Celia Schoonraad of Barbary Coast agreed: “Tomato has a lot of different elements at play ̶ there is sweetness, acidity, a strong nose and an easily identifiable flavour profile.”
Mixologists from Singapore have unleashed several flavour pairings worthy of a tomato pub crawl. At the upmarket Burnt Ends, Louis Tan deep-dived into scientific papers to find that strawberries and lychees share common flavonoids with tomatoes. Vida used the culinary science technique of ‘flavour bouncing’ (you start with your star ingredient in the centre, in this case, tomato, and then pick ingredients that pair well with the central ingredient and also any other ingredient on the list) to develop his refreshing tomato and grapefruit tipple, which has since become one of Cat Bite Club’s top sellers. Elsewhere, you will find miso, mushrooms, and even kimchi jiving with the tomato.
Besides, the quintessential Bloody Mary has undergone a renaissance as well. It’s lighter and infinitely more refined with diverse spirit bases ranging from the classic vodka to juniper-rich gin, tequila, soju, and everyone’s current favourite: Smoky mezcal.