It should become pretty clear to one early into their visit at Sugarhall that while the cocktail pub's latest menu, titled "Cocktail Getaways", promises guests a chance at escapism, this experience is one you should very much stay present for.

The moment for me occurs as I'm settling in at the bar, watching the bartender carefully turn the blade on a vintage ice shaver machine. He's manually shaving frozen fresh sugarcane juice ice cubes into shaved sugarcane ice for a Mojito I ordered to kick off the night. None of that regular water ice here! An early sign that this wasn't going to be just your standard Iced Mojito. 

Moments later, my Iced Mojito arrives in a cup sporting an anthropomorphic mojito glass holding a sugarcane walking stick. An attempt to use cuteness to win guests over? Perhaps. Is it working? Heck yes.

This Iced Mojito is made from a combination of Diplomático Planas Rum, crème de menthe, lime and mint. There's a great zippy freshness and menthol coolness to this drink. Uniquely, Sugarhall's rendition of the Iced Mojito also carried added notes of orange blossom, brown sugar and sea coconut into the finish.

Using hand-shaved fresh sugarcane ice took this to another level, infusing the drink with a floral, mellow character and preventing it from tasting watery even as the ice slowly melted. Sipping on this, I'm at once transported to a tropical holiday villa, even as it brings to mine nostalgic memories of watching the hawker centre drinks stall uncle churn fresh sugarcane juice on sweltering hot Singapore afternoons.

Today's visit to Sugarhall coincides with the recent launch of the rum-focused cocktail pub's new menu, "Cocktail Getaway". "Cocktail Getaway" features 18 different cocktails, each inspired by a different holiday getaway. Want to play human tetris as you navigate Tokyo's famous Shibuya crossing? Traverse the African savannah? Take a ski down the alpine slopes? There's a cocktail on the menu for each such adventure. 

My next cocktail, the Makgeolli Mai Tai, is an intriguing combination of QuiQuiRiQui Espadín Mezcal and makgeolli, a type of milky-sweet Korean rice wine. A traditional Mai Tai is usually made from a mix of rum, lime, orange curaçao and orgeat syrup, but here at Sugarhall, it's done a little (or maybe, a lot) differently. There's some beetroot, pineapple, rice orgeat, lime and black walnut bitters in the Makgeolli Mai Tai, and it all melds together to create a unique Tiki-style drink with Asian flavour leanings. 

The Makgeolli Mai Tai hits the palate, at first with a yakult-like milkiness, some pineapple sweetness, and a subtle smokiness, before this evolves into herbal notes of sour plum powder, cooked longans and wolfberries. It's such an unexpected yet delightful flavour journey, cementing the Makgeolli Mai Tai as my favorite drink of the night. 

No visit to Sugarhall is complete without some grub, and their Indomie Mi Goreng dish has become a cult-favourite among regulars. Savoury and slightly sweet noodles are topped with crispy Ayam Penyat popcorn chicken and garnished with a sunny-side up and sambal matah (Indonesian chilli paste). I like to dip my noodles into the runny egg yolk, before coating it in some of the roasted shallots and sambal - all of which lends to the most satisfyingly textural and hearty bite. 

The Burrata Crostini is delicious as well, topped with momotaro tomato and black garlic chili oil. The black garlic chilli oil added a spicy kick that cut through the milky, creaminess of the burrata and complemented the tangy, sweetness of the tomatoes perfectly.

I end off my night with my third and final cocktail: a Souffle Espresso Martini that, according to the menu, is inspired by hot air balloon rides over breathtaking landscapes. This comes through via the addition of an airy, marshmallow-like dalgona foam atop a mix of Santa Teresa Rum, cold brew coffee, macadamia and Mr Black coffee liqueur.

The drink arrives with a generous heap of the dalgona foam, invitingly pillowy and threatening to overflow! There's a great balance and richness here - with the dalgona foam adding a delightful caramel sweetness and a creaminess that rounds out the acidity of the coffee. Almost like drinking a tiramisu, this cocktail feels like a warm hug in a cozy winter cabin, and was an apt dessert-like tipple to end off the night. 

To check out Cocktail Getaway and try the cocktails for yourself, visit Sugarhall at 19 Cecil St, Level 2, Singapore 049704. All cocktails are priced at SGD $26++, with non-alcoholic options available at SGD $18++. Happy hour runs from 5:30pm to 8pm daily with cocktails available at SGD $16++. 

@lotusroot518