the spirit of Bond’s original recipe. Ketel One vodka, Ki No Bi navy strength gin and Tempus Fugit Kina L’Aero d’Or (since Kina Lillet is now-defunct) are shaken extra aggressively, then poured through a coarse strainer to preserve some shards of ice—for temperature, as well as to soften the drink’s potency. To quote Bond, this is a Vesper that’s “very strong, very cold, and very well-made.”
New Blood
The next-generation is breathing new life into the forgotten art of spice-mixing, peppering the traditional trade with renewed ideas and fresh perspectives.
Sharing Is Caring
Compared to its flagship at Serene Centre, Fat Belly Social at Boon Tat Street is a classier and bolder affair, in more than one sense.
Nutmeg's Role In Singapore's History
From tales of it being used to ward off the plague in mid-1300s Europe to one of the ingredients in dessert, we have all known, tasted, or at least heard of nutmeg. But not many know of the spice’s role in Singapore’s history.
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The ever-profound chef-owner Kenjiro ‘Hatch’ Hashida finds more room, three to be exact, to express a Ha Ri philosophy at Hashida Singapore’s new location at Amoy Street.
Pairing Spice-Driven Cuisines With Wine
Pairing spice-driven cuisines with wine has long been a challenge but with a little imagination, it doesn’t have to be.
Let Land Grow Wild
Niew Tai-Ran has worn many hats: aeronautical engineering major, investment banker, avid surfer, and, for the last 14 years, winemaker. Discover how this Malaysia-born, Singapore-native is championing the “do-nothing farming” philosophy at his vineyard in Oregon.
The South Asian Misnomer
Incredibly diverse and varied than most know, Indian food is far more intriguing than butter chicken or thosai. Here is a crash course on the extensive cuisine from region to region, recognisable for the seemingly infinite ways of using spices.
Keepers Of The Spice Trade
From its glory days along trade routes to pantry staples all over the world, spices have become so commonplace that we’ve taken them for granted. For these three trailblazers, however, spice is their livelihood and motivation: Langit Collective working with indigenous rural farming communities in Malaysia; IDH’s Sustainable Spice Initiative; and chef Nak’s one-woman mission to share forgotten Khmer cuisine.
Sugar, Spice And Everything Nice
Like food, spices bring vibrancy and variety to alcoholic beverages. Surfacing in unexpected ways on the palate, find everything from cumin to tamarind, cloves to cardamom enriching these drinks.
Building Blocks From The Archipelago
For the smorgasbord of dishes found in Indonesian cuisine, it is a little known secret that the modest bumbu, in all its variants, is the bedrock of such flavourful fare.
