Welcome to Da Bao Diaries, a daily column dedicated to what Time Out Singapore's editors are eating and drinking while Singapore's 'circuit breaker' measures are in place till May 4. Da bao is a Singaporean colloquialism derived from Mandarin that refers to having a meal to go instead of dining in at an establishment.
When we announced that Native was getting in on the bottled cocktail game, I knew I had to place an order for myself as well. It was a tough choice though, both the Peranakan ($88) and the Pineapple Arrack ($88) were equally appealing – especially since the former also comes with a slice of kueh salat from Michelin-starred Candlenut. But ultimately, I decided to go with the Pineapple Arrack in the end. It's been a favourite of mine since Native's first menu and I could really use a taste of nostalgia to remind me of better days.
The Pineapple Arrack is a blend of Ceylon arrack (a spirit distilled from the sap of coconut flowers that's then aged in oak casks), old coconuts, pineapple skins and Sri Lankan spices like cinnamon, cloves and black pepper. It's reminiscent of an old fashioned, albeit sweeter due to the tropical additions of coconuts and pineapples, and makes for easy drinking over ice. It's a pretty fuss-free cocktail to enjoy at home as ice dilution brings out different notes in the drink and each bottle contains about six to eight pours. And for the full Native experience, you might want to also grill pineapples coated in cinnamon sugar and freeze them in order to make your own garnish.
How to order To order, email info@tribenative, call 8869 6520 or slide into their DMs at @nativebarsg with the following information: your name, delivery address, order and preferred delivery date and time. Delivery is available islandwide.
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