28 Hong Kong Street, Singapore's beloved neighbourhood bar and renowned cocktail destination, has debuted DR-INK!, a stunning new drink menu created in collaboration with four prominent local tattoo artists. This inventive menu includes signature cocktails inspired by the artists' works, which reflect their personal experiences, childhood memories, and nostalgic inspirations from Singapore. The stunningly gorgeous hardcover menu features 12 distinctive beverages alongside the tattoo artwork that inspired them, providing a profound look into 28 Hong Kong Street's heart, passion, and heritage.
Guests are greeted with a faux-leather bound menu that includes a brief overview of the twelve new trademark beverages. Going deeper, each cocktail is matched with the original tattoo artwork, which includes intuitive symbols and wording that explain the drink's Alcohol By Volume (ABV), key flavour profile, and glassware at a look.
The River City Paloma (pictured below), a savoury highball created with Los Siete Misterios Doba-Yej Mezcal, Avallen Calvados, tomato shrub, and citrus, enhanced by grapefruit soda and a tinge of saline, is one of the menu's highlights. The cocktail is paired with a house-made black bread crostini, which adds crunch and reminds you of the otter's fish meal. Another standout is Petals, Pincers, and Parallels, made with Brass Lion Singapore Dry & Butterfly Pea Gin, lemongrass cordial, Mancino Bianco vermouth, citrus, and tonic, and garnished with fried rice paper and tahini to accent the flowery aromas.
Tamaryn Cooper, who took over as Head Barman at 28 Hong Kong Street in the summer of 2023, created this menu to honour the bar's history, the progression of barman culture, and her experience as an apprentice tattooist. The DR-INK! menu embraces Singapore's tattoo artistry and dynamic cocktail culture, as evidenced by innovative cocktails like as Samsui Synthwave, which blends Matcha Ilchiko Shochu, Horchata liqueur, Amaro Lucano, coconut milk, and egg white and is served in a porcelain cup.
Clifford Wong's tattoo design depicts the famed Samsui women as a boombox brandishing a frog, and this cocktail pays tribute to them. Femme Fatality, an elegant martini-style cocktail made with Greater Than Gin, chrysanthemum, absinthe, Benedictine, and honey vermouth, was inspired by a tattoo design from Of Gods and Monsters, which represents the bar's bold spirit and the growing importance of female bartenders. Guests can pair this cocktail with a handcrafted lollipop made from roses and repurposed edible flowers.
Burung Bathikan (pictured above), a Pisco Sour-inspired cocktail, includes Aba Pisco, house-made rambutan shrub, St. Germain elderflower liqueur, and Mancino Sakura Vermouth. Honest Bob Tattoo's magnificent batik burung pattern, combined with Bauhaus motifs, created this perfectly balanced sour, which reflects the fusion of local culture and Western modernism.
The 28 HongKong Street crew worked closely with the tattoo artists to create each cocktail through multiple iterations and feedback from the full venue staff. This painstaking technique guaranteed that each drink captured the essence of the artwork and the bar's tradition.
Lukas Kaufmann, General Manager, expressed joy about the new menu's launch, citing strong guest feedback and crew enthusiasm. He encourages Singapore's cocktail enthusiasts to sample these remarkable beverages and celebrate the bar's upcoming chapter.
Ocean Tattoos, Honest Bob Tattoo, Clifford Wong, and Of Gods and Monsters are the four tattoo studios that have collaborated to create the DR-INK! menu, each with their own artistic perspective.
a. 28 Hongkong St, Singapore 059667
fb. www.facebook.com/28hongkongstreet
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