Here’s a three-fer for you: The Belljar is a restaurant, dram and cigar lounge, and ‘Whisky Academy’ spread across three levels of a shophouse in Boat Quay. Co-owners Andrew Pang and Yang Min Xiang started out selling bottles online until 2016 rolled along and they decided to set up a bar that’s designed to demystify the arcane world of whisky for a younger audience. So while you’ll find only about 120 expressions – mostly Scotch and Japanese – here, it’s the approachable nature of The Belljar that keeps us coming back.
For one, you won’t be handed a menu when you sidle up on one of the plush leather couches in the bar. Instead, servers ask for your flavour preferences and familiarity with the spirit before making recommendations. You might be offered a flight of Ichiro’s Malt expressions, served with a cup of water and a dropper, or, if you can’t stomach a dram neat, a Henry and Clare cocktail ($20): Monkey Shoulder, elderflower, lemon, vanilla and a Turkish Delight on the side to lessen the sting.
And the Whisky Academy has been conducting workshops ($300-$400) since the beginning of this year. Led by Matthew Fergusson-Stewart, the Asia Pacific Brand Ambassador for Glenfiddich, the classes are full-day affairs that cater to the novice and experienced drinker alike.