SINGAPORE, July 30 — It’s the soundtrack of summer: ice cubes clinking, effervescent bubbles fizzing and corks a-popping. To help jazz up your backyard barbecue, summer dinner party or Sunday brunch, award-winning mixologist Philip Bischoff of Manhattan bar in Singapore shares his version of the gin and tonic called Fighting 69th, named after the heroic 69th Infantry Regiment in New York. The Manhattan bar at The Regent Singapore Hotel was named best bar in Asia 2017, by the same organisers responsible for The World’s 50 Best Restaurants.

Inspired by the ‘Golden Age’ of cocktails, the Manhattan bar pays tribute to the Big Apple with a menu that travels all the way back to the 16th century, when the banks of the Hudson River were being settled by Europeans, to the late 19th century when the city began transforming with the arrival of Italian, Irish and Jewish immigrants. 

The final chapter in the menu, "Bright Lights, Big City,” revisits New York when yuppies, wave, punk and hip hop transformed pop culture in the 1980s and 1990s. 

Here’s Bischoff’s tribute to the valiant men and women of the Fighting 69th, an infantry regiment that has fought five wars.

Ingredients for "Fighting 69th” 

Sipsmith London Dry Gin             40ml   Chamomile-infused St. Germain   10ml   Basement Bitters                        2 dashes   East Imperial Burma Tonic           60ml    

Method   1. Pour first three ingredients in a glass.   2. Add big ice cube.   3. Pour tonic water on top and stir gently.   4. Add flower as garnish. — AFP-Relaxnews