KELLY D’ CRUZ ,26, THE SECRET MERMAID

GO FOR: AMERICAN SPIRITS

Bubbly bartender Kelly D’Cruz is smoking something good. And by that we mean her signature Negroni cocktail, called Balancing Act. It has Koval gin infused with chrysanthemum, Campari, Carpano Antica sweet vermouth, and it’s smoked with applewood and topped off with a bittersweet citrusy Campari foam. It certainly leaves an impression, as does Kelly with her dreadlocks, laidback attitude and intricate tattoos.

Guests may even have a chance to inspire her next drink. “One guest ordered one of the simpler drinks on the cocktail menu. A few months later, he said that the reason it was so special wasn’t just because he liked the taste, but that the flavour brought back a memory. That story really inspired me, so my next cocktail menu for one of our upcoming projects is developed around the idea of memories and taste,” says Kelly.

The Secret Mermaid is tucked away in the underground passage beneath the Ocean Financial Centre (and hidden behind a Japanese restaurant) – a cosy place for after-work drinks and bar food. If you can’t decide what to drink, the bar also functions as a sampling room, with tasting fl ights of gin, vodka, whisky, rum and agave. Another feature we like is the glorious American craft spirits selection, displayed next to the bar rather than behind it – and available for retail.

#B1-08, 10 Collyer Quay, Ocean Financial Centre