Cocktail lounge Republic at The Ritz-Carlton, Millenia Singapore has launched a new “Volume Three” menu, featuring 16 liquid interpretations of icons from the 1960s.
Spread across four themes — Icons, Media, Aesthetics and Innovation — the menu “embodies the groundbreaking spirit of the 1960s, reimagined through bold flavours, cutting-edge techniques and visually stunning presentations”, says head bartender Kelvin Saquilayan. He was appointed to his current role earlier this year, after nearly a decade at Manhattan in Conrad Singapore.
From the Icons segment of the new menu, we try the Founding Father ($26++), a highball of rum and sparkling wine. This ode to Singapore’s first prime minister Lee Kuan Yew is aptly flavoured with orchid syrup, ginger and calamansi leaf. The sweet floral and citrus notes are offset by the fizz and light hit of spice, making it the perfect drink to ease into a fun night with.
National Day may be over, but the Singapore spirit — so to speak — remains strong at Republic, with several other drinks also paying homage to local icons. The Media segment’s Woman of the Year ($26++), for instance, is a nod to Her World’s annual awards; the magazine was first printed in 1960. This twist on a French 75 adds cointreau and a ginger-chilli honey for a sweet and spicy kick.
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Travelling further out, we land in America, where the Visions of Stella ($26++) is served with a slab of multicoloured meringue, inspired by the works of artist Frank Stella. Raspberry liqueur and sloe gin make this punch an easy sip, though the meringue leaves our fingers and napkins thoroughly stained by the end. We’d suggest a wet wipe or two to go with this one.
We then go across the pond to the UK with the Twiggy ($26++), an updated espresso martini with Earl Grey tea, adorned with a stencil of its namesake supermodel’s iconic drawn-on eyelash look.
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Another coffee-based drink, the Headliner ($26++), is a new iteration of Republic’s crowd favourite Irish coffees, replacing the previous Kim Sisters and original Satisfaction. The new version is sweet, fruity and rich, with a cream cheese foam topping a mix of coffee, berry syrup and milk chocolate liqueur.
To accompany the refreshed cocktail offerings, Republic has also put out a new menu of bar bites. The eggplant garbanzo bean dip ($20++) is an unctuous mix of hummus and baba ganoush, topped with pomegranate and burrata. We deftly polish off the dip with toasted sourdough served on the side. We also like the salmon crudo ($24++), made wonderfully acidic with a passion fruit shoyu vinaigrette and pickled onions.
“Volume Three” may mark a third foray into 1960s-inspired cocktails, but the creative spins sure prove that Republic is no one-trick pony or old fuddy-duddy. Much like the movers and the shakers who made the Swinging Sixties, Saquilayan and his team have pushed the boundaries while staying attuned to what, quite simply, just works.
Republic
7 Raffles Avenue, The Ritz-Carlton, Millenia Singapore
Singapore 039799
Tel: +65 6434 5289
Email: [email protected]
Opening hours: Sundays to Thursdays, 8am – 12am; Fridays and Saturdays, 8am – 1am
