Atlas’ head bartender Lidiyanah “Yana” K and her team have created the new Preservation of Fire menu, featuring illustrations by Adrian Pack, to pay homage to cocktail making techniques and the enduring traditions that have fuelled generations of bartenders. Atlas is currently No.27 among Asia’s 50 Best Bars and No.48 of The World’s 50 Best Bars 2023.
As Yana explains, Preservation of Fire comes from a quote by Austrian composer Mahler about how tradition can ignite innovation. “This menu is our love letter to the history of bartending. We can’t wait to narrate this story for our guests through a collection of cocktails… that bridges the past with the present,” she says.
The drinks are organised into four chapters: Carbonation, Temperature, Washing, and Infusion. Each chapter includes four classic cocktails – Martini, Champagne Cocktail, Sour, and Old Fashioned – along with the ABV (Alcohol By Volume) of each. Each chapter concludes with a fifth non-alcoholic cocktail.
The Carbonation chapter opens with a gin cocktail, Priestley’s Company (28.7%, $28++), named after Joseph Priestley, who invented carbonated water in 1776. Showcasing the transformative power of Temperature, the next chapter introduces Silver Bullet (19.8%, $25++; $120++ for a decanter serving five). A lighter take on the Vesper Martini made famous by James Bond, it combines vodka and gin with rose verjuice and ylang ylang water for a floral bouquet. The drink is garnished with a frozen grape, which adds flavour and chill.
Washing dates back to the 17th century, when spirits were “washed” with dairy or fats to enhance flavour before being filtered and clarified back to their original clarity. Electric Club (34%, $26++) is a butter-washed bourbon Old Fashioned with layers of complexity, utilising the nutty essence of Frangelico liqueur alongside chocolate bitters, sherry and the botanical Amaro Nonino, an Italian bitter liqueur.
Infusion, a technique used by bartenders to steep botanicals, herbs, and spices in a liquid to extract vibrant flavours, is covered in the last chapter. The non-alcoholic Age of Discovery ($18++) combines seed lip spice with raspberry-infused Italian soda and passionfruit vanilla syrup. Alternatively, The Debutante (7.5%, $25++) makes a glamorous entrance by using the cutting-edge sous pression technique, infusing cherries into gin, Oloroso sherry, and champagne.
All Atlas favourites are still available, from the Atlas Martini to the Atlas French 75. You can also select the ultimate gin and tonic from The Atlas Gin Collection housed in an iconic eight-metre tall Gin Tower, consisting of 1,300 bottles from all over the world.
Atlas is at Parkview Square, 600 North Bridge Road, Singapore 188778. Book a table here.
