Brass Lion's Guided Gin Tasting runs every Tuesday at 7pm at 40 Alexandra Terrace. Over about an hour, a knowledgeable host guides you through the full range, each gin tasted neat, then with tonic, then with its recommended garnish. The botanicals across the range span chrysanthemum, pomelo peel, torch ginger, galangal and butterfly pea flower. Ingredients that map Singapore's food culture in a way most itineraries don't quite reach.
How the Tasting Actually Works
You taste each gin neat first, which is the most honest introduction to a spirit, and lets you meet the botanicals without anything softening or redirecting them. Then comes tonic, where dilution shifts the picture, opening some flavours up and quietening others. The garnish comes last and it is rarely decorative. It is chosen to complete the serve, and by the time you reach it you have enough context to understand why.
The host explains what is happening at each stage. If you have ever wondered how gin is made or why Singapore's botanicals produce something so different from a European gin, this is the format where you truly see the difference.
What's in the Glass
The range you work through reflects how different Singapore's flavour influences are from each other. The Singapore Dry Gin carries 22 botanicals, among them pomelo peel, torch ginger flower and chrysanthemum, the kind of gin that rewards paying attention. Pearl Jasmine is built around Dragon Phoenix Pearl Jasmine Tea, fragrant and precise, with a floral clarity that is easy to underestimate neat and obvious by the time you add tonic.
The Hawthorn Gin is Brass Lion's take on a sloe gin, tart and rich, the sweetness from the hawthorn berries arriving slowly and staying. The Pahit Pink brings in red dates and dried mandarin peel alongside Brass Lion's house bitters. The Butterfly Pea Gin adds a colour shift to the experience: deep blue until citrus touches it, then violet, a detail that stops feeling like a trick the moment the host explains the chemistry behind it.
Each gin is a different answer to what Singapore tastes like. Tasting them in sequence, one after the other, is the clearest way to understand the question.
Before You Go
Tuesdays at 7pm. Approximately one hour. $70 per person. Book your spot here or email experiences@brassliondistillery.pro for group enquiries. Brass Lion is at 40 Alexandra Terrace. The bar is open after the tasting, so stay on for some food and more drinks.
FAQ
How do I book a gin tasting at Brass Lion?
Visit brassliondistillery.pro here to reserve a spot in the Tuesday evening session. For private group bookings, email experiences@brassliondistillery.pro.
Is the gin tasting suitable for people who don't usually drink gin?
It works particularly well for that. The structure — neat, then tonic, then garnish — shows you that gin is not one fixed thing, and the botanical context gives you a way in even if gin has felt too sharp or unfamiliar before.
How long does the gin tasting last?
Approximately one hour.
Can you buy gin at the distillery after the tasting?
Yes! The bar and retail area are open after sessions.
