PARCHED | ONE MO TIME

The 16-cocktail menu (with 4 non-alcoholic options) comes in an artfully designed booklet, which it a pleasure to browse and even more of a pleasure to order a drink from. Helpfully, it comes with a constellation of cocktails, mapped according to alcohol strength, flavour and style, so you can pick your poison accordingly.

MO Bar there’s one drink that’s unabashedly made #forthegram, it’s the Harvest Queen (above). Inspired by Ha Long Bay, the peacock-tail features the vibrant bird on edible rice paper and is made with Sampan Rhum, an agricole from Vietnam. Apple and guava give the drink its fruity sweetness.

To be frank, seasoned drinkers that we are, we weren’t immediately sold on the non-alcoholic cocktails on the menu, but the Smoked Water soon made us realise it was nothing to mock. Comprised of barrel-aged water (!), green tea and rice, the Osaka-inspired drink was a breath of fresh air, and more than the sum of its parts. Way more flavourful than it might sound. Of course, if you ask your bartender for something mo’, he’ll zng that ‘tail with a splash of Nikka whisky, which completely changes the flavour profile, and transforms it into an elegant highball.

In the spirit of sustainability, all garnishes/accoutrements are either reusable or edible, such as the pineapple fibre “cups” of Silk Market, but, for us, the Nomadic Forager’s chocolate is the perfect companion to its cocktail. The selection changes daily, but we’re partial to the white chocolate with a bit of fruit (apricot?). Maybe something about the milk solids just works with the bitterness from the vermouth, and Mr Black coffee liqueur.

Speaking of, MO Bar’s Vermouth & Charcuterie Happy Hour is still happening every Friday between 6 & 9pm. For $68++, guests can enjoy 2 hours free flow of 5 types of vermouth cocktails, with a selection of cold cuts and cheese. We recommend starting with the sparkling Rossa Tonic (above), and working your way the vigorously flavourful Milano Torino, which you can pair with the richer cheeses. Worth your while.