Principal Bartender at Jigger &amp; Pony, Giovanni Graziadei, talks bartending, the rules of appreciating premium spirits, and how ROKU Gin stands out among the rest.&nbsp;

If you&rsquo;re one for appreciating fine spirits, you&rsquo;ll be well aware of Japan&rsquo;s prestigious reputation for premium ingredients, traditional distillery methods, and the precise balance of flavours in its alcohols. Premium Japanese craft gin, ROKU is no exception to this &mdash; crafted in 1936 by the House of Suntory in Osaka, Japan, honing a deep history of gin making over the years for the pleasure of aficionados&nbsp;everywhere.&nbsp;
This refined gin harvests and infuses six unique Japanese botanicals &mdash; representing seasons of the year &mdash; with eight traditional gin botanicals for a piquant and subtle sweetness that does not distract from the authentic taste of gin. In short, you can expect to taste sweet-citrusy notes with a slightly spicy finish. A perfect nightcap for long days, especially.
For a more professional opinion of the art of drinking and gin, in general, we talk to Principal Bartender Giovanni Graziadei of Jigger &amp; Pony &mdash; Asia&rsquo;s second-best bar about his career in bartending and how he personally feels ROKU has changed the game of mixology.

What motivated you to pursue a career in bartending in Singapore?&nbsp;
I was working in London when I first visited Singapore in 2017 during the Singapore Cocktail Festival. I immediately fell in love with the city and its vibrant bar scene. When I was offered a position by the Jigger &amp; Pony Group &mdash; one of the city&rsquo;s most dynamic cocktail-centric F&amp;B groups &mdash; of course, I said yes.&nbsp;
The cocktail bar community in Singapore is a very closely-knit one. Our bar scene here is constantly evolving and so is Jigger &amp; Pony, especially through these difficult times. Our mission &mdash; to be a place for people to find comfort, forge a friendship and share happiness &mdash; is our inspiration for doing what we do and informs how I approach my work.&nbsp;
Most recently, this resulted in A Decent Menu in late August, the fourth in our series of annual themed menuzines since 2018. The 62-page menuzine comes in both hardcopy and digital flipbook formats. We worked on over 20 cocktails ranging from redefined classics and signature tipples to punch bowls for sharing &mdash; all curated for the experience of reconnecting with others.

What is one thing you wish people wouldn&rsquo;t misunderstand about bartending?&nbsp;
It&rsquo;s much more about people and hospitality, rather than just making drinks. Ultimately, we want to provide a place where people find comfort, forge a friendship and share happiness &mdash; and a perfectly mixed drink is just one part of a great bar experience!&nbsp;

How do you ensure that you craft the perfect concoction?&nbsp;
As with many things, practice makes perfect! It&rsquo;s important to test recipes when developing new drinks, but equally important that the recipes are consistent. It&rsquo;s crucial to measure accurately. At the same time, just like in a kitchen environment, it is also important to taste &mdash; to check that the drink is up to standard before putting it on the pass, or serving it to our customers at the bar counter.&nbsp;

Do you have a speciality you&rsquo;re known for making?&nbsp;
The Tuxedo cocktail. There are a few different versions of this drink, which can be described as a riff on the martini. I love sherry, and my favourite version of a Tuxedo includes gin, Fino sherry (a bone dry style of sherry), dry vermouth, a drop of absinthe and a maraschino cherry garnish.&nbsp;This cocktail retains the dry character of a martini but with less punch.

What is the first rule of appreciating premium gin?&nbsp;
On its own, premium gin has a layered tasting note profile and accompanying complexity, so don't mix it with many ingredients. Use fewer ingredients in order to let the gin&rsquo;s flavours shine through and you can appreciate it better. Premium gin can be simply enjoyed on the rocks or with neutral mixers like soda and tonic.&nbsp;

What makes ROKU Gin stand out from other gins in the market?&nbsp;
ROKU is made in a unique way where a lot of thought and research was put into finding the perfect way to extract the flavours of each botanical. This leads to great balance and finesse.&nbsp;Sometimes craft premium gin favour to express unique botanicals compromising in overall balance, ROKU retains juniper character and elegance while showcasing subtle complex layers.&nbsp;

Can you describe the taste profile of Roku Gin? Does it have any unique notes that will elevate the traditional taste of a classic drink like Gin and Tonic?
What I love about ROKU Gin is its vegetal notes, like green tea and sakura leaf. It also showcases beautiful floral top notes of cherry blossom along with well-integrated citrus and juniper. I like the light tannic feel from the green tea which makes your gin and tonic feel drier on the palate and makes you crave your next sip!&nbsp;

How would you incorporate ROKU Gin into your signature?&nbsp;
One of the great things about ROKU Gin is its incredible versatility that allows it to work well in a wide variety of drinks. As I love martinis, I like to use ROKU Gin just stirred down in a dry martini garnished with a lemon twist. Simple, classic, and sometimes that&rsquo;s all you need.&nbsp;

What is the easiest and tastiest way for people to appreciate ROKU Gin at home?&nbsp;
To taste the full potential of ROKU Gin, you can try it in a classic Sling: Simply combine 45ml of ROKU Gin, 10ml of sugar syrup, and 100ml of mineral water, stir well to combine and serve garnished with a lemon peel. The dilution and slight sweetness will &ldquo;stretch&rdquo; ROKU&rsquo;s flavour and let you appreciate all the different layers of this amazing gin.&nbsp;
ROKU Gin is available for purchase online at <a href="https://www.winesnspirits.sg/suntory-roku-gin&amp;utm_source=BSIcontent&amp;utm_medium=advertorial&amp;utm_campaign=lofficiel">Wines N Spirits</a> and <a href="https://www.getit.changirecommends.com/gin?Collection=Suntory&amp;utm_source=lofficielsingapore&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=30092021_acq_beamsuntory_tactical_brand_roku_gin&amp;utm_content=lofficielsingapore_editorial">Changi Recommends</a>.

The Japanese Craft Gin that has Top Bartenders Swooning

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