Bourbon and Brunch at The Beast

About The Beast

Priding itself as Singapore’s first southern kitchen and bourbon bar, The Beast features classic dishes from the Southern United States (think fried chicken and waffles), replete with 30 kinds of Bourbon whiskeys.

We’ve covered The Beast before, but with The Beast playing host to Beam Suntory’s launch of four exclusive small batch bourbons and a brunch menu that wasn’t there the last time we visited, we had to take another trip down!

Bourbon 101: Distinguishing Authentic Bourbons

In line with International Bourbon Heritage Month, resident mixologist and brand educator of Beam Suntory, Jamey Merkel, shared several insights on exclusive Jim Beam bourbons. He talked about the rare Distiller Masterpiece, which boasts an unsurpassed and rare experience to luxury wine connoisseurs. There are rumoured to be only 10 bottles in Singapore – that’s some good Southern spirit to rave about! 

The first step to being a bourbon connoisseur, according to James Merkel, is knowing how to spot a fake. To keep things simple, here are the ABC(D)s of the American whiskey.

Genuine bourbons are:

1. Made in America;

2. Aged in brand new oak barrels which have been charred;

3. Made with more than 51% corn;

4. Distilled at less than 80% alcohol

Bourbon 102: Drinking Bourbon Right

Once you’ve nailed the basics, you’re ready for the next phase: tasting.

We sipped on Knob Creek^®, Basil Hayden’s^®, Baker’s^®, and Booker’s^®. The noteworthy ones were Basil Hayden and Knob Creek. Made with a higher percentage of barley and rye, the Basil Hayden spared my throat no mercy, finishing with a fiery burn even with the slightest sip. Knob’s Creek, on the other hand, was the smoothest of the lot.

The best way to drink whiskey neat is to mix it with just enough distilled water to reduce the stinging sensation from the whiskey due to the alcohol numbing the taste buds. An alternative is to have it on the rocks, though the whiskey might be too watered down when the ice cubes melt.

Food at The Beast

The Beast isn’t just famous for its bourbon though – the brunch menu, being new, was something we had to try. 

We started off with the Dutch Baby Pancake ($18), a flat sibling to the usual fluffy pancake. Unlike the common pancake, this oven-baked baby has a slightly crispy crust, a result from a longer baking time. The Dutch Baby Pancake also arrived with an entourage of Bourbon Caramelised syrup bananas, vanilla cream and maple syrup. Though the Bourbon Caramelised syrup bananas provided a contrasting texture, I thought the vanilla cream was the best complement to the pancakes as the other two were too sweet for my liking.

With two of my guilty pleasures featured in one dish, I had high hopes for Chicken & Waffles ($20). While the fried chicken was tasty with a crispy layer of skin and succulent, tender meat, the waffle was bland and couldn’t match up to the flavorful fried chicken. The Bourbon maple syrup, however, helped to lift the dish.

The Pulled Pork Hash ($18) was my favorite of the day. At The Beast, the pulled pork is painstakingly cooked for 10 hours and their efforts pays off. The pulled pork strips were tender and moist. Every mouthful was packed with the flavour of BBQ sauce. The poached egg was also a welcome novelty to the dish. Served with a side of home fries or simply diced potatoes, the dish is undeniably a heap of yum.

With lettuce, tomatoes, a chunky slab of beef patty, drizzled in BBQ sauce and bacon jam, all sandwiched between two sinful pieces of deep-fried mac and cheese “buns”, the Mac and Cheese Burger ($22) spells crime on all levels.

Served with sweet potato fries, this makes a humongous portion. It’s highly recommended that you share this, unless you’re feeling ravenous. The Mac and Cheese buns were breaded to a crisp, while the meat patty was luscious and juicy. While sinful, this is one dish I would gladly spend my calories on.

Verdict

If you’re looking to satisfy some cravings or trying out Southern classics for the first time, The Beast delivers genuine and hearty Southern fare. Complete with warm hospitality, The Beast is a good option for both food and bourbon aficionados alike.

If that’s not reason enough, for $20 an hour, you get free-flow mimosas and a DIY Bloody Mary counter to concoct your own cocktail.

Getting to The Beast

 

The Beast is a 10 minute walk from either Lavender and Bugis MRT stations.

Address: 17 Jalan Klapa, Singapore 199329
Opening Hours: Mon – Thurs: 5pm – Midnight | Fri – Sat: 5pm – 1am | Sun: 10am – 5pm
Telephone: 6295 0017

Brunch is available only on Sundays.

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This post was brought to you by The Beast.