Old Fashioned Month takes place in November when one of the most iconic cocktails is celebrated worldwide. This year, Woodford Reserve brings back The Wonderful Race for a second edition.
The Wonderful Race 2.0
The Wonderful Race sees modern hospitality professionals from all over Singapore reinventing the cocktail.
With over 20 submissions, the top 10 finalists for The Wonderful Race have been decided and will be presenting a new-age Old Fashioned at their respective restaurants and bars. From now to November, you can get a taste of what the contestants have to offer before they proceed to the finals on November 3rd.
Here are the Top 10 bartenders and their respective bars where you can try their take on the Old-Fashioned from now till November.
Antonino Donato from East 47
Antonino presents ‘Iddu’, a tribute to Sicilian and Singaporean flavours. The drink combines a thyme-infused Woodford Reserve, lychee water, ricotta cheese, lychee syrup, apricot liquer, and Grappa Moscato Levi Serafino. It’s garnished with a black squid ink taco filled with zero-waste ricotta and lychee, paired with chicken rice crust.
Daniel Fong from Sushi Samba
Drawing parallels to SUSHISAMBA Singapore, where Japanese, Brazilian, and Peruvian cultures blend harmoniously, Daniel’s twist on the Old Fashioned, ‘The Melo Wood’, incorporates Japanese melon, plum umeshu reduction, and samba spices, finished with bell pepper salt.
Vyna Danny from Analogue Initiative
Inspired by the legend of Huminodun from Sabah, Malaysia, Vyna’s rendition is a Rice Old Fashioned that combines toasted rice, coconut, pandan, and gula melaka infused into Woodford Reserve Bourbon.
Josiah Chee from Bar Bon Funk
Josiah’s rendition of the Old Fashioned is called ‘The Hundred’ and is a tribute to Woodford Reserve’s iconic 1812 recipe—72% corn, 18% rye, and 10% barley. This unique cocktail features a sonic-aged syrup created using these same elements, enhanced with high-frequency sound waves and American oak.
Keith Chia from NOST
Keith’s rendition is inspired by childhood taco nights and bold flavours of Mexican Coke. The ‘Good Ol’ Fashioned Coke’ brings together a cinnamon-spiked Woodford Reserve, star anise, and ancho chili, paired with a Coke reduction infused with vanilla and warm spices.
Kelvin Saquilayan from Republic Bar
Named “Heritage”, Kelvin’s take on the Old Fashioned features a foundation of rice and whiskey, complemented by dry, crisp sherry notes of almonds and green apple. There’s also a sweetness from honey that symbolizes the warmth of home and family traditions.
Oliver Lee Wen En from Stay Gold Flamingo
Oliver celebrates the heart and soul of Woodford County with “The Paragon”, a drink featuring walnut infusion, cacao nibs, and burnt honey syrup. It’s garnished with burnt applewood chips, capturing the essence of communal BBQ pits.
Ron Tan from Madame Fan Bar
The cocktail combines tradition with personal expression, having a twist on the classic Osmanthus Oolong tea and iconic Old Fashioned. The bitters are crafted from oolong tea sourced from Taiwan’s Alishan, infused with a blend of bitter gourd, pecan, black goji, pink peppercorn, and various spices while an infused “Jiuniang” with osmanthus flowers is used for sweetness.
It’s then garnished with a handmade rice wine fermented glutinous rice ball.
Samuel Pang from Nighthawk
The ‘Crafter’s Gamble’ showcases the artistry and risk in fermentation by combining dark soy sauce with Woodford Reserve bourbon, garnished with a rice cracker painted in soy sauce and a hint of orange zest.
Utt Asad Isni from KOMYUNITI
Giving a luxurious twist to the classic Old Fashioned, ‘It’s Fine By Me’ is a cocktail that incorporates a fat wash of brie cheese and salted butter with the Woodford Reserve bourbon.
Old Fashioned Street Takeover
On 19 Nov, experience a day packed with music and cocktails as bars like Enclave, Pocket Rocket, Parliament, and Alegria come together. There’ll be DJs spinning tracks, tarot reading sessions, and a special photoshoot opportunity.
There’ll also be a specially priced Woodford Reserve Old Fashioned cocktail exclusively available during the event.
*Please drink responsibly
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