Shake it up with Singapore’s female bartenders: Kelly D’Cruz, The Secret Mermaid

Fancy a spot of tea with a twist? That’s what Marie Nakazawa has concocted with her flirty Whole Lotta Love cocktail. It’s raw tea, lavender syrup, lemon juice, peach liqueur and aromatised wine on top of a vodka base, served in a dainty teacup.  

As Diageo is one of the world’s largest producers of spirits, it makes sense to situate its state-of- the-art bar smack bang inside its own office, where Jayden is head bartender. She is also brand ambassador for Johnnie Walker (one of Diageo’s brands).

You’ll feel a bit like Alice falling down the rabbit hole at Operation Dagger’s nondescript entrance, as it does nothing to prepare you for the beautiful cloud of lightbulbs inside, floating overhead. And you’ll enter with preconceived notions about wine but leave a convert, thanks to Sasha, a pharmaceutical science graduate – and the brain behind the oxidised wine menu – who gets visibly excited when the convo turns to fermentation or yeast. 

Singapore’s first and only bar with all- women bartenders is an intimate gem in Kampong Bahru. Highballs (spirit plus non-alcoholic mixer) are their speciality (natch), but exuberant founder and head bartender Kino Soh says the tight-knit four- member team has no problem whipping up other bespoke cocktails on request. 

The bartenders here focus on Singapore flavours and ingredients, and the drinks are divided into four categories: herbs, fruits, spices and flora. Pan’s signature drink, Leo’s Flip, inspired by the festive pineapple tart, was awarded the title of Singapore’s Next Top Cocktail in 2017 at the Singapore Cocktail Festival. 

Bubbly bartender Kelly D’Cruz is smoking something good. And by that we mean her signature Negroni cocktail, called Balancing Act. It has Koval gin infused with chrysanthemum, Campari, Carpano Antica sweet vermouth, and  it’s smoked with applewood and topped off with a bittersweet citrusy Campari foam. It certainly leaves an impression, as does Kelly with her dreadlocks, laid- back attitude and intricate tattoos.

True to her love of travel, Christyne’s signature drink The French Kiss was inspired by her first trip to Europe, when she visited Paris after winning a regional bartending competition. Floral, fruity and flirty, it combines all things French, with G’Vine Floraison gin, Giffard Creme de Cassis, Giffard Rose Syrup, fresh grapefruit juice and sauvignon blanc.

While in Seoul preparing for a working holiday abroad – a stint at a cosy lounge bar–June had a revelation as she had drinks with her pals. “I was having fun conversations and passing around delicious cocktails. It felt perfect and I fell in love [with the bar concept]. I decided to put my working holiday on hold and instead started a full-time job at that bar!” says June.