Cover Roku Gin is a blend of six Japanese botanicals
Roku Gin is a blend of six Japanese botanicals
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Tatler+
Roku Gin is known for its delicate aromas and complex flavour profile, and bartenders took inspiration from these to concoct delicious cocktails available during the holiday season
Gin has become a fixture in our year-end holiday festivities. When mixed in cocktails, we can’t get enough of the botanical spirit’s bright and refreshing notes that give our palates a break from the non-stop indulgent Christmas feasts that include seemingly endless helpings of roast turkeys, hams and log cakes.
But not all gins are created equal, with some expressions offering a perfect marriage of juniper and botanical flavours that make for more delicious tipples. That is what we love about Roku Gin, the well-loved Japanese gin from spirits producer Suntory, crafted using six special botanicals from Japan.
Among these is yuzu, the Japanese citrus fruit coveted for its distinct oriental aromas for generations. What makes this highly prized—apart from its taste—is that the yuzu tree only grows in high-altitude places where fluctuating temperatures are common. The fruits grow at a slow pace, too, and can only be harvested during winter. When that time comes, the yield is usually limited.
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Blueberry Fizz
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Despite that, the makers of Roku Gin have managed to get their hands on this premium fruit. They only use the yuzu peel, which is carefully processed with the spirit to ensure that only the delicate aromas are captured without any hint of bitterness. This exacting method gives Roku Gin its signature citrusy bouquet interwoven with sweet cherry blossom and earthy green tea notes, and flavour profile—juniper-heavy and mingled with botanical and yuzu notes for complexity. Smooth and silky, it easily glides down the throat and leaves a lasting impression.
Roku Gin’s craftsmanship and depth of flavour have led three talented bartenders around the island to concoct a total of 11 imaginative cocktails just for the festive period. Modern Japanese restaurant and bar Goho Kaiseki & Bar, co-owned by Diageo World Class 2016 winner Boo Jing Heng, for example, created three fruity cocktails that amplify the gin’s flavour profile. In the Blueberry Fizz, you’ll savour bright and fruity notes from Roku Gin, Lillet Blanc, lemon orange and blueberry, while a splash of ginger beer gives it that lingering spicy effervescence.
Also from Goho are Merry Berry, bursting with floral festive flavours from the combination of gin, elderflower, cranberry syrup and egg white, and Guava and Fig, which is how Christmas should taste like with warm spices resulting from a blend of gin-infused guava, Aperol, lime and spiced syrup.
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Above Pine Nut Negroni
Above Mulled Me Up
Pine Nut Negroni
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From Chuan by Nutmeg, senior bartender Alvin Koh has given four classic cocktails a festive twist using Roku Gin. Reminiscent of the cinnamon spice (and everything nice) is the Cinnamon Raisin Punch, which delights imbibers with its Christmas flavours of cinnamon and raisin, balanced with a mixture of gin and clarified milk. Another classic that has undergone a holiday makeover is the Pine Nut Negroni, boasting a delicate sweetness from the pine nuts and rounded out with gin, Campari and sweet vermouth. Not to be missed too, are the SS G&T, a refreshing medley of Roku Gin, strawberries and Sichuan pepper; and Jasmine Gingerbread Sour, a delightful rendition of the Gin Sour, made with ginger and lemon.
The last but definitely not the least bar is Fizzy Dayz. Bar founder Colin Chia (and Roku Industry Icon Award 2022 winner) and the team behind Nutmeg & Clove (Fizzy Dayz’s sister concept) have joined in the festive merry-making with four exclusive cocktails. This includes a riff on the quintessential mulled wine with Mulled Me Up, made with the typical ingredients of cabernet sauvignon, orange and honey, then complemented by Roku Gin’s delicate flavours. Other delicious creations are the eggnog-inspired Noggie Noggie, a great drink to end the night with its floral and lemon notes; Uvava, a sweet and fruity delight with its combination of strawberry, prosecco and Roku Gin; and First Glow of Xmas, which brings in the festive cheer with mascarpone and gingerbread mingled with Roku Gin to create complex layers of fruit and spice.
With the bevy of gin-based festive cocktails available during this period, you’ll have more reason to indulge this Christmas.
The Roku Gin festive cocktails are available at participating bars throughout the month of December.
Dudi Aureus is the senior dining and travel editor at Tatler Singapore, covering the city’s most exciting restaurants, global travel trends, and the personalities shaping the culinary and lifestyle scenes. She also serves as co-jury chair for the Tatler Best awards in Singapore, celebrating the very best in hospitality. When she’s off duty, she can often be found at a favourite hole-in-the-wall Thai spot, savouring a perfectly balanced pad thai.
