Sip on music-inspired tipples at this sultry jazz bar.
What could be better than sipping on a good cocktail and relaxing to live music? Kicking your feet up at a jazz lounge while enjoying cocktails inspired by major turning points in the music scene, of course! Cool Cats sets itself apart from other bars with its unique cocktail programme, consisting of 14 carefully-crafted concoctions that are inspired by great names in music: such as Bessie Smith, Billie Holiday and Duke Ellington.
Helmed by resident mixologist Nicola Patero, who was from the renowned Spago by Wolfgang Puck, the various cocktails offer a range of twists on traditional tipples, and flavours from smooth and rich, to light and refreshing.
A playful take on the espresso martini and perhaps our favourite, the Cafe Society (S$26) is named after the first integrated nightclub of the 1930s that was designed to subvert the cultural and social norms of the time, a gathering place for artists, intellectuals, jazz lovers, and Manhattan sophisticates. Made with agave blend, amaro, espresso, charred corn syrup, and topped off with delicious and perfectly-charred circlet of corn; this had the addictive nuttiness of popcorn, with the smooth bitter aftertaste of coffee.
We also enjoyed Holiday’s Protest (S$24), a refreshing concoction of Beefeater 24 Gin with dragonfruit, sencha and yuzu. Its interesting name comes from how Billie Holiday’s father passed away at age thirty-nine after being denied medical treatment at a “whites only” hospital, and Holiday later perform the song “Strange Fruit” to tell people about the reality of life as a black man in America. Mixologist Nicola told us he used the dragonfruit as, to him, a non-Asian, it looks strange yet is delicious – and as a nod to his minimal-waste beliefs, every part of the fruit is used in the drink! The dragonfruit is slow-juiced, and the remaining pulp is dehydrated and carefully cut out into paper-thin slices to top the cocktail, much like an all-natural fruit roll-up!
If you prefer something a little more classic, we recommend By the Mississippi Railway (S$26), where a classic martini is jazzed up (pun unintended) with watermelon rind that has been picked in apple cider. Smooth, heady and with a delicious tang from the pickled watermelon; this is one drink to sip on while enjoying the sultry tones of the live bands.
Want something fun? Go for Ways of a Diva (S$24), a smooth and smoky tipple consisting of Mozart Dry Chocolate, mezcal and Chinese pear cordial. Or the Boogie Woogie (S$28) – which Nicola will tell you is his favourite phrase to say! – a twist on an old-fashioned that is redolent with a tropical, coconutty fragrance thanks to the use of coconut oil.
Located on the first floor of The NCO Club, through an inconspicuous wooden door with a cat sign, Cool Cats is furnished with plush decor in the style of the 1920s. Settle yourself down, pick a tipple, and relax to the groovy beats of the artists swaying on stage.
For enquiries and reservations, email dining.reservations@thencoclub.com or call +65 6818 1920.
Cool Cats
Operating Hours: Wednesday to Saturday (Open on Public Holidays), 8.30pm to 1.00am
Performance Sets: 2 sets (9.30pm till late)
The NCO Club, Level 1, 32 Beach Road, Singapore 189764
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