Tokyo's famous Mixology Salon, which is known for its iconic tea-tails, just opened a new international venue in Singapore, offering a chance for those outside of Japan (and those unwilling to pay those pesky sky-high post-Covid airline fees!) to experience a range of gyokuro, oolong and hojicha-based tipples. 

As both an ardent tea fan and a cocktail lover, I was excited to try for myself how the new Singapore bar fuses modern mixology techniques with artisanal tea leaves. 

Come along for the ride, there's matcha to talk about...

The new bar is in private and cozy spot nestled on level two of the Intercontinental Hotel on Robertson Quay. There's only 17 seats in the venue, reflecting the bar's focus on meditative, intimate drinking experiences.

I snag a seat at the high table, which offers views of the bartenders at work. 

In front of me was renowned Tokyo-based master bartender Shuzo Nagumo, who was behind the original Mixology Salon in Japan, as well as six other mixology bars. I got to watch him whip up one of my favourite cocktails of the visit, the Li Cuanto.

Li Cuanto is a wonderfully aromatic and refreshingly fruity concoction. The team first infuses Alishan tea into white rum, before adding fresh muscat grapes and serving chilled. The combination of Alishan tea with white rum and muscat grapes is so uncanny, yet it somehow just works. The floral aroma of the Alishan oolong tea leaves is really well accentuated by the sweet, fruitiness of the grapes.  

The bar also serves a selection of small bites, which was prepared in collaboration with local pastry chef Janice Wong. The original recipe comes from Mixology Salon. 

The matcha terrine was really creamy and sweet without being too cloying. The matcha used was aromatic, giving a nuttiness and bitterness at the end that was quite tasty. 

A surprising favourite for me was the butter dates - deceptively simple yet a real treat! The soft butter sandwiched between the dates had a subtle saltiness to it, and paired really well with the nutty cashew and caramel sweetness of the dates.

Another cocktail I tried was the Sencha Gin & Tonic, with pairs Sencha leaves from Shizuoka with Bombay Sapphire Gin and tonic water. It's a really light refreshing sipper that allows that umami flavours of the tea leaves to take centre stage.  

I ended off the visit with a final cocktail, the Hoji tea-tail No. 2. This tea-tail was a combination of hojicha leaves, aged cognac, vintage port wine and cassis syrup. It had a lovely fragrance of roasted tea, mixed in with notes of rhubarb and sour plums. 

Kaoru Takii, who is Shuzo's protege and who is also running the Singapore venue of Mixology Salon, recommends that everyone drink this cocktail by first taking an initial sip. Only after that should one stir the glass to let the flavours meld together, and the hojicha flavour accent emerges more at the fore. Here he is happily demonstrating the "swish"! 

Overall, my visit to Mixology Salon's intentional, serene atmosphere and delicately crafted cocktails very aptly felt like a calming, meditative tea ritual. It's a really wonderful bar to sit back and unwind, while slowly savouring the depth of aromas that Shuzo, Takii and their team manage to bring out from the artisanal tea leaves.

@lotusroot518

For further information, visit Mixology Salon Singapore’s website at https://mixologysalon.sg/. Reservations can be made online or by calling 8399 0679.