Make your own gin at this first-of-its-kind school in Singapore
PUBLISHED ONNovember 25, 2019 5:48 AMByErica Ho
Local ginmakers Brass Lion Distillery opened up its Gin School earlier this year, and we were beyond excited. If you're looking for a novel experience this week, these folks bring a whole new meaning to the term 'School Spirit' when it comes to juniper juice.
Managing Director Jamie Koh launched Brass Lion Distillery, Singapore's first micro-distillery, back in 2018.
Their famous Brass Lion Singapore Dry Gin is a floral spirit chock-full of Southeast Asian botanicals (22, to be exact). A trailblazer through and through, she then introduced the nation's first ever Gin School soon after.
It's not every day you get this up close and personal with a distillery. For the most part, tours are a show-and-tell kind of ordeal - they'll let you crush a few berries and sniff a few leaves, but that's about it. Everyone knows the real fun begins when there's room for a little creativity.
Class takes place on the distillery's second floor. Seating an intimate ten students at a time, you're first reminded that this school isn't for kids - with a welcome G&T and a flight of three signature pours.
At each seat, you get your very own miniature copper pot still - dwarfs compared to the original 150-litre mammoth sitting in the R&D lab below, but enough to churn out a good bottle (about 500ml) of gin.
The very friendly Brewer-turned-Ginstructors then guide you through a workbook of taste profiles and teach the basics of gin. And therein lies the beauty of this class - it's not just for show: you actually get a pretty in-depth lesson on the history and craft of gin making.
Once everyone's gotten acquainted with their apparatus, the fun begins. Choose your own botanicals from their selection of fresh fruit, herbs, and fragrances, and a host of dried ingredients.
Play it safe or let your wildest schemes come to life - we've heard attempts of Tom Yam, Briyani, and Christmas-themed flavours, though success rates may vary.
Three hours later, get ready to name and label your personal concoction, with a personalised Brass Lion label and seal. If you still have time to kill, stick around the tasting room and make a cocktail with your new creation; it's the perfect reward for a job well done.
The Brass Lion Distillery Gin School is priced at $198 nett. Classes run every Sunday at 2pm.
Brass Lion Distillery is located at 40 Alexandra Terrace, Singapore 119933, p. +65 6954 0602.
Tasting room hours run Tue-Fri 5pm-12am, Sat 2pm-12am, and Sun 2pm-7pm.
This article was first published in City Nomads.