PARCHED | DRINK HERE: TIPPLING CLUB

Tippling Club is always a good time, so we were quite jazzed to be invited to try a few drinks from the revamped menu, an update from 2019’s Volume I. Chef Ryan Clift and Head Bartender Andrew Loudon looked to the masters of modern art to create an art-themed menu – fancified with illustrations and vintage French ads, and filled with daring originals and cunning twists on classics.

Most audacious of all has to be the decadent Dollar Sign ($125), pictured above. Inspired by Andy Warhol, the cocktail is a daring blend of Louis XIII, champagne, Okinawan Kokuto sugar and bitters. While it’s a little, ahem, rich for our tastes, we applaud the derring-do. Let us know how it tastes, won’t you?

One (or five) of the best things on the menu is definitely Vieux Carré flight, which showcases the classic Cognac cocktail made with different ageing techniques. Available as a single ($25) or as a flight of 5 in 25ml portions ($50), you’ll be able to taste how the cocktail changes as it’s aged by wood, leather, clay pot and even sonic waves. It’s a fascinating approach that delves into ancient traditions (leather, clay) alongside high-tech molecular alteration (sonic waves).

Most folks’ll recognise the Dogs Playing Poker paintings, but probably less so the intriguing elements in the cocktail (above), which include frankincense, tonquin (!?), beeswax and a Hyogo smoked vinegar. Still, no prizes for guessing what this good old fashioned drink might be.

Should the mood strike, you won’t be let down by their Guide to Modern Snacking, which includes the beautifully unctuous steak tartare (above). Craving something filthier? Why not wage war against a pile of piping hot fries. Pataje Oorlog, literally Dutch for ‘war fries’ is delicious hot mess of fries topped with mayo, satay sauce and onions. The Bloody Mary & Caper Fries sound pretty great too.

There’s also a page dedicated to Lord Ryan’s Prohibition Gin, Tippling Club’s exotic spice-driven collaboration with Prohibition Liquor Co. If you like what you’re tasting, bottles are available for purchase.