We’re not sure if we should thank people like Hervè This, Ferran Adrià or Heston Blumenthal for taking the way we eat and drink to another level, or to blame them for inspiring hundreds of chefs to tinker to no end with foams, gelees, air and nitrogen cooking. Recently serious tipplers are raising a glass to such molecular meddling and Australian barman Matthew Bax is applying these techniques to his repertoire. Tippling Club, the newest kid at the Dempsey block, is an eccentric marriage of flavors, cuisines and even dining styles. It’s hard to categorize the three-week old establishment. Is it a bar or is it a restaurant? Opened by the illustrious Cynthia Chua of the Spa Esprit Group in collaboration with Ryan Clift, the former head chef of the celebrated Vue de Monde restaurant, and Bax, owner of the much fêted Der Raum bar, The Tippling Club promises to rewrite the rulebook when it comes to fine dining and cocktail drinking. “What we’ve created is really fine dining without the snobbery,” says Clift. Gone are the starched tablecloths and fancy dress codes. The best place to sit is by the generous stainless bar that gives you an excellent view of the crew at work—measuring, mixing and shaking—like scientists in a lab. The most telling thing about this restaurant bar is that each dish and drink is meticulously created to complement each other and diners are encouraged not to mix and match. Tippling Club serves a five, 10-and 15-course degustation menu priced at $195, $310 and $420 respectively. You can opt for simply cocktails ($22) or snacks ($14), or choose a pairing ($36) to experience a sensational combination of taste and texture. We especially love the Negroni—a deconstructed version. Participation is part of Bax’s repertoire and here, the drink comes in three separate vials of Campari, vermouth and soda which the drinker then mixes in a glass with a ball of ice, stirring it with a thin sugar wafer to add sweetness. This is perfect aperitif, a drink to wake up your taste buds. It is served with a serving of pizza which reminds us of mini versions of roman calzone as each one is filled with five different fillings. Another interesting duo is the breakfast inspired 62o egg and Kopi-O, which consists of a softboiled egg topped with tasty bacon mayo, fried garlic bread cubes, parmesan and a sprinkling of dehydrated tomato powder. It is paired with a dark rum and tobacco infused maple syrup concoction. We were heads over heels with the cheekily named Smokey Old Bastard, Bax’s modern take on the classic Old Fashioned. Here, whisky is infused with tobacco, a dash of Peychaud’s Bitters is added and the drink is topped off with citrus smoke. The result is a complex blend of sophisticated flavors that is sure to impress even the most discerning drinker. It’s hard not to notice that most of the drinks smack of “molecular mixology”, but don’t mention those two words to Bax. He thinks that the term is rather overrated and he prefers to call it “progressive cooking.” But whatever he might want to call it, it is hard not be excited by Tippling Club.—Zaki Jufri