No Whisky in “Whisky”, No Beer in “Beer”: Inside Braveheart Sake Originals, Singapore's First Dedicated Sake-Cocktail Bar

The first thing I was handed at Braveheart Sake was a small gold-lined cup of Kiku-Masamune Shiboritate, on the house. It’s fresh, fruity, gently drying and a really nice welcome. I had a feeling the drinks that followed would probably be quite elaborate in contrast.

I was right.

My first proper order was a cocktail called the “Lager”, which arrived in a pint glass. It had a foam head. Under the warm cove lighting, it looked, unmistakably, like a freshly pulled pint of pineapple-yellow craft lager. Except there was no beer in it. Not a drop. The body was built from hops-infused sake, green chartreuse, bitters, a homemade hops tincture, citrus, and soda water. The foam, which sat dense and pillowy like soft serve, was made from hop-infused sake-kasu – the leftover cakey substance from the brewing process – upcycled from Singapore’s one and only Orchid Sake Brewery.

James Li, Braveheart's co-founder and mixologist, walked me through the process: the kasu is cooked and strained, then whipped with hopped grapefruit bitters and egg white until it reaches that impossibly dense, creamy consistency.

I took a sip. The balance of sweetness, hoppiness and that foamy texture really read like a rich, malty lager. The body is refreshing, balanced, floral, slightly herbaceous, with just the right bitterness-to-sweetness ratio that your brain files under "beer." Underneath it all, there was an undercurrent of sweet sake holding the whole thing together.

"Lager" (Source: Braveheart Sake Originals)

This is what Braveheart does. It takes what you think you know about sake and stretches it into entirely new shapes.

Tanjong Pagar’s New Heritage Shophouse-Bar

Braveheart Sake Originals sits at 83A Tanjong Pagar Road, on the upper floor of a heritage shophouse. The ceilings are high. In the afternoon, natural light fills the room and gives it a calm, gallery-like ambience. At night, the amber glow from the backlit bar warms everything down into something more intimate. The décor is softly minimalist, with some personal keepsakes scattered throughout.

The bar is the project of two co-founders whose skill sets dovetail neatly. James is the mixologist, a self-taught cocktail craftsman with a deeply experimental streak. He seems quietly intense about his work, the kind of person who will reduce sake on a stovetop to replicate the oily mouthfeel of a great Scotch, or spend hours perfecting a beer “foam”.

Jun Quan, known better as JQ, is the sake sommelier side of the equation. The NUS Business School graduate comes armed with years of experience in luxury spirits brand marketing at Diageo before pivoting into the world of sake. He is a certified International Kikisakeshi with WSET Sake Level 3, and his commitment to sake didn't stop at the exams: he travelled to the famous Obata Shuzo in Sado Island, Japan, to learn the physical craft of sake brewing firsthand.

Talking to JQ, it is clear that he is both a shrewd observer of the drinks industry and an unabashed sake enthusiast. We found ourselves deep in a discussion about the state of the international drinks scene, and his conviction that what it needs right now is something different that genuinely interests people.

Sake Cocktails

The debut cocktail menu is called Sake Originals Vol. 1 and it features 11 creations.

Chapter 1, "Common Ground," contains four cocktails named after familiar drink categories: “Lager”, “Merlot”, “Rosé-a-Pét”, and “Whisky”. The conceit is delightful. Each cocktail is engineered to evoke the top notes and character of its namesake, but it is made entirely (or almost entirely) with sake and complementary ingredients. No beer in the Lager. No red wine in the Merlot. No whisky in the Whisky.

"Merlot" (Source: Braveheart Sake Originals)

The Merlot, for instance, uses sweet sake, Merlet cassis, blanco vermouth, and kyoho oolong tea. The kyoho oolong is the stroke of genius here: it introduces tannic structure, the thing that makes red wine feel like red wine, into a sake-based drink. The Whisky is even more audacious. James reduces sake on the stove to build the silky, oily mouthfeel that great whiskies have, then layers in oloroso sherry, wood-infused chartreuse, lapsang souchong tea, house bitters, and smoked saline. At 20% ABV, it is the most spirit-like cocktail on the list, and the most expensive to produce.

"Whisky" (Source: Braveheart Sake Originals)

Chapter 2, "Shin Tradition" (shin meaning "new" in Japanese), contains seven more experimental creations. These riff on classic cocktail formats or entirely new paths.

Lucky Bamboo (Source: Braveheart Sake Originals)

The Lucky Bamboo is a reimagining of the classic Bamboo cocktail that originated at Tokyo's Grand Hotel in the 1890s, using ginjo sake balanced against the herbaceous dryness of oloroso and medium dry sherry. The Elizabethan Blush, inspired by a Penhaligon's fragrance of a similar name, uses nigori sake with rose vermouth, pomme verte, sakura bitters, egg white, and a finishing touch of oud bitters that lingers on the nose like perfume. And then there is the Hedonic, evocative of an indulgent dessert Espresso Martini, that layers nigori sake with pistachio liqueur, cold brew coffee from Tiong Hoe Specialty Coffee, whipped cream, chocolate, cinnamon, and nutmeg.

Hedonic (Source: Braveheart Sake Originals)

I opted to taste the Wild and Free, a Manhattan-style cocktail built with sweet sake, Japanese whisky, peated Scotch whisky, fraise de bois (wild strawberry liqueur), rouge vermouth, and smoked saline. It is smoky and complex, the kind of drink that rewards slow sipping, and a good example of how sake can function as a structural backbone rather than the headline act of a cocktail.

Cocktails are priced from $20 (the Sakeball, a highball made from your choice of sake) to $26 (the punchy Red Wolf, the only cocktail without sake, and JQ's personal creation).

There is also a full range of by-the-glass spirits for those who want something outside the sake cocktail universe, with familiar pours (gin, vodka, tequila), and a selection of sherries, aperitivos and liqueurs.

Sake Built for Discovery

Braveheart has a dual identity. The bar is not just a cocktail bar that happens to use sake. It knows its sakes and has a thoughtfully curated programme of 16 labels.

JQ proudly walked me through the menu as I marvelled at the visual flavour map he designed. This is one of the more intelligent pieces of sake communication I have seen.

Rather than just organising bottles by the standard classification system: Junmai Daiginjo, Junmai Ginjo, Honjozo, and so on, Braveheart is most keen on what the sake actually tastes like. It is a bit like organising an unfamiliar wine list by flavour.

JQ has mapped all 16 labels onto a diamond-shaped flavour chart anchored by four taste corners: Fruity at the top, Umami (savoury, broth-like) on the left, Cereal at the bottom, and Milky on the right. Each sake is plotted on the map according to where its flavour profile sits, and colour-coded by body weight (light, medium, rich). The result is a visual map that lets anyone, even someone who has never drunk sake before, pick a bottle based on the flavour seek rather than what they can decode from Japanese terminology.

The approach is intentionally flavour-led to make the experience of choosing and drinking premium sake immediately accessible. No jargon. No intimidation.

The sakes themselves span diverse production methods (yamahai, kimoto, bodaimoto), varied styles (nigori, genshu, nama, kijoshu), different aging expressions (fresh pressed through to multi-year aged), and even a specialty awasake (sparkling sake made using méthode champenoise). One of the more locally iconic labels, the Utama Black Rice, is from Singapore’s only brewery – Orchid Brewery – and made with a component of pulut hitam rice. Another, the Mizubasho Pure Awasake, is the world's first champagne-method sake. The range runs from $59 per carafe to $268 per bottle, with several sakes available by the 60ml cup.

Sake Tasting Flights

For those who wish for some variety without commitment, Braveheart’s sake tasting flights offer pretty solid selection priced from $38 to $58. Each flight has three sakes.

For instance, Flight A, “Familiar but Fun” , is designed to be comforting, round and lively. It assembles the Gozenshu Nigori Bodaimoto (a cloudy sake with old-school lactic character), the Toko Genshu (a full-bodied, undiluted junmai from a 400-year-old Yamagata brewery), and the Amabuki Banana (a sake fermented with a banana-derived yeast that gives it an unexpectedly tropical personality). The logic here is gentle on-ramp: a creamy nigori, a classic full-bodied pour, and something with a playful twist. All three are easy-drinking and reward curiosity without demanding expertise.

Flight C, “Wild & Curious”, is where things get genuinely boundary-pushing. It features the Tsuki no Katsura Wine (a Kyoto sake from Kyoto that drinks almost like a riesling), the Lagoon Margherita (a craft sake from Niigata, brewed with actual locally grown tomatoes and basil), and the Hanahato Kijoshu Aged 8 Years (a fortified sake from Hiroshima). Each bottle in this flight challenges a fundamental assumption about what sake is. A sake that tastes like wine. A sake that tastes like an Italian margherita pizza! A sake that tastes like a cross between port and consommé.

I had the chance to sample sakes across the flights.

The Gozenshu Nigori Bodaimoto is a special bottle for sake enthusiasts. Bodaimoto is one of the oldest sake brewing methods in existence, dating back to ancient monks in Nara during the 14th century that uses natural lactic acid fermentation to create a unique, high-acidity and umami-rich sake. The method nearly disappeared entirely until the family who run Gozenshu's brewery rediscovered it through an antique brewing text. Gozenshu was the first brewery to resurrect bodaimoto in the modern age. In the glass, it is a very approachable expression for its category: some of that old-school, lactic, ricey personality you associate with traditional nigori, softened with gentle fruit and creaminess.

The Daishichi Junmai Kimoto is a kimoto method sake from Fukushima, and a great example of why traditional brewing methods matter. In the glass, I got fresh steamed rice, almond, a whisper of coconut, cream, and a well-integrated acidity with just enough savoury depth. This is an expressive umami sake that would pair brilliantly with dinner, something like a rich claypot rice or a plate of grilled teriyaki chicken.

The Tsuki no Katsura Kasegi Gashira, listed on Braveheart's menu as "Tsuki Wine," is an interesting one from Kyoto. It drinks more like a very delicate Riesling than a conventional sake: mellow fruity acidity opening into soft-but-bright passionfruit, soft Riesling-like grape notes, florals, then a clean rice finish. It is super flavourful for something that clocks in at just 8% ABV. If you have friends who love semi-sweet white wine but have never been interested in sake, this is the bottle to put in front of them.

The most memorable sake that JQ shared with me was the Kuramori 2017 Jukusei-shu, an aged sake. This one had a gorgeous amber hue and an evocative nose. Dried apricots, dried longans, a thick, enveloping character of sweet Chinese herbal soup with goji berries and red dates. The finish was dry and gently warm, and the whole thing was beautifully balanced: rich and complex without being cloying.

Coffee, Tea, Mocktails

Braveheart is also a daytime-friendly space that serves artisanal pour-over coffee and an impressive range of premium Japanese and Taiwanese teas, including a Gyokuro Ume-Jirushi Grade, 88th Night Uji Sencha, Jin Xuan Alishan Oolong, and an intriguing Imperial Vanilla Pu-er. Bespoke mocktails are available for non-drinkers. It is a versatile touch that makes the space viable for afternoon visits.

Braveheart at a Glance

Singapore has excellent sake bars. Places like Omu Nomu, Orihara, Shukuu, and MoboMoga have built loyal followings by championing artisanal sakes alongside delicious Japanese food. What sets Braveheart apart is that it is the first bar we’ve encountered that is devoted to presenting sake as a cocktail ingredient.

This adds value to the scene because it opens sake up to a new audience: the cocktail drinker who might never have thought to walk into a traditional sake bar. The Lager is a Trojan horse. You come for the novelty of a beer that is not a beer, and you leave having tasted a cloudy sake brewed with a 600-year-old technique and an aged sake that reminds you of grandma’s herbal soup.

James and JQ are building a vocabulary for fully appreciating sake in ways that feel so fresh, contemporary and personal, and without having to perform Japaneseness. The ambition is palpable, the execution is precise, and the cocktails are startlingly good.

Braveheart Sake Originals

Address: 83A Tanjong Pagar Road, S088504

Opening Hours: Tuesday – Sunday, 3pm to 12 midnight

Reservations: https://fnb3appzpos.com/Page/12/Reservation

WhatsApp: 89102354

Follow Braveheart on Instagram: @braveheart.sake

Website: www.braveheart.asia

Kanpai!

@CharsiuCharlie