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Singapore’s Smoke & Mirrors debuts culinary cocktail list

Singapore bar Smoke & Mirrors has launched a new cocktail menu called Playful Eye, which takes inspiration from culinary techniques and presentation styles associated with food.

Smoke & Mirrors’ new cocktail menu takes inspiration from culinary techniques

Developed by head bartender Yugnes Susela and his team, the menu consists of 10 cocktails that play on names, presentation and flavours.

The Playful Eye “challenges standards of traditional cocktail classification” such as style and strength of spirit base.

A highlight of the new menu is unique garnishes, with each cocktail representing the bar’s “essence of mirage and magic”.

“I’ve always been intrigued by how a chef would plate a cocktail if they were behind the bar. For a year, my team and I researched unique flavour profiles and methods used by chefs who push culinary and imbibing boundaries. We drew inspiration from our individual experiences, surroundings and travels to create 10 new cocktails,” said Susela.

“We want our guests to experience the cocktails with the three senses of sight, taste and touch.”

Cocktails on the menu include My Creation – No Limit which comprises cacao-infused vodka, sweet vermouth, pineapple juice, coconut nectar and Pu’er tea. Shaken and served in the style of a potted plant surrounded by edible ‘soil’, the drink is garnished with a “nutty” cinnamon basil herb from urban farming partner Edible Garden City.

Aside from new cocktails, the bar has also refreshed its spirits list. New to the list is Rutte’s Celery Gin from the Netherlands, Kavalan Solist single malt whisky from Taiwan, and the single-distilled La Venenosa Raicilla Sierra Del Tigre mezcal made from wild foraged agave inaquidens.

Click through to see a selection of cocktails from the new Playful Eye menu. 

Smoke & Mirrors

The signature cocktail of the bar, Smoke & Mirrors, uses Tequila as its base spirit. It has “spiced” notes and hints of French herbs.

Inspired by Susela’s favourite restaurant, the two-Michelin starred Mugaritz in Spain, the cocktail garnish is an edible garden that consists of apple, cardamom and different textures of ‘soil’, made of raw pistachios and cocoa powder.

Cloud & Air

This aperitif cocktail is inspired by the views at Smoke & Mirrors. Cloud & Air uses white port as its base and has “subtle nutmeg and eucalyptus” flavours. Raw honey, apricot brandy and lemon juice complement the fresh finish, and a homemade milk meringue is served atop a Champagne flute. Tropical citrus smoke is diffused within the flute for a “touch of fragrance”.

Kurokawa

 

Kurokawa, which is a Japanese surname that translates in English to Black River, is said to symbolise the umami flavour. Vodka is infused with fragrant rausu kombu that produces a “deep, intense flavour”. It is then shaken with gomasio (made from black sesame and salt) and house-made ponzu tincture for acidity. The micro tomatoes and sea grape garnishes are from Japan, where the “burst of tartness amplifies the drink’s citrusy notes”.

My Creation – No Limit

This serve represents the team’s commitment to “pushing creative boundaries”. It comprises cacao-infused vodka, sweet vermouth, pineapple juice, coconut nectar and Pu’er tea. Urban farming partner Edible Garden City supplied the cinnamon basil garnish.

God’s Own

God’s Own is inspired by the importance of the coconut fruit in Kerala, India. The cocktail incorporates freshly grated coconuts into junmai sake and is combined with coconut syrup and rum. The garnish is a slice of potato, cooked at 85 degrees celsius for 40 minutes. It is further flavoured with pistachio for a “creamy, rich taste” and topped with lemon zest.

Purple Gringo

Inspired by Susela’s integration of botanicals into agave spirits, the Purple Gringo uses Tequila blanco that features fresh juniper berries. A red cabbage shrub made in-house provides a “vegetal” flavour and a purple colour. The Sherry provides a slightly salty note, complementing the garnishes of dehydrated red cabbage and miso caviar, made from red miso and sago.

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