Singapore cocktail bar Smoke & Mirrors has appointed Jorge Conde as its new head bartender and launched its latest menu, called Illusion of Flavours.

Peel and See was inspired by the work of Andy Warhol and American band The Velvet Underground

Conde has more than 14 years’ experience in the on-trade, as well as a background in graphic design. Before joining the team at Smoke & Mirrors, Conde trained in his home country of Spain and worked in a number of London venues.

Alongside the news of his appointment, Smoke & Mirrors unveiled its latest drinks list, which was created by Conde.

Illusion of Flavours is divided into six categories, each featuring a selection of cocktails inspired by different flavour sensations. A QR code alongside each cocktail on the menu offers imbibers the chance to learn more about the preparation of the drink.

Jorge Conde has been appointed head bartender at Smoke & Mirrors

Split into categories named Fizzy and Elegant, Sour and Neat, Long and Refreshing, Strong and Neat, Fruity and Punchy, and Savoury and Umami, the cocktails were inspired by artworks from artists such as Andy Warhol, Pablo Picasso, Salvador Dalí and Vincent van Gogh.

In Savoury and Umami, imbibers will find the banana-infused Peel and See, inspired by Andy Warhol’s work for the debut album from American band The Velvet Underground. Peel and See is made with banana-, miso- and olive oil-infused gin, quinine apéritif and garnished with a spritz of olive oil.

Sour and Neat is where imbibers will find the Between the F1, which was inspired by the Singapore Grand Prix and is made with Rum, pineapple, Torontel grape, citrus and bamboo charcoal. Finally, Long and Refreshing is home to Robbery at the Museum, which contains Maraschino liqueur, cherry brandy, cherry bitters, local herbs, fermented pineapple and aquafaba.

Conde said: “For this menu, my goal was to reimagine classic cocktails, focusing on traditional flavour profiles and exploring new ways to create them.

“By using techniques such as distillation, preservation and fermentation, we are able to create unconventional combinations that will surprise and intrigue our guests. I find that people often have preconceptions about how a drink will taste, and I wanted to challenge those expectations with our drinks.

“While the presentation may appear to be simple, the flavour profiles are quite complex and layered, evolving as you enjoy the drink. As you may expect from the name, there is more than meets the eye.”

Click through the following pages to see a selection of cocktails from the Illusion of Flavours menu.

Dali’s Self Portrait

Taken from the Strong and Neat section, this cocktail is made with a blend of malts, bacon fat, herbal wine, artichoke and burnt rosemary.

Picasso’s Pencil

Found in the Fruity and Punchy section, Picasso’s Pencil combines Tobala mezcal, Sherry, apple vinegar, oleo saccharum, tonic and pencil aromas.

The Heart of Vincent

From the Fizzy and Elegant section, this cocktail contains wine barrel-aged agave spirits, sea salt, quinine apéritif, pickled purslane and sparkling wine.