44 at apw pop-up bar, bangsar

A couple of weeks ago, I had the pleasure of visiting this pop up bar to sample some, if not all, of their signature cocktails. Now, I am no expert in alcohol and truth to be told, I have always associated cocktails as a concoction of alcohol and fruits. I had to google what 'spirits' mean (the pop up bar aims to promote American craft spirits brought into SouthEast Asia by Singapore-based company, Liberty Spirits). Having just returned from Germany, where drinking seems to be a national favourite pastime, I owe it to them for introducing me to whiskey and coke which quickly became my go-to drink during my survival from social meltdowns in clubs and bars. I was so ready for this.

Here's a list of what I had (by the order of photos above):

Tasting Flight
Any three spirits and in predictable Trisha fashion, I chose three types of whiskey under the recommendation of the bartender of the night - Outlaw, Roundstone Rye, World's Best Moonshine

Rushmore Thyme
New Deal 33, thyme, lemon juice, egg white and lavender bitters

Weekly Special
Dragonfruit & some yummy stuff'

Darjeeling Jungle Bird
Ragged Mountain Rum, Campari, lime and pineapple juice

Budapest Old Fashioned
Lapseng Sauchong Cactotin Roundstone Rye, orange ginger  sugar and basement bitters

Cascara Bee Sting
7 Stars Moonshine, honey, lemon juice and Ceylon Cascara coffee cherry tea

Who knew with cocktails that bear names like Darjeeling Jungle Bird and Rushmore Thyme (which took the crown for best cocktail in my books) would get me tipsy by the end of the night! Do people even get drunk from drinking cocktails??  I'm a wuss.

On a side note, thought it was brilliant to print name/descriptive cards for each cocktail served on thick card that double serves as coasters too. Always had a soft spot for the company's choice of graphic designer.

Huge thanks to the team at FreeForm for coordinating my visit and enlightening me with the good stuff that is American craft spirits. You know what they say, 'once you go American, everything becomes different.'

Just made that up.

44 at APW

* All shots taken with an iPhone 5s because the author had conveniently left her memory card used for her DSLR in the office as she was making her way down to this event.

T.

yeast boulangerie

I have to admit, social media has gotten the better part of me. Should there be an Olympic Medal in checking your phone for new updates every 5 minutes or so, I would win hands down... and I ain't sorry.

While I was away from the blog-o-sphere of theweekendbrunch, I took the path most travelled and submitted to using Instagram as my sole food-sharing platform. The gastronomic adventure continues, but my old pad did not make the cut. It has been over four months now and I am still adjusting to this new cubbyhole... though, mostly in the kitchen.
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Amidst all the business, I managed to sneak and breathe out dust and stress steam, to inhale the scent of an operational boulangerie in the stylish suburbs of Bangsar.

Yeast Boulangerie, Bistro and Bar has a pretty long attribution for what is simply known as 'The place where everybody goes when Antipodean is full'. Looking back at my last visit, that was exactly how I stumbled Yeast.

Pictured below is my order of Oeuf Poché Bénédictins on Brioche Toast with Smoked Salmon, Béarnaise Sauce and Greens. In other words, I had a plate of poached eggs on French toast with smoked salmon, hollandaise-like sauce, vegetables and a bonus of French attitude. A requisite breakfast choice so much so that the table beside you probably beat you into ordering the same thing first.

As its name implies, Yeast Boulangerie serves an assorted line of fresh breads daily, a tantalizing fare of gourmet French cuisine as a Bistronomy and fine wine over at the Bar à Vin. But really, its probably their motive of serving simple French cuisine at an affordable rate that lures customers in. Besides Antipodean being full, of course.

Yeast Bistronomy, Bangsar

T.

// photos taken with iPhone 4's camera.