With the introduction of new head bartender, Joe Schofield, Tippling Club has revamped their cocktail menu. Their new menu, titled Sensorium, seeks to unify aromas with spirits to invoke memories and emotions of our experiences.
“80 per cent of the flavours we taste come from our sense of smell”
It’s with this idea that the new menu was conceptualised. We’ll now not only sip cocktails, but also smell them! Sounds awesome, no?
Widely regarded as an innovative and forward thinking bar, the Tippling Club’s new menu has proven once again, that they’re ahead of the game.
The birth of the Sensorium Menu
The new menu places the emphasis on the aromatic rather than alcoholic.
“Nothing stirs up cherished childhood memories like the smell of red crayons”
The idea was that customers should choose their preferred cocktails based on an aroma that interests them. It’s about your personality, your chosen smell, more than the choice of alcohol.
The process
We were honoured to have been given the opportunity to attend a tasting session.
First, they presented the whole menu through a bouquet of perfumed blotters.
Scofield encouraged us to smell each one and to pick out our favorite scents. This was in line with their philosophy of placing precedence on smell.
And god, did they smell amazing.
He even stated at one point that he would be happy to see customers ‘stealing’ the blotters to keep for memories sake.
After showing us the scents and cocktails, it was time to taste them.
‘Potentially, we could be the first bar in Singapore to marry aromatic fragrance to our cocktails to such an extent. Perhaps even globally.’ Chef-Owner Ryan Clift
Well, we don’t doubt him. The cocktails did not disappoint.
Cocktail – Rain
Have you ever actually thought about how rain smells like?
Somehow, Tippling Club has managed to accurately capture the scents that immediately invoked my memories of rainfall upon the first whiff.
Rain is a eclectic mix of citrus, soda and vodka, served with an edible stone.
Don’t worry, the stone, unlike its namesake, is actually cushiony. The initial bite is chalky, but it soon melts in your mouth for that earthy aftertaste, just like how I feel rain would taste like.
The drink itself is light and refreshing. The flavours and the alcohol were delicately balanced.
The Negroni
They say you can’t beat a classic.
Well, we think that Tippling Club has just made the classic even better! Negroni doesn’t just taste good – it smells just as delish!
Essentially still equal parts gin, sweet vermouth and campari, Tippling Club used ultrasonic sound waves to emulate a barrel-aged flavour. The traditional orange garnish is actually a negroni-flavoured gelatine mix!
Refreshing, punchy, and uplifting. We’d love to go for seconds.
The Campfire
Do you reminisce your adventurous days spent outdoors by the campfire?
This cocktail will help you relive those memories.
This is an incredible melody of marshmallow milk, burnt syrup, ash and gin, served together with a slightly roasted marshmallow.
How does it smell? Smoky, and absolutely delectable. We never thought we could describe a smell as delicious, until now.
The Caramel
The caramel was a clear favourite both in terms of sight and smell.
The aroma was pleasantly tart, elevating the rich, saccharine flavour of caramel with just a hint of citrus and rum.
The drink itself proved to be well balanced and not overly sweet, served along with a salted caramel lollipop made in house.
No better treat than this.
Details
The cocktails on the Sensorium menu go for 22SGD a pop, which was a pleasant surprise. With such detailed thought and meticulous care put into the menu and cocktails, we fully expected them to go for more conventional premium prices.
Alas, we forgot that Tippling Club does not do conventional, they’re that special round peg in a square hole. Furthermore, it only goes to show that the priorities of Tippling Club are to delight their customers.
Tippling Club
Address: 38 Tanjong Pagar Road, Singapore 088461
Opening Hours (Bar): 12:00PM to 12:00AM (Mon – Fri), 06:00PM to 12:00AM (Sat), Closed on Sundays.
Call/Enquiries: 64752217/ [email protected]
This was an invited tasting session.
Image credits: Tippling Club
Also, read Crab Buffets So Amazing That You’ll Have To Crabwalk Out The Door After!
