I’ve always been a big fan of Tippling Club and their endless quest for creative cocktails — I’ve written about them in VinePair and here and here.

Their inspirations have included gummy bears and scents, and the latest Guide to Modern Drinking menu is all about Music, specifically 60 years of musical icons and their songs, mostly drawn from head bartender Arathorn Grey’s love of music. “Music has always been a major part of my life,” Arathorn tells us. “My life and career have been accompanied by a soundtrack through the decades. I wanted to bring this idea to the curation of a menu of cocktails, with each drink delivering something of the sound, vibe, theme or emotion of a song we remember.”

The decades (and drinks) span 40s till the 90s, and each section of the menu includes a cocktail from each of the three artists. So let’s, as they say, kick out the jam!

40s. Blues and jazz were at the forefront during this era. The cocktail I picked was It’s Only a Paper Moon (Ella Fitzgerald). It’s a delicious and creamy start to proceedings, with Nikka grain whisky, barley, citrus, Nihon-shu and egg white. The songs from the artists aren’t always the most obvious ones, which give the drinks extra street cred.

Love this tribute to 50s rock and roll through Greenback by Ray Charles. Carthusian monk liqueur, chardonnay and lime are braced by stout whisky to make this potent cocktail all money.  Love also the banknote detail.

The 60s is represented by Simon & Garfunkel and The Beatles, but we always love us a strong drink, so the decision to go with Marvin Gaye and I Heard it Through The Grapevine is a no-brainer. The blend of sherry, grape, champagne cordial, blackberry and soda personifies Gaye’s blend of cool soul and funk. What’s Going On remains one of the seminal albums that always gets repeated plays at Casa Parched.

The 80s was probably the most fun decade if you were around to enjoy it: New Wave provided the costumes and choruses, while hip hop began to assert its beats and ubiquity. Here, Salt-N-Pepa brings the party vibe with Get Up Everybody (Get Up), a delightfully spicy and salty concoction with Kampot pepper, Grey Goose vodka, brine and aperitif. Shoop! 

(Yeah, we skipped the 70s — the decade that taste forgot, in more ways than one.)

We’re still in the 80s, and if you look carefully and not ogle, you’d notice Madame Ciccone’s cone bra perched atop the cocktail. Dear Jessie by Madonna is a sweet mix of Bombay Sapphire gin, plum, citrus, port and soda, all seductive, complex, fun, surprising and sexy. 

We end with something bitter and sweet, natch, via The Verve. This is a symphony of Glenfiddich 12 single malt, habanero, lime, ginger, blackcurrant and soda, and it hits all the right notes. 

Overall, this music-inspired selection is a splendid cocktail menu with enough variety and verve(!) — like any jukebox selection — to please any palate. Drinks start at S$22++ and I heartily recommend it. The tunes rock and it’s all music to my tastebuds. 

You can listen to the Guide to Modern Drinking Vol.III Spotify playlist here.

Tippling Club, 38 Tanjong Pagar Road.

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