From the quiet satisfaction of the Wasabi Highball to the technical challenge of the Strawberry Matcha Cloud, Bloom, Jigger & Pony’s new menu, rethinks the cocktail experience. Head bartender Saverio Casella reflects on the project’s most demanding creation, the recipe that never made the final cut, and the ingredient that gives one drink its defining edge precisely because something appears to be missing.
There is plenty happening here. One of Singapore’s leading bars — and one of the most respected globally — was never going to release an ordinary cocktail list. The result is a 68-page menuzine featuring 21 signature drinks and a clear ambition to push the conversation forward.
Bloom, Jigger & Pony’s New Drink List
First, the essentials. Bloom is the eighth edition of Jigger & Pony’s menuzine. The idea behind the menu is that the journey matters more than the destination, with all the evolution and transformation that implies. It is a mental journey rather than a geographical one. The pleasure lies in existing in the middle: distant from departure, far from arrival, fully immersed in becoming.
What It Means to Build a Menu Around Change
One obvious question emerges immediately: did placing change at the center of the concept alter the way ingredients and techniques were approached compared to previous menus? The answer is both yes and no.
What remained unchanged was the belief that a twist on a classic should feel both surprising and respectful.
“With Bloom, those foundations remain the same, but the perspective shifts. Instead of focusing only on the final expression, we became far more interested in the process: how a drink evolves, how an ingredient can reveal different sides of itself, how something familiar can feel entirely new,” says Saverio Casella.
“The choices we made were driven by what something might become. It’s a subtler kind of change, but it gives the menu a sense of movement, as though each drink is still unfolding while you’re drinking it, much like a flower in bloom.” That, naturally, explains the title.
A Drink That Is Imperfect in Exactly the Right Way
A cocktail is expected to be balanced, and balance often carries the idea of perfection. Yet perfection suggests completion, while a journey leaves room for imperfection. How do those opposing ideas coexist? Casella points to the Wasabi Highball.
“We started with the simple Whisky Highball and paired it with wasabi. The challenge — the search for imperfection — was to highlight the wasabi’s earthy, warm, vegetal aroma, something so specific and distinctive, while softening its pungency through cold infusion.”
“The drink is built with Japanese whisky and a house-made clarified apricot soda. The wasabi appears on the first sip, then gradually integrates into the drink in a way that encourages you to keep drinking. Yet by extracting the aroma of wasabi, we lost its spicy edge. The drink is beautifully balanced, but something is missing. Perhaps that’s the imperfection. That’s exactly the point.”
The Most Technically Demanding Drink: Strawberry Matcha Cloud
Casella admits the most difficult part of the process was creating cocktails while remaining faithful to such an elusive concept. One drink, in particular, tested the team relentlessly. “Strawberry Matcha Cloud was our most complex drink to execute, because it required extraordinary precision and nothing could be left to chance. The base is a strawberry and vanilla milk punch, clarified with ice cream for a crystal-clear finish that still preserves its intensity of flavor.”
“The turning point came when we cold-dissolved ceremonial matcha directly into the vodka, creating a vibrant, concentrated core that became the foundation for the matcha cream layer. Finding harmony between dairy, matcha, sugar, and acidity required countless attempts.” In this composition, the strawberry becomes the structural anchor.
“It’s the ingredient that holds everything together through its sweet and tart profile, making the whole drink feel completely natural. Preparing and serving it requires patience and precision, and during a busy shift it genuinely tests our capabilities. In the end, it delivers visual beauty and immediate pleasure, supported by rigorous technical craftsmanship.”
Knowing When to Let Go
Not every idea earns its place. “One cocktail that didn’t make the menu was the Stinger. During the research phase, we enjoyed working on that classic combination of cognac and mint. But eventually we moved on, because despite all the tests and experimentation, we never found the right solution.” Execution was only part of the issue.
“Mint and cognac is not a particularly familiar pairing in this part of the world. Because our convivial style of hospitality also means listening to our guests, leaving the Stinger behind became a matter of respecting our own philosophy. Every cocktail on the menu has to deserve its place, be understandable to the guest, and find its audience.”
The Drink Saverio Casella Feels Closest To
“For me, without question, it’s the Wasabi Highball.” “Growing up in Italy, the Highball was never the drink I felt closest to. Living here, where it’s practically a ritual, taught me to listen to it differently. I discovered the poetry behind perfect temperature and the way carbonation naturally releases aroma.” In this version, water becomes central.
“In the Wasabi Highball, water is the beating heart. I wanted one that preserved lightness while remaining vibrant and full of flavor. So we combined soft Hokkaido water with fresh apricot purée, allowing the water to extract the fruit’s essence before filtering it. The result is a vividly colored water with real roundness on the palate.” The wasabi undergoes cold infusion with vodka. “It’s a fascinating technique because low temperatures capture the purest, freshest, most herbaceous side of the root, transforming its aggressive intensity into something vegetal and elegant.”
Balance was the real challenge. “Finding harmony between the apricot’s delicacy, the whisky’s depth, and the wasabi took time. But there’s enormous satisfaction in serving this drink to someone who has been drinking Highballs for years, watching them smile at a small variation on something they already love, and realizing it can still surprise them.”
The Drink That Best Represents Jigger & Pony
“For Jigger & Pony, I think the Soursop Colada says a great deal about who we are. The Colada is familiar, comforting, almost nostalgic. But we reinterpret that idea through our own lens, using soursop and yogurt whey to bring a different kind of freshness and texture — something tropical, but slightly unexpected.” For Casella, it also reflects the way the bar approaches regional ingredients. “We like working with ingredients from this part of the world in a way that feels natural rather than forced or overly conceptual. It should feel generous and easy to enjoy.”
Then comes the emotional connection. “Most importantly, it’s a drink people connect with immediately. It’s accessible, full of flavor, and has an extra layer through our house-made coconut and soursop bonbons. That balance between care and simplicity is what really defines Jigger & Pony for me.”
Punch as a Jigger & Pony Signature
When discussing drinks that define the bar, the punch section deserves attention. “In a bar where everything else evolves season after season, punch has become a fixed point at Jigger & Pony — something guests return for and actively look forward to.” The selection has remained one of the venue’s constants over the years.
“There have been subtle shifts in base spirits and house-made ingredients, but fundamentally it remains something familiar guests can rely on. Punch has always represented sharing and celebration, and over time we’ve watched it evolve into a kind of ritual, a way for groups to mark a moment together. That communal spirit aligns perfectly with Bloom’s themes of connection and joy.”
Images courtesy of Jigger & Pony
