Controlled Alcoholism

Like many others, I've had my first foray into alcohol when I was barely of age (I think). The very first memorable alcohol experience that I remember was a Tiger Beer offered by my friend's uncle back at a birthday barbeque celebration. I remember the uncle saying that it "reduces heatiness". What a bollocks that was, in hindsight. Back then, I was so young and dumb that I even thought Tiger Beer was pretty decent. Thinking back, however, the event itself was pretty memorable, with us fooling around with prank calls.

Since then, I've had many experiences with alcohol, some funny and some embarrassing, but most of them interesting nonetheless. Initially, much like most of us in the same age, thought that alcohol was just a medium to let loose, to soak in the moment, and to enjoy life. Those were the good times, before we had actual responsibilities to worry about. I vividly remember the times where I took small shots of Jagermeister at Timbre, thinking that I liked the taste and buying a full bottle off Carousell. I remember the New Year's Eves that I had spent drinking with the closest of friends - Barhopping at Holland Village in 2018, and soaking in the atmosphere in Arab Street in 2019. Those were the days that I will always remember and cherish in my heart.

Depending on how you view my life decision back in NS, you could say that I was either incredibly impulsive, or forward looking. However, what is undeniable is the fact that I was interacting with people many years older than me, with a more refined view towards alcohol than me. They were the ones who brought me into the deeperaspects of alcohol that I would never have had if I chose not to take this path. I remember this gathering we had - where each one of us had to bring a bottle of whiskey - to be shared among everyone. I brought a bottle of Hibiki Harmony that my close friend helped me find in Japan, while the rest brought a full spectrum of whiskey. There were the common whiskies like Monkey Shoulder and Chita, all the way to the pricier and more difficult to find ones like the Glenfiddich Age of Discovery and Kavalan Solist. It was here that I first glanced into the depths of whiskey.

Even till now, the Hibiki series still holds a special place in my heart up till now as I consider it my very first whiskey that kickstarted this entire hobby of mine.

Since starting whisky appreciation as a hobby, my YouTube feed started clogging up with many alcohol channels. I started with the Whiskey Tribe, which is a channel that talks about whiskey (duh), and started watching Steve the Bartender as well. This sparked my interest in the possibility of home mixology. Back then, I didn't have much in terms of tools and options - I really only had whiskey. So I started with something simple - an Old Fashioned. It's funny really, I muddled a sugar cube using the back of a chopstick, and stirred with a chopstick. I remember the feeling when I had my first cocktail made this way. It opened my eyes to a whole new dimension of flavours in mixology. I then purchased Ameretto, an almond liquer, to try making Godfathers using whisky; and highballs using soda water.

My inspiration to invest in a full-on home bar was kickstarted when I met with two of my Junior College friends for a dumpling dinner and drinks at Ann Siang Hill. We talked about anything under the sun, from financial planning to gossip about people we knew back at school. One of the topics that we discussed was about alcohol - unsurprisingly since we were at a rooftop bar. We lamented on how our lives were changing faster than we could have imagined back in Junior College. Responsibilities were being piled on us, and this could be correlated to our alcohol habits. Gone are the days where we could drink our nights and minds away. We were all growing up. Now, instead of towers upon towers of beer, I commented that I'd much prefer drinking a few cocktails at a bar, talking about life with a few friends. If I made this comment back then, my friends would have called me an old uncle. But now, it just seems appropiate to drink cocktails and think about life. Amongst the bustling hustle that is our lives now, it just seemed nice to be able to sit down with friends and just talk over a few drinks. I can't put my finger on what triggered this change in mentality, honestly.