Discovering world cultures through culinary exploration is a well-known fact. Many, however, are oblivious to exploring exquisite flavours of the finest drink and its relevance in understanding foreign culture.
Fortunately, The Capital Kempinski Hotel’s Bar at 15 Stamford is launching a cocktail menu that will take visitors on a transoceanic voyage across the Austronesian Islands. The masterfully crafted drinks, created by Bar Manager Edriane Lim and The Bar at 15 Stamford team, evoke narratives of way-faring and commerce that shaped the Austronesian area.
The collaborative creativity and story-telling of The Bar at 15 Stamford team are evident in each new cocktail creations. “The new menu voyages through the pathways of Austronesian migration by way of spirits, spices and garnishes that immerse guests in an origin story that isn’t often referenced in history,” says Edriane Lim, Bar Manager of The Bar at 15 Stamford.
The menu, which comprises 16 cocktails and is divided into: Austronesian Islands and Signature Cocktails, incorporates vintage Bacardi advertising alongside a history of the Austronesian Islands, as well as vivid photos of each cocktail to help you imagine each drink.
Austronesian Islands Cocktail
Warm your palate with a taste of the Austronesian region. Start off with the Ilha Formosa 1542 (S$25). From Portuguese which means “beautiful island”, it’s the same name given to Taiwan by the Portuguese in 1542. The Ilha Formosa tipple uses Tie Guan Yin, a rich and flowery kind of oolong enhanced by jasmine tea. It offers a well-balanced taste profile. This tea blend is then shaken with gin, cognac, and dry vermouth before being served in a tumbler glass to let the citrus aromatics to permeate.
Ilha Formosa 1542
The Lakatoi 1885 (S$25) transports thirsty travellers to Papua New Guinea, inspired by the double-hulled canoes used by Hiri traders. This delectable drink, which combines rum, banana liqueur, Aperol citrus and orange bitters, pays homage to the island’s Motu people when bananas were the principal export.
Continue your spirits journey to New Zealand with the Endeavor 1769 drink (S$25). It is a gin and mezcal blend named after the ship of James Cook when he arrived on Aotearoa, which later on became New Zealand.
Endeavor 1769
The drink’s cosmic appearance is inspired by journeys and how sailors looked to the stars to navigate. Endeavour 1769 is a delicious cocktail served in a tall glass with citrus, passionfruit, kiwi overtones topped with edible glitter.
Signature Cocktails
Four Signature Cocktails encourage social drinkers to absorb in the history of Joseph Balestier, the first designated US consul to Singapore, who resided on the same site as The Capitol Kempinski Hotel today. This menu segment pays homage to Balestier’s 1830s venture into rum manufacturing in Singapore, with each concoction symbolising a piece of history.
Peranakan Old Fashioned
The Peranakan Old Fashioned (S$24) is the tipple to get if you want something short, powerful, full-bodied, yet pleasantly smooth. This cocktail, inspired by Nonya ingredients and components, employs house-made falernum to accentuate the intricacies of pandan and gula-melaka notes, and is served with a burnt cinnamon stick to enhance the aromatics. Remember the Balestiers (S$24) is a rum-based variant of the rye-based drink Remember the Maine, combined with sweet vermouth, cherry brandy, cherry liqueur, and absinthe.
Plantation 1840
The Plantation 1840 (S$24) is a powerful yet deliciously lengthy cocktail made with Black Tears Rum, sweet vermouth, pineapple juice, sugarcane juice syrup, lemon juice, and fresh mint poured in a copper mug. Each component honours Balestier, who cultivated pineapple and sugarcane on the island while establishing copper stills to produce rum from sugar syrup.
Demon Island
The drinks menu also has one of the most comprehensive rum options in Singapore, with over 200 rums to try. Guests can enjoy a variety of cocktail classics as well as unique concoctions that will entice even the most discerning aficionados. A variety of rum flights are available, including Don Facundo’s Legacy (S$40), which tells the tale of Don Facundo Bacard Massó, who created the first BACARD rum distillery in Santiago de Cuba.
The Bar at 15 Stamford invites you to explore the delights of Austronesia and rum. For bookings, call +65 6715 6800 or email [email protected].
