The Hunt is the third in our series of Sunday Punch cocktail collaborations. For this edition, we wanted to come up with a mix that would be a nice contrast to the Monkey Suit and Stormy Weather, so the Sunday Punch squad dug deep into their archives (read: tried hard to remember all the cocktails they imbibed at bars around town) to create a mix that was simple in its components, but packed one helluva punch in its flavour.

One cocktail stood out from the rest – the Hunter prepared by bartending legend Hidetsugo Ueno of Bar High Five in Tokyo, Japan. Though it was only made with two ingredients, whisky and cherry liqueur, it was one of the most mesmerizing cocktails they had the chance to drink, sending lashings of deep whisky notes with overtones of cherry sweetness that danced around the palate from the first sip to the last drop. Perhaps it was Ueno-san’s own pursuit of precision and perfection that led to the possibility for such a simple cocktail to showcase such a wide range of flavours.

So with that thought in mind (and that taste still lingering on their lips), The Hunt was created with only three ingredients (they don’t claim to be bartending legends we’ll cut them some slack with the additional ingredient) – The Naked Grouse Whisky, cherry liqueur and chocolate bitters.

Whisky

Recently launched in Singapore, The Naked Grouse is a beautiful blend of whiskies aged in sun-dried sherry oak casks. If you know a little about scotch, hearing “sherry casks” should get your attention. Definitely a dram worth checking out with its dried fruit and cinnamon spice notes that finish with a good touch of dark chocolate. More importantly, it makes for an exceptionally smooth, yet robust foundation to The Hunt.

Cherry Liqueur

Then, we (literally) add a cherry on top of the deep rich flavours of The Naked Grouse with a good pour of Cherry Heering Liqueur. Crafted with a recipe that dates back to 1818, this Danish liqueur (made with lightly-crushed Danish cherries and aged for up to five years) is a recognisable bottle on any respectable backbar in establishments that serves up classic cocktails like Blood and Sand and the Singapore Sling.

Chocolate Bitters

Finally, The Hunt is finished off with a touch of Mozart Chocolate Bitters which adds a raw dark chocolate lift to the cocktail’s aroma and taste, rounding off this extremely beautiful tipple. 

The Hunt is one of those cocktails that you won’t soon forget once you’ve had a taste- Each sip is as deep and intense, as complex and lingering as that personal passion you just can’t help but pursue.

The first 100 bottles of The Hunt come with a sleek AUGUSTMAN hip flask for moments when you want to enjoy the journey. Also, part proceeds from the sale of this combo go towards The Food Bank Singapore, so you’ll be doing your bit for charity while savouring each pour.

Click here to get your orders in soon before they are all gone.