Above image: The Peranakan Sunset
It’s been six months since speakeasy cocktail bar Taylor Adam swung open its hidden doors to thirsty tipplers in the CBD.
Now on the second leg of its voyage, the intimate venue presents a new menu inspired by the diversity of cultures found in Commonwealth Asia, resulting in 10 new signature cocktails (don’t worry, some of the old favourites from the first menu remains) that harken back to the historic era.
Find drinks that tell a tale of instances found in colonial times, such as with the Mestizo, which means ‘mixed’ in Spanish, referring to the mixing of peoples and flavours during the time marked by plenty of travelling and trade.
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The absinthe and sherry cocktail makes good use of Thai ingredients (in recognition of the European traders who married locals and settled in the Kingdom of Ayutthaya), such as basil, lemongrass, and lime juice, forming a refreshing yet potently flavoured drink perfect to start the night with.
Definitely get the Peranakan Sunset sometime during your visit. The ode to Nonya heritage uses ingredients like butterfly pea and kaffir lime to create a beautiful-in-purple, colour changing cocktail that wows both the eyes and palate. The fact that locally-made gin from Singapore’s own Brass Lion Distillery is used in the drink, is an added bonus.
Then there’s Taiping Town, which pays homage to Captain Tristan Speedy, the founder of Taiping in Perak, Malaysia. The cocktail appropriately uses the much-talked-about Timah Whiskey from Malaysia as one of its base spirits, adding to it rum, gin, ginger, lime, and a medley of berries to form a viscous, punchy potion.
Intrepid tipplers should make a beeline for the Forgotten Formosa, a concoction named after Ilha Formosa (meaning ‘beautiful island’), the name the Portuguese gave Taiwan. The tastes and smells of Taiwan’s famed night markets gets distilled into a vodka-based drink here, with an abundant use of fresh cilantro making sure it is one that is either widely loved or hated.
If you’re one that enjoys ending every meal with a cup of Masala Chai, their cocktail of the same name fittingly takes on that role, while making sure the heady nightcap leaves you on a high note. The cognac-based drink is full of spice and tea notes, perking up any taste buds that might have been overworked.
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As mentioned, a number of selections from their first menu remain. Drinks proven to be popular with regulars the likes of Over the Sea, Lung and Dangerous, as well as New York New York, are all still available. If you’d like to see what we thought about their debut menu, check out our first impression of Taylor Adam.
As you’ll find out, the Taylor Adam experience is very much about the setting you find yourself in vis-a-vis the drinks and storytelling. It is, after all, a speakeasy concept. And hidden behind its illusory entrance is a spirit-fueled world you won’t find anywhere else.
For more perspectives, check out what our friends over at Spirited Singapore thinks about Taylor Adam’s new menu.
All cocktails are S$23.80 each. Taylor Adam is located at 1 Raffles Place, #01-03, Singapore 048616.
About the Author
Dannon Har is the Managing Editor of Spill. Discovering his innate gift for drinking only at a ripe age, he spares no time trying to find more delicious drops to imbibe during his time on Earth. When he’s not minding every detail at Spill, he spends his time concocting luscious libations and sharing them with folks that visit his home bar.