Mixology Salon, a celebrated craft cocktail bar hailing from Tokyo, will now serve their signature tea-infused cocktails in Singapore.
Avid tea-drinkers (who don’t happen to also be travelling to Japan), this one is for you. Famous Japanese craft bar Mixology Salon has now opened an outpost in Singapore, bringing it’s artfully rendered “tea-tails” to our sunny island — boozy coolers infused with the calming aroma of distinguished Japanese teas is certainly an enticing treat to beat this endless heat.
Housed in on the second floor of InterContinental on Robertson Quay, Mixology Salon presents a charming 17-seater specially designed to hold intimate tea-time gatherings, dimly-lit and filled with wood placements that bring to mind Japanese cedar and its homely warmth.
Founded by master mixologist Shuzo Nagumo (above) and honoured as one of Asia’s 50 Best Bars, Mixology Salon blends modern mixology techniques with the celebration of Japanese tea culture — a marriage that stems from Shuzo’s love and respect for natural ingredients. At the heart of Shuzo’s philosophy is the meticulous combination of vegetables, herbs, and spices with spirits, the use of high-quality Japanese green tea leaves like gyokuro (the highest grade of tea made in Japan), oolong, sencha and hojicha creating craft cocktails of unparalleled and unforgettable flavour profiles.
Singapore’s Mixology Salon will be led by Shuzo’s protégé, Kaoru Takii, and is supported by Grey Goose vodka on the alcohol front. Grey Goose’s ability to bring together the soft winter wheat and Gensac spring water from field to bottle synergises perfectly with the uncompromising techniques of Japanese tea making, the French vodka being the perfect balance in elegance and spirited innovation.
The menu is an exciting collation of cocktails that include: a Japanese Tea Espresso Martini, the umami version of tea in a cocktail with exclusive gyokuro-infused Grey Goose vodka, matcha, sencha and vanilla syrup; the refreshing Sencha Gin & Tonic, a blend of the gentle astringency of Shizuoka sencha, with the deep umami flavours of Saga sencha infused in Bombay Sapphire gin; the Iri-bancha & IPA, a tart and fruity cocktail that brings together Grand Marnier, apricot liqueur, vermouth Rosso, IPA, and the profoundly smoky flavour from the Kyoto tea roasting process.
One of the more experimental numbers for the more adventurous to try is the Four Seams, an interesting savoury concoction that intertwines the harmonious blend of genmaicha with redistilled Grey Goose vodka and yuzu. As it is served in a masu cup — small square wooden boxes used to measure rice portions in Japan during the feudal period —, the captivating taste of genmaicha can be enjoyed from one side of the cup, while the other side presents a delightful interplay of miso, dashi, and cassis powder, which can be sipped with the drink to elevate and complement the flavour of the liquid.
Otherwise, try the Green Tea Old Fashioned for something familiar that won’t go wrong. This version of the classic beverage is smooth, earthy and balanced, coalescing the timeless allure of matcha with a harmonious blend of chocolate bitters, kuromitsu (black sugar syrup), vanilla bitters, bourbon and rye whiskey.
For those gunning for the highest-quality offerings from Mixology Salon, consider going for the immersive Gyokuro Cocktails Course, a guided journey through three distinct infusions of the gyukuro — the epitome of Japanese green tea excellence — allowing an evolutionary exploration of different flavour intensities. For the course finale, the remaining tea leaves are savoured alongside smoked oyster soy sauce, complemented with the third brew of gyokuro tea.
There are also mocktail options to choose from, as well as a small selection of bites to accompany your sips. Expect nibbles like dates and butter, a pork katsu sandwich and even matcha terrine — undoubtedly making for a zen experience that will set the space for fond and sweet memories to be made.
For more information, visit Mixology Salon Singapore’s website here. Reservations can be made online. Once you’re done with this story, click here to catch up with our May 2023 issue.
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