Bars::An Ode to Zsofi
Behind every successful man lies a woman. Sometimes, he even names a bar after her.
Word is that the one of the 2 young masterminds behind Zsofi Tapas Bar was enamoured by a charming young lady that he met in Granada while backpacking around Spain.
Her name was Zsofi.
The graffitti-painted walls, chalkboards for people to scribble on, casually-thrown cushions in the corners, and a breezy rooftop terrace gives this bohemian tapas bar on Dunlop Street a delightful free-spirited vibe and is an ode to the languid Spanish culture of tapas bars.
We all know that it can sometimes be stifling in tiny Singapore because there seems to be only so many watering holes you can chill out at. Zsofi is a rare find not only do they offer complimentary tapas with every drink you order, but for that period of time that you are there, you can be blissfully unaware that you are in tiny concrete Singapore; yes they have absolutely managed to capture the relaxed feel of an authentic tapas bar where time seems to slow down.
Quaff strongly recommends you take some time out to visit Zsofi; even if just to sit on the open-air terrace.
Zsofi is located at 68 Dunlop Street.
P.S. One thing that really caught our eye was the painting on the wall of a girl with headphones. We would love a photo of that for keepsakes.
Karlsson’s New Vodka
Few people (including myself, up till about 10 minutes ago) know of the man behind Sweden’s most famous vodka - Borje Karlsson. In 2006, assisted by a team of talented individuals, many of them from the old Absolut team, we witnessed yet another birthing of a Swedish vodka, Karlsson’s Vodka.
There are many facets of Karlsson’s Vodka that excite us at Quaff, such as it being a vintage vodka; the vodka is made applying the same principles as you would wine, harvesting different potatoes from different years but employing the same recipe and process. However, we are mostly going gaga over their bottle design.
Hans Brindfors is, to keep it short, the genius behind Karlsson’s Vodka packaging. Keeping in line with the experimental direction of this vodka project, the successful batches of the different vintage vodkas were poured into vessels inspired by laboratory bottles, clear and clean, aided in design only by a label reminiscent and reflective of wine labels.
Another product in the Karlsson’s Vodka portfolio is its ultra-premium cocktail mixer, Karlsson’s Gold (with a different packaging not shown here), blended especially to hold its own in many cocktails.
To find out more about Karlsson’s Vodka, go here.
Oh and one more thing, the Quaff staff has not yet had the luxury of tasting Karlsson’s Vodka, so if you feel the need to be generous or fulfil your good deed of the day, we will graciously open our doors for samples!
BeerFest Asia 2009
BeerFest Asia is back!
For you beer guzzlers out there, we promise BeerFest Asia will be nothing short of impressive for you.
BeerFest Asia at the Singapore Flyer will showcase more than 100 different beers for only as low as $3 a beer over a 5 day period; from 29 April to 3 May. This year, as Timbre, the musician’s bistro lends a hand to Singapore’s largest beer festival, we can expect pumping live music from our homegrown bands. As a special treat, Vertical Horizon will also be performing on the 2nd of May marking their only spot in Asia.
Quaff has always complained that there are a lack of fun events in Singapore, we lack the crazy music festivals that spring up all over Europe come summer (save for SingFest but without the crazy), the daytime drinking, the alcohol connossieurs who know their Absoulut from Belvedere and their ales from lagers; BeerFest Asia is a definite step towards changing all this. For a festival boasting cheap but with no doubt great beer, loud beats, lip-smacking food, and hopefully comical drunk people; we have high hopes for this one.
To get your earlybird tickets, log on to BYTES.
We’ll see you there!
Around the World
Quaff went Around the World with Bartistry and sampled some of the best thirst quenchers (with alcohol of course!) we’ve ever had courtesy of Zac from Bartistry, and Thomas and Ben from Flow.
Around the World, as we hear, will be a series of cocktail parties using the best spirits such as Grey Goose vodka and Bombay Sapphire gin. Other than to give us a smashing good time, Zac also hopes to introduce the public to cocktails of a higher quality and to bring a revival to the cocktail and bartending scene in Singapore.
I’m Speechless
So, evidently, the russians don’t just drink vodka, they do amazing things like this insanely incredible paper cut-out or pop-up artwork.
Her name is Yulia Brodskaya.
Show her some love.
Spotted at Swissmiss.
Drink DKNY
DKNY turns 20 this year, and is teaming up with Domaine Chandon to create a custom bubbly called “Twenty Year Cuvee”.
The wine debuted at the Spring fashion show at Bryant Park in September 2008, and is now only available at Chandon’s winery in Napa Valley and online at chandon.com.
“Twenty Year Cuvee” offers appealing baked apple aromas with toasted hazelnut and dulce de leche notes that are carried through the palate by a soft and silky mousse.
**Domaine Chandon was founded in 1973, and is the first California sparkling wine producer to be established by a French house using only the traditional method. Its first sparkling wine was produced in 1976.
Sources: www.bnet.com, www.blogcatalog.com/blogs/ladies-with-bottle
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Here’s how you can contribute:
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