Watering Holes
Raise a glass at Singapore's best lounges and bars by Elizabeth Butcher While the theme of wellness might not be an intuitive pairing with Watering Holes, some brave and curious friends and I decided to try to reconcile the two. First, we explored the conventional wellness philosophy of alcohol-free drinks. Then we set out to find a watering hole that could help you feel relaxed and rejuvenated. I can now recommend both. AWA members Amanda Culhane and Jeanne Buechel bravely joined me at home for “dealcoholized” cocktails and dinner. An internet search had led me to the online
Amanda Culhane and Jeanne Buechel
shop Free Spirit, “Singapore’s Only Alcohol Free Bottle Shop,” founded by Rebecca Forwood (The Fishwives) and Emma Pike (Farmer’s Market). The website has a thoughtful selection of non-alcoholic beer, wine, and spirits. My order was delivered within two days. When the ladies arrived, I opened a bottle of Noughty Sparkling Rose with a loud “pop.” The sparkling rose is an alcoholfree, organic wine from “sandy and calcareous vineyards” in southern Spain. The pretty pink, effervescent beverage tastes slightly of apple but is not overly sweet. This is
Non-alcoholic gin and tonic
because it has about half the sugar of other non-alcoholic sparkling wines coming in at 18calories/100ml. Served in champagne flutes it made for a festive welcome. Next, we tried my first ever gin-less Gin & Tonic. I had been seeing Seedlip’s 0% Alcoholic Spirits around for a while with their gorgeous label artwork amalgamating all the ingredients into the shape of animal heads. I elected to serve the Garden 108 made from peas, hay, spearmint, rosemary, and thyme. Served over ice with Fever-Tree Refreshingly Light Tonic, a wedge of lime and a slice of cucumber it was as pleasant as any well-made G&T. The botanicals give the gin a fresh flavor, but no single ingredient dominates. Not only is the Seedlip G&T delicious, according to the Seedlip website, it is sugarand calorie-free. To accompany our dinner, I opened a bottle of Ara Zero Sauvignon Blanc from Marlboro, NZ. The Ara Zero is fresh and dry with a slight citrus finish. It paired perfectly with salads and light fish and weighed in with only 23 calories/125ml. In summary, I was delighted to see how many good options now exist for someone Seedlip 0% alcohol spirits 20
AWA Magazine Jan/Feb 2022
