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One of the world’s best bars gets its own expression of bourbon.

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As if  having its own rickhouse wasn’t enough, Manhattan at Regent Hotel Singapore worked with the Beam Suntory-owned Maker’s Mark for a custom-finished Manhattan Maker’s Mark Private Select Bourbon.

Clients get the chance to finish a barrel of cask-strength Maker’s Mark 46 with 10 wooden staves chosen from five different flavour profiles of staves – from caramel and brown sugar to smoke and spice – that could result in 1,001 possible flavour combinations. The bourbon is then aged in a limestone warehouse to minimise “the angel’s share”, which refers to the part of the spirit that evaporates as it ages in the cask.

Manhattan’s Private Select creation involved gathering every member of the bar and floor team for a tasting session to determine the 10 wood-finishing staves for its Private Select that was aged for six months.

The result? A richer, sweet- leaning bourbon with plenty of ripe orchard fruits, sweet spices, pipe tobacco, and a persistent chocolate finish.

Bottled at 54.55 per cent alcohol by volume, it is a flavour bomb neat and stands well in a spirit-forward cocktail.

“Since its inception in 2014, Manhattan has been the paragon of craft bartending with our cocktails. Maker’s Mark is an ideal partner because it is an iconic American bourbon whiskey that is synonymous with quality and celebrated for its flavour,” shares bar manager David Nguyen-Luu. There are only 240 bottles of this Private Select. Of these, a limited number is available for purchase at Dolcetto by Basilico.

 
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SCALING THE RANKS
Since making it to No 7 in the 2017 World’s 50 Best Bars list, Manhattan has been on the up and up.
 
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A NEW CHAPTER

Modern restaurant Preludio started its first year with a monochrome concept. Now, it enters its second chapter with dishes and a wine list built around the concept of time. Diners can expect a little dinner theatre on their plates. time Machine, for example, features five dishes, each taking between two minutes and eight months to prepare. the raw scallops in the ceviche, for instance, spent an hour in tiger’s milk. Pork pressa, an old favourite, makes an appearance as a starter. Wrapped in obsiblue prawn, a rare, indigenous New Caledonian species, that’s beaten and coaxed into a thin, marbled sheet, the pork comes served on tomato relish and white carrot puree.
 
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FLAVOUR & FERMENTATION

It’s hard to explain what Morsels is if you’re new to the restaurant. Chef-owner Petrina Loh and her team cook whatever strikes their fancy, and the food usually vacillates between Asian and European cuisines. Either way, diners are promised a meal rich with flavour and some degree of fermentation. Loh’s new menu is no exception. Imagine creations like tofu treated with koji and turned into a mousse and served on a fish laver cracker, sake lees and black garlic made into a vinaigrette for swordfish belly slices, and red cabbage fermented and made into a sauce for a comforting red cabbage torta (vegetarian menu). Check in on thursdays (lunch and dinner) for tacos with fillings such as rendang.
 
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GOTTA DRINK ’EM ALL

Always wished you could try more cocktails but don’t want to overindulge? Say cheers to the Married Pony menu from Smoke & Mirrors at National Gallery Singapore. It offers a selection of classics with a twist for extra flavour. Each drink comes in a small stemmed glass called  a “pony” that holds 142ml as opposed to the 220ml of most glasses. We like the turmeric-scented spritzer made with Select Aperitivo Venezia and sparkling wine, and the vegan pisco sour shaken with Barsol Quebranta Pisco, lime cordial, aquafaba and peach. 
 
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CANTONESE SUMMER

Cassia, Capella Hotel Singapore’s Chinese restaurant, has a summer menu featuring new ingredients and dishes such as honey-glazed barbecued arvinyo omega 3-pork char siew with lemongrass that promise to be healthier and more flavourful. Other highlights include a nourishing mix of Boston lobster, abalone, conpoy, sea cucumber, fresh fish maw, and vegetables poached in rich chicken broth. Alternatively, go for the six-course signature set with dishes like wok-fried wagyu with black pepper sauce and a surprisingly refreshing chilled avocado cream crowned with vanilla ice cream.  

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