The Store is one of those places that seem really unassuming at first, but has over the course of its three years gathered quite a following! Admittedly, it's through the repeat recommendations of food influencers and fellow bartenders that I've decided to head down and see what's in store.

The Store's concept is as simple as it gets. Put together by co-founders Thomas Ng, Joanne Kok and Hirman Asnadi (whom before becoming the main cocktail slinger at the bar, was the head of brand development of Tito’s Vodka), The Store was built to be a cosy hangout spot. There's really all that is to it, with simplistic retro furnishing, good cocktails, and a motif of a lad with a jacket to reduce the intimidating factor of entering a bar from the first time. 

I wonder how I'll react if someone would to offer me a pre-mixed cocktail in a bottle from his jacket at a dark alley.

Located along Duxton road, it's easy to miss The Store when the sun's already down. The grey wall furnishing and dark font blends seamlessly with the every stretching narrow hallway, with the warm glow of The Store's entrance lamp the only giveaway that you're at the right place.

Not to be confused with another coffee chain.

The Store is a bar hidden away behind a tasteful teal coloured door, with an opaque glass door  that masks the interior, being reminiscent of a speakeasy.

The interior design of The Store can be summed up into four elements: smooth concrete grey walls, warm orange lighting, retro wood furniture, and teal accents. Nothing feels overly done or overly bougie-d, and if anything, feels like someone's well thought designed living room that you're visiting.

Probably my favourite spot of the front area - I mean come on! That looks like it belongs in an Ikea catalogue.

After being shown to our seat (of course, we took the bar counter), you'll realise that the bar area is actually quite small; not claustrophobic in any sense, but there's a sense of comfortable tightness that you get from perhaps a Showa era izakaya or a hole in the wall cafe.

The mural really gave the place a playful, "don't take yourself too seriously" vibe, which I really appreciate. For the record, his name is Timo.

After a couple of minutes, we decided on our first round of drinks. Whilst waiting for our food and cocktails, we browsed the photo album on the bar counter.

It didn't take long for the drinks to come, and for a start, we went for relatively safe picks. At the time of writing this article, we're into the 3rd edition of the bar's cocktail menu. To start out the night in easy, familiar territory, we went for the Prickly Pearloma, made with Topanito Espadin Mezcal, Ancho Reyes Verde, prickly pear puree, fresh lime, saline and grapefruit soda.

You mainly get a strong mezcal smokiness floating above the cocktail on the nose - at first sips, a classic combination of the mezcal combining with the grapefruit juice,  with just a hinge of a sweet, dragonfruit like fleshiness. Afterwards, a spicy kick of fresh chili comes in, blending in with the mezcal and fruit juices. Definitely one for team tequila - it reads like a paloma you'll come to expect, but with a nice creaminess and appreciable spiciness. Off to a good start!

Up next was the Not a Martini, made with Ukiyo Blossom Gin, elderflower liqueur, dry vermouth and lavender bitters. Despite the busy bar service, Hirman came over to us and explained how the garnish was lacto-fermented grapes that are frozen and dropped into the cocktail. Cool stuff!

The cocktail here is in between sweet and dry - heavy on the lavender and floral notes. Beware that this cocktail is very boozy, however, if you love lavender as a flavour (as I do) and are well acquainted with stiff martinis, this was a delight. I especially appreciate the pops of grape candy that lent a tart yet confectionery bop to the drink. Again, still familiar, with a slant edge that brings ample surprise!

For an interjection to the cocktails, we picked up the Gambas, which features fresh tiger prawns, paprika butter sauce, and herb oil. Big meaty crustaceans with a really addictive sauce, what's not to love?

Next up, we just had to go for a curveball cocktail, and nothing piqued our interest more than the Blueberry Cheesecake, made with Aged Parmigiano infused bourbon, blueberry puree, fresh lemon. Hirman explained this was the evolution of Menu No. 2's cheesecake - the previous version, the Cheesecake Old Fashioned needed tartness, hence the introduction of the blueberry. Parmesan rinds were sous-vide into the bourbon for this one.

The nose will certainly throw you off at first - it smells awfully cheesy, like room temperature, sweating cheese. When you take a sip however, there's where it all changes! You get big, creamy, jammy blueberry flavours - reminding me of the New York style cheesecakes with ribbons of blueberry streaks in them. You don't lose the cheese either - it blends and integrates to kick a savoury, rich backbone for the cocktail.

Hirman, despite the busy service, still finds time to check in on us and ask how were the cocktails. A quick shoutout to his hospitality!

Personally, I prefer to chew on the Pocky first, then sip a mouthful of the cocktail - that way, the flavours really stack together, like using a fork to dig vertically down into a slice of cheesecake, with the crust, then having it all at one bite (my preferred way of enjoying a slice). This cocktail is a must try, just for the flavour alone. I daresay, if you need a cheesecake craving badly scratched, this makes for a damn good substitute.

To wrap up our visit, I asked for something on a dry, more cleansing to cut through the cheese. The suggested cocktail was the Shibuya Sour, made with Suntory Whisky, sake, elderflower, yuzu  and wasabi. I was asked if I could take the spiciness of wasabi, and I asked for a normal dosage (I love wasabi, but the company I was with doesn't, hence we met in the middle).

The flavour speaks classic lemon whisky sour at first, but it quickly turns savoury. You get that umami sweet-saltiness, with that fuzzy spiciness from wasabi making an appearance. The cocktail then evolves to the sweet roasted rice bits of the furikake. The wasabi burn then rushes up the olfactory, then quickly dipping to not overstay. And they were right! It made the perfect palate cleanser. There's an element of playing a gachapon machine with this cocktail as well - depending on which piece of furikake floats into your sip, the cocktail evolves, becoming sweet, salty, slightly spicy, you name it!

Perhaps my favourite element of this sour was the wasabi. The quick fiery uppercut to the nasal passage really cleared up any tipsy fog as much as any lingering strong flavours still left on the palate. Just the sobering concoction I needed to round off the barhop!

If I got to summarise my impressions of The Store, I'll say it really is like a respite from the overbearing trend chasing, fast paced revolver door culture that sometimes permeate our favourite spaces. The drinks are nothing unfamiliar, based on tried and tested classics, but given enough evolution and twists that firmly displays what "a good cocktail" is and can be.

If The Store has set out to be a cozy safe space for solid, smashable cocktails, I've said they've done it! I've never at once felt uncomfortable or out of my element (when your bartender is in a three piece suit and your waiters in blazers, it does make you feel conscious of your attire, doesn't it?). There's a time and place for fine dining and exploring the pinnacle of mixology, and within the storm of chasing what's next and what's new, there's a time to to kickback, lounge around, and be pampered.

The Store is exactly just that - sinking into the sofa, chatting up some friendly banter and conversation (which the staff of The Store were excellent at!), and having a no pretenses good time. I'll definitely be bringing more company over for sure!

@vernoncelli

THE STORE

11 Neil Rd, Singapore 088809

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