“Off-Menu Pandan Cocktail at Singapore’s Warehouse Hotel Showcases Southeast Asia’s Trending Ingredient”

Pandan, often referred to as “the Asian vanilla,” is known for its vibrant green color and enticing aroma. It is commonly used in a variety of dishes, from curries and cakes to cocktails.

In Singapore, a land-poor nation-state with a rapidly growing skyline, finding low-rise hotels can be a challenge. However, The Warehouse Hotel, situated on the bank of the Singapore River in Robertson Quay, is a rare find. This hotel combines a historic exterior with a modern and spacious interior, which includes an impressive cocktail bar.

After a hot day of exploring the river, the author sought refuge in the cool, dark interior of The Warehouse Hotel and took a seat at the lobby bar. Having recently returned from Indonesia and Vietnam where they had enjoyed several pandan-infused drinks, they asked the bartender for a cocktail featuring this regional ingredient.

Bar manager Jae Min admitted that while he didn’t currently have any pandan cocktails on the menu and felt the ingredient was somewhat overused in drinks, he acknowledged its popularity. When the author mentioned that pandan was rarely seen in the United States, Min offered to create a custom cocktail based on their preferred flavors.

The author requested something sour and citrusy, floral, and creamy, perhaps reminiscent of a Peruvian pisco sour. Min got to work and presented the author with a muted pea-green cocktail with a creamy trim.

Min explained that this cocktail was not on the menu but was something they had been experimenting with behind the bar. The recipe was created by part-time colleague Ron Ong, who had worked at some of Sydney’s finest bars and drew inspiration from the Hotel Georgia Cocktail, a classic believed to have been created in the mid-1940s. The team plans to name it The Warehouse Hotel Special as a tribute.

The author found the cocktail to be smooth, complex, creamy, slightly nutty, and infused with the grassy vanilla flavor of pandan. They asked for the recipe, but expressed concern about the availability of fresh pandan in the United States. Min suggested that pandan concentrate, which is readily available in Singapore, might be found online. The author later found several options on Amazon.

For those interested in trying this cocktail at home, here’s the recipe:

Pandan Sour or The Warehouse Hotel Special

Ingredients:
– 3 Drops of Pandan Concentrate
– 30 ml Egg White
– 25 ml Lemon
– 15 ml Orgeat
– 5 ml Caramel
– 60 ml Gin

Recipe:
Add all ingredients into a shaker. First dry shake to emulsify the egg white. Add ice, then wet shake. Fine strain into a coupe glass and serve.

Pandan Concentrate can be found in Asian food stores or made at home by steeping the leaves in simple syrup. However, it’s much easier to buy the concentrate online. Amazon sells a few options.

Dry shaking is a technique used to froth egg white cocktails. Shake the egg white with all the other cocktail ingredients without ice to allow the mixture to combine without dilution.

The Warehouse Hotel is located at 320 Havelock Rd, Singapore 169628.

Source: forbes.com

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