This is your roundup of the best new alcohol products in Singapore for 2023.
For March, Fuji is a new Japanese whisky brand in town, and it takes the less-travelled route by spotlighting grain and blended whiskies that drink just as well as – if not better than – their single malt counterparts. When it rains, it pours triple sec as Cointreau unveils a refresh to their bottle design after 140 years, and local distiller Tanglin introduces a Singapore version with mandarin orange, calamansi, and kaffir lime.
Best new alcohol products in Singapore
March
Fuji whiskies
Japanese single malts get plenty of love, but Fuji aims to change drinkers’ minds. First introduced in 2020, the blended whiskey brand is owner Kirin’s desire to capture the terroir of the emblematic Mount Fuji, which it does by distilling and ageing the whiskeys at the base of the mountain, and combining it with snowmelt water that has been naturally filtered underground for over 50 years to create a grain whiskey style that is soft and precise. Four expressions are currently in Singapore, from the entry-level Single Grain to the 30-year-old Single Grain.
S$158 – S$4,800
Get them here
Tanglin Triple Tangerine Mandarin Orange Liqueur
Local distiller Tanglin ventures into triple-sec territory with the debut of Singapore’s first orange liqueur. Made from the same neutral grain spirit that goes into Tanglin’s gins, it is redistilled with mandarin oranges, calamansi, and kaffir lime leaves, and can be used in cocktails like the Singapore Sling and Margarita. Alternatively, drink it with nice as a digestif.
S$80
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Cointreau L’Unique
Not to be outdone by Tanglin’s triple sec foray, Cointreau gives its flagship product a fresh new look after 140 years. The orange is still proudly front and centre, now accompanied by an illustration of the first distillery. The entire label is summarised by “Harmonie d’esprit d’écorces d’oranges douces et amères,” or “the art of harmonizing sweet and bitter orange peels,” the secret behind the liqueur’s balance. Additionally, the new bottle is made from two-thirds recycled glass and is slightly taller for better grip. If you need tips on how to drink Cointreau, a new QR code at the back leads to recipes.
S$60.60
Get it here
February
Guinness Nitrosurge
Never mess up your next pour of Guinness with their Nitrosurge device. The brand says that their USB-rechargeable product uses ultrasonic technology to properly agitate the beer’s nitrogen and forms a thick, creamy head every time. Guinness says you can only use it with their Nitrosurge cans, and they are right: I tried with it another big-brand nitrogenated stout, and it does not foam up as it should. Good thing, then, that the device comes with two cans.
S$48.20 (includes device and two Guinness Nitrosurge cans)
Get it here
January
Glenfiddich Chinese New Year gift packs
Glenfiddich livens up its core range by partnering with Shanghai-based painter Zeng Yixin to create gift packs for the Chinese New Year. The limited edition design features the brand’s stag emblem surrounded by a fantastical scene rich with texture, patterns, and colourful elements that correspond to the whiskies’ respective expressions. The pack is available for the brand’s 12, 15, 18, and 21-year-old single malts, and comes with a branded highball glass or nosing dram.
S$105 – S$395
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Hennessy CNY 2023
As it does every Chinese New Year, Hennessy has once again teamed up with a Chinese artist for the Year of the Rabbit. This time, they are working with celebrated contemporary painter Yan Pei-Ming to create “La Grande Course,” a large-scale work depicting the 12 zodiac animals in colours inspired by cognac’s amber hues. The painting is also reproduced on a numbered series of limited-edition Hennessy V.S.O.P and Hennessy X.O cognacs.
S$129.20 – S$361.35
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Johnnie Walker Lunar New Year Limited Edition Design
Johnnie Walker has tapped on fashion rising star Angel Chen to come up with an exclusive Year of the Rabbit packaging for their Blue Label. The Shanghai-based designer has interpreted the zodiac animal energetically bounding among mountainous peaks in vivid colours, which symbolises “how we need to keep moving forward, spreading goodness throughout the year to come,” Chen said.
S$335
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Penfolds Bin 389 Cabernet Shiraz 2019 Magnum
Make a statement this Chinese new year with the Penfolds Bin 389 Cabernet Shiraz 2019 Magnum in a Lunar New Year gift box. Often referred to as ‘Baby Grange,’ in part because components of the wine are matured in the same barrels that held the previous vintage of Grange. the red wine exemplifies the structure of cabernet sauvignon with the richness of shiraz and highlights the generous mid-palate the winery is known for. On the label is the rabbit zodiac symbol, and the pack comes with a fold-out mechanism that contains the Bin 389 bottle, as well as some Year of the Rabbit-themed art.
S$318
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Nesuto Longevity Yuzu Kumquat GDV & Roku Gin Set
Roku Gin is welcoming this Lunar New Year with an auspicious collaboration with a local bakery, Nesuto. Inspired by one of Roku Gin’s six Japanese botanicals, the Longevity Yuzu Kumquat GDV Cake layers yuzu kumquat compote in between the vanilla pound cake, turning it zesty, rich, and buttery. No alcohol is added, but it makes a good match with a glass of Roku Gin cocktail. The set comes with a cake and 200ml Roku Gin, plus a Roku Gin-branded glass, cup, and coaster.
S$78+
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Rémy Martin 1738 Accord Royal Harmonia Limited Edition
Cognac holds a special place in Chinese New Year celebrations, and Rémy Martin is showing how you can enjoy the brandy in a cocktail. Their gift pack contains a bottle of the Rémy Martin 1738 Accord, which has a distinctive oaky flavour that makes it the ideal base for a Sidecar or Collins. The bundle also comes with a cocktail shaker for any liquid merrymaking you might be doing over the holidays.
S$119.20
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Shang Yang Tai
Baijiu gets a bad rap for its brashness, but Putien is banking that diners might enjoy a more consummate version with their meal. The Chinese restaurant chain is now importing the premium Shang Yang Tai, which is made by the same people behind the renowned Moutai brand and inspired by China’s famed poet, Li Bai. Shang Yang Tai is produced according to the lighter Jiang style, and has “a sweet, soft-bodied, mellow, elegant taste, and pleasant lingering aftertaste,” said Putien founder Fong Chi Chung. On the bottle, the packaging recreates Li’s calligraphy in the minimalist, restrained aesthetics of the Song Dynasty.
100ml: S$79++
500ml: S$379++
Available at all Putien locations.
The Macallan – A Night on Earth in Scotland
The Macallan draws on a traditional Scottish practice for its latest limited edition release. Inspired by the custom of eating shortbread biscuits during the Hogmanay new year’s eve festival, the single malt uses both sherry and bourbon casks to deliver a rich, sweet buttery character with notes of dried orange and spice, accompanied by a velvety texture. The distillery also worked with acclaimed illustrator Erica Dorn to create ember-red packaging, a reference to the role of fire during New Year’s celebrations.
700ml: S$145
Get it here
This story first appeared here.
Hero and feature images credits: Fuji Japanese Whisky; Tanglin Gin
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