PARCHED | GIN-GLE ALL THE WAY

If you haven’t yet popped by Brass Lion Distillery’s beautiful duplex compound, here’s the perfect excuse – elves have taken over Singapore’s first full-fledged gin distillery with the Christmas GINgle, creating a special festive menu that includes mouth-watering food like Pahit gin-glazed ham, mulled wine and a gin-infused Black Forest cake ice cream! Revellers can also learn how to blend their very own bespoke gin, win prizes by taking part in mini games and activities and shop to their heart’s content. There’s even a wildly popular cocktail making workshop with award-winning bartender Kino – so popular that the original sessions have already sold out. Luckily, a few more dates have just been added, so don’t dawdle if you’re keen to learn how to mix your own festive cocktails.

What’s better than a hot chocolate? A boozy one, that’s what! Brass Lion’s very adult hot chocolate ($20) is spiked with Pahit Pink Gin and topped with whipped cream and grated chocolate – decadence! Also delicious is the mulled wine ($18), uniquely served chilled, and flavoured with a special Christmas spice blend, citrus and dried orange. Personally, I was most impressed with Eggnogoholic, their eggless-nog. Made with Singapore Dry Gin, vanilla and nutmeg, it’s so dangerously smooth and creamy and delicious, you might just forget it has booze in it.

Get your ticket for a 2-hour session that includes access to the elegant bistro-style Tasting Room, a welcome Christmas cocktail, a tasting flight and a unique gin bauble for you to bring home. If you were wondering, yes, Brass Lion has also created a festive GINgle Tasting Flight – Apple Pie, Candy Cane, Orange Cacao. And of course, you’re more than welcome to order extra food and cocktails from the menu too – the Pahit Gin Glazed Ham, which has glaze made with botanicals from gin production (clever use of the byproduct!) is apparently so well-received that Brass Lion is considering making it available for takeaway as well!

On the ground floor, there’s also a convenient pop-up retail shop for you to get your Christmas shopping sorted. Pick up festive distillery exclusives, bottled cocktails, cocktail kits and other merch, including a hand sanitizer that actually smells like gin! Or just pop into their special igloo for a quick, abbreviated gin blending sesh to create your own very special gin to gift to friends and family.