Anti:dote’s new cure-all starts with: How you feelin’?
Meanwhile, a new afternoon tea is inspired by artworks of Singaporean artist Yip Yew Chong
BESIDE the lobby of Fairmont Singapore, hidden behind a veil of velvet drapes and glass, Anti:dote has been serving up cocktails in the city since 2013.
After a major refresh, the 120-seater bar officially reopened this June with a new look – including some local additions.
Beneath amber-hued chandeliers sits the main bar, with leather-covered stools and a backlit wall of spirits. Leather armchairs gather around marble-topped tables.
Further in, amid deep red drapes, lies the lounge. Wood-and-tile flooring turns to plush carpet, and the armchair upholstery changes to velvet, in burnished jewel tones.
Adding a local touch are works by Singaporean artist Yip Yew Chong, known for nostalgic murals in heritage neighbourhoods such as Chinatown and Kampong Glam.
In Andi:dote, his paintings of traditional fare such as kaya toast and bak kwa add a cultural touch that softens the bar’s otherwise opulent aesthetic.
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This collaboration sets the stage for Anti:dote’s latest afternoon tea in celebration of Singapore’s 60th birthday, which runs through the end of September. The menu, which pays homage to the nation’s multicultural heritage with flavours such as fish curry and laksa, includes a cocktail and a mocktail crafted by head bartender Eduardo Zamora.
Whispers of the Alley is a stirred cocktail that weaves together dry gin, pandan-coconut-washed Aperol, banana liqueur, white wine and coconut water. It is crowned with Yip’s portrait of a grumpy cat, printed on an icing sugar sheet. In a refreshing nod to the local dessert chendol, Cendol Sunrise layers non-alcoholic gin, red bean syrup, citric solution and sparkling coconut water, topped with pandan air foam.
New Cure:All menu
Anti:dote reopened not just with a new look, but a novel cocktail menu – one that does not just ask what you would like to drink, but how you are feeling.
“We realised that what you decide to drink often depends on your mood,” said bar manager Carla Davina. “So we wanted to take that emotional aspect and translate it into a drink.”
“From the very first moment we greet our guests, we start building that connection by asking, ‘How was your day? How are you feeling?’”
The result is Cure:All, designed as a modern-day apothecary: 10 “prescription” cocktails grouped into three moods – Confident: Discover, Indulge: Empowered, and Reset: Recharged – and four non-alcoholic drinks under a section dubbed Clarity, for a clearer headspace.
A well-made cocktail can soothe, lift, or even help reset a day, said Zamora.
For instance, a customer who has had a bad day might like Main Character Energy, a whiskey-based drink under the Indulge: Empowered section. The powerful drink features rye whiskey, dry vermouth, cherry and berry liqueur, as well as verjus, with a frozen grape taking centre stage.
When nostalgia strikes, Throwback to the Days offers a comforting hug in a glass. Featuring peanut butter fat-washed vodka, bourbon, Disaronno, and a touch of saline, this rich, velvety cocktail channels the sweet simplicity of childhood. For Zamora, the nostalgic peanut butter note evokes memories of carefree afternoons from his own youth.
The Reset: Recharged category has fresher flavours. To shake off the mental haze, try Fatigue Fix, an uplifting combination of cucumber-infused rum, lacto-fermented strawberry and citrus with a cloud of floating “edible air” foam.
Similarly, Bright Reset delivers a zesty lift with its blend of cachaça, gin, passion fruit champagne cordial, lime, and lemon balm. It is served with a side of edible rice paper – on which patrons may be surprised to see their profile pictures, if they have been tagging the bar on social media.
In the Confident: Discover section, the cocktails are as bold as their names suggest. Curious Chameleon delights with its chameleon-like transformation. A blend of gin, tea, bergamot and citrus cordials is poured over a scoop of raspberry or hibiscus sorbet, adding a refreshing twist and a dash of colour as the sorbet melts into the drink.
Living up to its name, Shimmer & Shine adds a radiant touch to a dark mix of rum, port wine, umeshu and a house-made pear liqueur, for a tipple that is quietly dazzling – quite literally, with edible glitter.
Moods aside, sustainability is at the heart of every cocktail. For instance, the liqueur in Shimmer & Shine is crafted from whole pears, ensuring no part goes to waste.
Fatigue Fix uses less visually perfect strawberries that might have been discarded in another establishment, but are just as fresh and flavourful. Meanwhile, house-pour champagne that’s past its prime gets a second life as the passion fruit champagne cordial in Bright Reset.
In addition to ensuring minimum waste, Anti:dote also grows its own herbs.
Main Character Energy
- 45ml Michter’s rye whiskey
- 10ml dry vermouth
- 30ml cherry and berry liqueur
- 15ml verjus
- 20ml ice delusion
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