Ah Sam Cold Drink Stall, Singapore, specializes in Asia-inspired signature cocktails and endearing hawker style dishes – right down our alley. (Image Source: Ah Sam Cold Drink Stall)

Haji Lane is eerily quiet. The usual rambunctious crowds with people spilled onto the narrow street, drink or even cigarette in hand is replaced with an empty space, with a smattering of people, takeaway bags in tow.

At the time of writing, Singapore is still in the midst of Phase 2: Heightened Alert. Dining-in at restaurants, bars, etc. is disallowed during this period. Takeaway and delivery remain as the only options for these food and beverage establishments.

Like most F&B purveyors, Ah Sam has had to find innovative ways to keep the music playing. They’ve curated a Best of Ah Sam set that allows cocktail fans to choose any 2 cocktails of 4 options. (Image Source: Ah Sam Cold Drink Stall)

It is encouraging to see that the restaurants and bars do have delivery riders and some walk-in patrons flitting in and out, with takeaway bags in hand, but sympathies are still with these dining establishments.

In need of a refreshing cocktail, one young twenty-something found herself at Ah Sam Cold Drink Stall on a humid Wednesday evening. The “Ju Hua Cha” (English translation: Chrysanthemum Tea) was ordered for takeaway. An herbal and floral, lightly sweet take on the classic G&T, this drink comes with fond memories - childhood memories of fragrant chrysanthemum wafting in the air on balmy afternoons at grandma’s place spring to mind.

Undeterred, one would brave the infamous Singaporean heat waves in search of a childhood memory. On the left we have our between lockdowns reprieve and on the right we have childhood memory on takeaway à la lockdown v2.

Obviously, there is some bias if this is her favorite G&T (it is). This reinvention of the classic G&T combines grandmother’s herbal potion brewed for her as a child (she still does till this day, though not as often as when they lived together) with dry gin.