I was invited to Potato Head Folk at 36 Keong Saik Road and had the chance to meet JJ Goodman be served by the master mixologist and owner of the UK’s famous London Cocktail Club himself.
The venue itself has a fun and creative vibe attached to all its 4 floors. Say goodbye to the infamous ‘4 floors’ of Orchard towers, this eclectic 4 floors is a must visit in Singapore.
Despite his claim to fame, as the founder of The London Cocktail Club group and shooting to fame as winner of BBC’s The Restaurant, JJ Goodman was down to earth, friendly, humble and a solid professional.
JJ’s bar tending pedigree and notoriety in the industry have been confirmed since an early age, winning competitions such as 42 Cocktail World Cup and London Bartender of the year and recently has been put on Zagat guides 30 under 30 much watch list. He was more than willing to share insights on an industry he was clearly very passionate about and the inspiration for some of his creations.
He also shared some notes on what makes a great drink and the work and thought process that goes behind them – such as pairing the drink with particular foods, the balance between sweets and sours and how your palate can change throughout the night.
Protip: Remember to tip your barman if he/she’s made you a great drink.
I tasted five of his ‘made-to-order’ cocktails, each of which will be available at Potato Head Folk till the end of October 2015.
Bump and Grind – Infused salted caramel Ketel one, Tia Maria, coffee mix and simple syrup.
Espresso martini lover? This one’s for you. By adding salted caramel to the boozy caffeine hit instead of the usual splash of just vodka, there’s an extra bit of sweetness to mix it up a bit, but the flavours are still simple yet perfect.
Brixton Riot – Martini Bianco, lychee liquor, cranberry juice, peach puree, mint leaves, and half fresh passion fruit.
A hollowed out passion fruit husk is filled with flammable liquid and promptly set on fire, floating on top of martini Bianco and lychee and peach puree. Better blow out the fire before it starts the riot! It would be an interesting drink for those Bianco lovers.
Jam Jar Daiquiri – Myer’s Dark Rum, Crème De Fraise, strawberry puree, simple syrup and lime juice.
A delicious Daiquiri served in an actual jam jar. There is play between the sweet and sour notes. There is good balance of the two in this famous cocktail.
White Russian – Ketel One Vodka, honey, coffee mix, melted ice cream.
My second favourite and it comes with a biscuit. A perfect tea time cocktail. It’s interesting to know that JJ created this after experimenting with a melted tub of ice-cream after a hard night.
Clover Club – Tanqueray Gin, lemon juice, bar-made raspberry and vanilla ice cream syrup and egg white
My personal favourite is the Clover Club. The Clover Club Cocktail is a drink that pre-dates Prohibition, and is named for the Philadelphia men’s club of the same name, which met in the Bellevue-Stratford hotel.
JJ’s rendition of the Clover Club was simply exquisite and very tasty. There was an amazing mix of the sweet and sours and the combination of the two had a nice balance to it. The aftertaste is one that would keep me coming back for more.
Adding onto the list of amazing cocktails by JJ Goodman, Potato Head Folk is joining the action and serving up a F1 cocktail to quench your thirst over race weekend. Embracing the spirit of F1, “Last Lap” is a concoction of spiced run and hibiscus syrup, topped with Ginger Beer, Angostura Bitters and a wedge of lemon.
Available from 18th – 20th September, Last Lap will give F1 fans the chance to soak up the atmosphere of the race, without having to be trackside.
Last Lap will be priced at $20++