BY EVELYN FOO

During Singapore Cocktail Week 2016, Gareth Evans helped to launch Elyx House, the pop-up in Potato Head Folks into a cool space featuring Elyx’s pineapple ice sculpture, limited edition copper bracelet giveaway, a specially designed Elyx Express miniature train carrying its cocktail shots, and a speakeasy band belting out jazz covers.

Visitors were treated to cocktails like Asian Spice Trade and Ka Ka Manis, served in the brand’s signature copper pineapple (a worldwide symbol of hospitality) cups and punch bowls. Evans is a regular visitor to Singapore and had previous stints working alongside Jason Atherton’s various projects including Pollen and The Library. We found some time to have a quick chat.

What is your take on vodka trends in Singapore, compared to the rest of the world?
Singapore is pretty awesome for me because it really doesn’t have trends; it is sort of like good and new and exciting that Singapore seems to go for. It’s like every time I come back here there’s a hundred new restaurants, a hundred new bars, that hopefully with Elyx we can get people to get excited about.

What’s your favourite cocktail?

I’m sure it’s going to sound boring but it’s a martini. I always drink very simple drinks, it’s a good kind of indicator of a bartender’s skills, and it only takes two ingredients to make that properly – vodka martini is my go-to drink.

Most memorable drinking experience?

When I came here with my old job we were opening Pollen Gardens by the Bay and then I went to Tippling Club, and it was the first time I realised that it’s a completely different scene in Asia. They weren’t copying anyone, it was using completely different ingredients that I had never heard of, with techniques that I had never seen – so it was an eye opener for me.

Person you would most like to drink with? (Can be fictional)

Any British actors in the 70s or 80s would be good. I would have a drink with Harry Potter – he is actually my age in the book. My sister told me that he was born on the same day and same year as I am, so he’ll be 34 now.

What’re the 8-10 spirits a beginner needs to start a good home bar?

Obviously I’m going to start with vodka: have a bottle of Absolut Elyx, a good gin, a golden rum, a bourbon, a blended scotch, a dry vermouth and a sweet vermouth and a bottle of bitters ‘cos it’s always useful.

So what’s your guilty pleasure?

For food probably mac and cheese…my girlfriend is like horrified by it. I don’t drink beer at all, rarely ever, so when I do it’s some American beer, which I won’t name.

What do you drink at home?

I don’t really drink at home. I kind of picked up a large collection over the years so [I have] maybe like 500 bottles. I have made myself a martini time to time, but sometimes a glass of red wine with a meal and I fall asleep on the sofa.

What’s your best hangover cure?

Don’t drink too much I would say. I guess sleep, coffee. I also try to avoid hangovers by not drinking so much in the first place.

Have you ever cried in a bar?

I don’t remember that I have. I wouldn’t be surprise if somebody told me that I had. If anyone that I know knows that I have cried at a bar, they can keep that to themselves.

Like this? Guess which artist was the first to collaborate with Absolut in 1986?

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