While the peeps behind the bar may humbly say that it took a long time for them to find their identity, we think they had it figured out pretty early once they got going (even back in their Amoy Street locale). It was always the classics but wicked and witty. And through their menu iterations, they slowly won over discerning drinkers and industry judges. By year seven (2020), J&P was voted Asia’s Best Bar.

Their new menu Identity — plus a companion coffee table book — is both a look back at their raison d’etre and a projection of where they and the industry is going: sustainability, boundaries and culture are foremost on their minds.

It might have been 10 years, but in a way, they’ve returned to their roots while peeking over the fence to figure out what’s looming. The new cocktail menu is a testament to their inspiration, imagination and insidiously good cocktails.

Get your night started with a Super Lemon Highball, and not just any highball. This has been through the wringer (freezing technique), and what you get, besides a tasty gelatine lemon, is a refreshing cocktail that’s tangy and tantalising.

Ah yes, what is life without the Dirty Martini? It’s like playing football without using your legs. What’s more, this is from a bar known for its martini line-up. Here, the brine is distilled for olive flavour, while the olive is stuffed with miso, cream cheese and back olive crumbs. The homemade olive brings the umami delight home, making it despicably dirty in only the best way. This is definitely on of the best Dirtys I’ve had.

Fun Fact: Identity is the theme of the new cocktail menu — on the cover is the new branding for Jigger & Pony.

The Cloudy Kangaroo is created using sake kasu (lees leftover from sake production) and soy milk curd from soy milk punch. You can well imagine its cloudy flavour, and it is, shall we say, challenging. Drink it on a dare!

Sustainability is a key consideration behind the new Identity menu. The bar is trying to conserve cleverly so that we can consume conscientiously. If a fruit (fun fact: the tomato is a fruit) is misshapen and considered ugly, what does it matter if it’s going to be blended or diced and distilled?

Case in point: the heirloom beefsteak tomato. It will never win at the Best in Show, but it is full of flavours and umami goodness. Shaken with Hapusa Himalayan Gin and housemade kummel — served in a Kimura Crumple glassware — Ugly Tomato is savoury and sweet. Drink it knowing that you’ve helped to celebrate imperfection and propagate biodiversity.

Shape doesn’t matter, taste does.

Ended my night with an agave special. The White Toreador is a twist on the bar’s original Toreador cocktail, one that already had a twist from the classic — itself a twist of the Margarita. (Yes, it’s all getting meta.) 

Codigo 1530 Blanco Tequila + Merlet Apricot + yoghurt + lime + egg white = a creamy and earthy delight that’s balanced and bracing. Love it. Chido, as they say in Mexico.

All cocktails are S$28++.

Jigger & Pony, 165 Tanjong Pagar Road, Amara Hotel. Tel: 9621-1074.

Happy Hour👇

Cocktails are S$19++ during Happy Hour. Try their take on the Corpse Reviver #3, brought to life with grapefruit and maraschino.

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