Speakeasy surprises in The Other Room

TUCKED behind a discreet door in the lobby of the Marriott Tang Plaza Hotel, The Other Room leans into its speakeasy identity with its doorbell-only entry and pamphlet-papered ceiling. Around a central stretch of tables, cushioned seats run the length of the walls; above them, sitting quietly behind glass, the bar’s signature cask-finished spirits bide their time.

The 5-litre American oak barrels are conditioned with sherry and matured with port, says head bartender Rishvinder Singh Randhawa. Cask-finishing adds a new dimension to a spirit while maintaining its identity, he adds: “It’s like your girlfriend or your spouse, but they come home with a different haircut.”

The bar offers flights in which the original spirit is served alongside 2 different finishes: an Oloroso sherry cask versus a Pedro Ximenez sherry cask, say. Behind the bar, bottles of cask-finished dark spirits fill 3 shelves; the bottom shelf holds white spirits instead, with more experimental finishes ranging from spices to bespoke tea blends.