Compendium Straits Vodka
Paying tribute to Singapore’s Straits Settlement heritage is this one-of-a-kind vodka by local distillery Compendium. Its founder and head distiller Simon Zhao was inspired by the abundance of spices found in the region, and wondered why they were never put to good use by alcohol producers here.
Thus Southeast Asian spices such as nutmeg and cinnamon feature prominently in his Straits Vodka, turning the often neutral tasting spirit into an aromatic distillate best enjoyed neat over ice, or in a spirit-forward cocktail like a Martini.
Compendium Sprits
Or go the other direction and make a White Russian instead. The spices work just as well alongside the heavy cream and coffee flavours.
The uniqueness of this vodka isn’t just in the spices used. Unlike most vodkas that use grains or potato as a base starch to ferment and then distill, Compendium uses wildflower honey instead, giving it a smoother, rounder mouthfeel. This also allows the spice aromatics to surface better while reducing the harshness present in most other grain-based vodkas.
GudSht Red Sangrila Utama
A name that harks back to the founding father of Singapore and a red wine concoction doesn’t really add up conceptually, until you realise that there is also a white wine version of this cheekily-named bottled cocktail.
So wave Singapore’s red and white flag high as you sip on this spiced up drink that’s based on a classic red sangria, but given a big oomph of flavour thanks to use of spirits and syrup alongside the wine. Leave it to the crazy folks at GudSht–a collab bar and bottled cocktail retailer formed by creative mavericks GoodStuph and alcohol events people Elite Bar Solutions–to dream up such a recipe.
This story is from the April - June 2021 edition of WINE&DINE.
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This story is from the April - June 2021 edition of WINE&DINE.
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