If you've visited the city downtown in Singapore over the last few weekends, you might have noticed that the roads are a lot more closed off than usual - rehearsals for the National Day Parade this coming 9 August are in the works. And while tickets to see the parade in person are notoriously hard to bid for or come by, a national public holiday is always a wonderful cause for celebration.

There's much to celebrate about living in Singapore, and the presence of unique flavours and craft spirit makers that find a home in Singapore is certainly one of them. 

Here are 9 Singapore spirits for your 9 August National Day holiday celebrations - whether you're watching the parade from your TV at home, throwing a party and kicking back with friends, or simply enjoying the peace of your own company in some treasured free time!

1. Clumzy Plumzy - Sour Plum Vodka

This is a vodka liqueur infused with sour plums sourced from three different countries to create the perfect blend. It is bottled at 500ml at 17.4% ABV.

Here are Our Tasting Notes:

Nose: Wildly aromatic, rich sweetness of a fruit reduction is intermingled with a tart citric sourness, passionfruit zest. Clean and crisp, almost like sake.

Palate: Citric zest with a twang of bitterness, mellows quickly as flavors of hawthorn, vanilla and caramel open up and emerge in full. Light jammy sensation, very chewable with a slight astringency that gives it a bit of a bite. Well-balanced with a good velvety texture.

Finish: Clean, with lingering sweetness and tart sourness. A slightly drying finish, with some light woody notes. Overall great mouthfeel and remarkably smooth.

*Read our full review here.

2. Singapore Distillery - Merlion Gin

3. Lion Brewery - Straits Pale Ale

  
Flavourful, refreshing pale ale brewed for the hot equatorial climate and enjoyed the world over. Single-hopped with use of Citra hops at both the bittering and dry-hop stages for notes of lychee and citrus fruits. Well-balanced with dry golden tones and moderate alcohol content, making for an extremely sessionable beer. 

Tasting Notes

Tropical fruit and citrus, deeply aromatic due to the dryhopping late in the fermentation process

4. Tanglin Gin - Orchid  Gin

Tanglin Orchid Gin has been designed to reflect the cultures and cuisines of its home country. The not-so-secret ingredient is in its name: Vanilla Planifolia Orchid. This modern gin is smooth—with the pine of the juniper unmistakably present. Its herbaceous flavour notes come from the classic gin botanicals with a surprising twist—Amchoor—hails from India and is a powdered green mango, adding that extra citrus note. The usual suspects appear too, old-world botanicals like coriander seed and liquorice.

Tasting notes:
Gentle citrus nose followed by a herbal and spice note. The palate is smooth and creamy, held over the tongue an earthy herbal flavour appears with some sweetness. Long and smooth finish with a slight peppery warmth that lingers.

How to enjoy: For a gin and tonic, add a stick of Cinnamon with an orange wheel to finish. For an extra lift, add a splash of lime or orange bitters. Also makes an excellent Martini with Maidenii Dry White.

5. Niang Brewery - Old Flame Session Sour Ale 

Inspired by having a sweet tooth, Niang Brewery curated the Dessert series, dedicated to memories associated with their love/hate relationship for the last course. First in their series, they brewed a Session Sour Ale using the kettle souring technique, topped with fresh Passion Fruit & Lime.

Its aroma is packed with subtle notes of guava, lemon & peach, enough to salivate your senses before the mouthfeel of tangy lime & refreshing passion fruit.

6. Singapore Distillery - Singapore Sling Gin

Amongst the list of ingredients are oranges to represent the orange liqueur, cherries for the cherry brandy, angelica root to reflect Bénédictine herbal liqueur, and pineapple and lime fruits for their juices. 

Bright, sweet and very fruity, smooth texture with its fresh pineapple notes pairing well with the bold botanicals. Shake this with some ice and tonic water and we come pretty close to the cocktail first developed by the Raffles Hotel bar.

7. Ang Moh Liang Teh - The 1925 Liang Teh

A crisp lager, accentuated by the lightness of white chrysanthemums. Easy on the palate and good for whole day drinking, this lager goes well with deep-fried, spicy and seafood for the perfect combination.

Recommended Serving Temperature:  7 - 11°C

Food Pairing:

Sambal Stingray, Chili Crab

8. Tanglin Gin - Singapore Gin

This gin is crafted to capture Singapore's original pioneering spirit and the range of flavours cultivated and brought into our shores.

Tasting notes: 
Fresh natural sweet mandarin citrus characters and a hint of orange blossom and kaffir lime. Kaffir Lime on the front palate, sweet mandarin orange citrus with a ginger hint on the middle palate. Young ginger and the Kampot Pepper combine with the chilli to give a hint of warmth that lingers and doesn’t burn.

Ingredients: Juniper, Young Ginger, Kaffir Lime Leaves, Chilli, Cassia and Mandarin Peel.

How to enjoy: For a gin and tonic, 50 ml Singapore Gin, 150 ml Tonic. Add a slice of pineapple and top with fresh kaffir lime leaves. Combine with a large ice cube.

9. Ang Moh Liang Teh - The 1925 Lychee Pale Lager

Featuring a bouquet of lychee and rose aromas, the Oriental Beauty has a delicate balance of subtle sweetness, light hoppiness against a mild malty backbone. The combination of flavours makes the Oriental Beauty a delightful treat that is sure to sparkle on the palate with its refreshing, dry and crisp finish.

Recommended Serving Temperature:  7 - 11°C

Food Pairing:
Vietnamese pho, Shoyu Ramen, Dimsum

Happy Sipping!

@ChopstickPride