Daniel Goh

From learning about new releases and catching up with industry folk to, yes, even asking for favours from the German Wine Queen like some tournament knight, I had plenty of fun at the recent @prowinesingapore that took place alongside @fha_sg last week. Because life is only boring if you let it. 📷: @crzyjoel #prowinesingapore #tradeshow #winelover #spiritslover #whatdiddanieldrink

Part 2 of my trip to Taichung earlier in March. The main character energy of @taiwancocktailcamp . I loved how community-driven Taiwan Cocktail Camp - held in the middle of Taichung Park where people were pushing strollers, walking their dogs, and seniors doing taichi - reminded me of the early days of @sgcocktailfest . I loved how it wasn’t just about the visiting guest bartenders doing their thing at the Star Booth, and where Taiwanese talent shared equal billing. But most of all I loved how truly hospitable and open the Taiwanese were… and how much they loved to drink and party. It’s like I found a long-lost branch of my tribe. #taiwancocktailcamp #taichung #cocktailculture #Drinkstagram

Dropped into Taichung for @taiwancocktail camp last month, and the city’s cocktail bar scene blew me away. Taiwan’s second-largest city barely registers on the regional cocktail pulse, but scratch beneath the surface and what you’ll find is gold. From speakeasies and gastrobars to hotel lounges and neighbourhood watering holes, there is an energy here that is totally vibing. And the welcome that the visiting regional bartenders got for their guest shifts speaks of a warmth that’s Taiwanese hospitality to the core. Big shoutout to the following Taichung bars: @ailise_taichung @nk.restaurant @wanderinlinger @lacuna.tw @old_tailor @musou_tc @petitpetit_bar @jamjamtdc @forma_by_dimension @torday_w @venderbar And so many industry friends! As always, great hanging with regional media drinking buddies @tipsyturvy @katfewd @praponc @oatkomkrich @wariya.drinkordie and more. Tainan next? =) #taiwancocktailcamp #taichung #cocktailculture #cocktailbars

If you’ve not caught my previous reel on @ambarubudbar , you may want to check that out first. Some weeks back Ambar hosted ‘Spirits of the Ubud Jungle’, an initiative by @mandapareserve that welcomed some of the best bartenders from across Asia for a creative exchange over two days that included immersion into Balinese culture and provenance, an industry panel on the regional bar scene attended by some of Bali’s best bar talent, and yes, a series of guest shifts. Those who know me well are aware I’m generally averse to guest shifts (for reasons too numerous to list here), but I’m relieved to say this was one of the most enjoyable I’ve experienced for a while. A black box challenge using ingredients foraged from Ubud’s jungles? What a fun way to drive home the message. Glad to have caught up with many industry friends and made some new ones to boot. #AmbarUbudBar #MandapaReserve #UbudBali #SpiritsoftheUbudJungle #CocktailCulture

Bali last month was wild. Literally. When @mandapareserve extended an invite to check out its cocktail bar @ambarubudbar , I wasn’t exactly expecting a full deep-dive into Bali’s traditional ‘Taru Pramana’ herbal philosophy including being led on a full-on foraging expedition in the jungles of Ubud. From identifying and tasting edible herbs and fruits that would later appear in our cocktails while traversing through the landscape, to drinking tuak (fermented palm wine) freshly harvested from the tree, it’s a very different experience when you behold the ingredient in nature. Back at Ambar, it all started to make sense. What we were drinking weren’t just assembled; it’s considered. Ingredients have purpose. Flavour has context. When ‘indigenous’ stops being a buzzword and truly sheds light the philosophy behind a bar’s cocktail programme. Set above the Ayung River deep in Ubud’s valleys, the whole place could easily lean on the view. It doesn’t. Instead, it pulls you into the details — the ingredients, the process, the thinking behind each drink. I’ve been to many bars that proclaim a ‘sense of place’ as inspiration. I’m glad I’ve now been to one that truly does. #AmbarUbudBar #MandapaReserve #UbudBali #BaliBars #CocktailCulture

Our first staycation of 2026 with Juju! Big thanks to @amarasanctuary for upgrading us to a One Bedroom Villa which is essentially two rooms separated by a large 1.4m deep plunge pool with jacuzzi jets. I was a bit worried Juju might accidentally slip and fall in while exploring but she's a smart girl who hates and avoids water at all cost so she navigated just fine 🤣 The two rooms have their individual TV, shower and toilet, and the living room also has a sofa bed so the villa can comfortably accommodate two couples with enough privacy for each. Since it's just Juju and us, we spent the day lounging in the living room (which has mini bar fridge and tea and coffee making facilities), and the night in the bedroom, in between taking cold dips in the pool and hot soaks in the outdoor tub. I can honestly say we hardly left the villa because why did we need to? 🤣 Maybe only for food. Speaking of food, the Pampered Paws package not only comes with pet amenities (@kohepets ) like treats, wipes and a dog bed, but also breakfast by @wholesomepaws which smelled as good as it looked! You can opt to have the dog breakfast sent to the room or eat at Amara Sanctuary Tearoom if you want to breakfast together with your dog in the outdoor area (no room service for human breakfast though!) Obviously we also left the villa to walk Juju. There are lots of grass patches on the property itself so we could just pop out for a few minutes for quick pees when Juju didn't want to walk. And when she did want to walk, there's a downhill slope that leads directly to Palawan Beach. Not steps so great if you are pushing a stroller. Coming back is uphill but that's unavoidable. All in, a really nice start to our 2026 staycations. Yes. Plural. We will definitely be bringing Juju on more!

About that whirlwind weekend getaway to Bangkok last month. Was invited by @wbangkok to check out the refreshed cocktail menu at @barsathorn since my visit two years ago, and was pleasantly surprised that not too much has changed — because why fix what ain’t broke? Bar manager @marcodongi continues to weave Thai culture and the rich legacy of The House of Sathorn into a programme with innovative twists on timeless cocktails that is, dare we say it, same same but different. But the real story worth telling isn’t about the drinks — good as they may be — but what goes into them. I got a backstage look from ingredient sourcing, including their ongoing urban farm partnership with @wastegetable and collaborations with local producers such as artisanal mushroom growers @earthling.bkk , to recycling efforts that include turning that frozen tomato in their signature clarified twist on a Bloody Mary, the Bangkok Brunch, into compost for the hotel’s own rooftop farm. Then there were the guest shifts by @lechamber_jj and @soko_son , which felt like a K-celebrity fan meet… but with cocktails. Along the way I made side quests to @bkksocialclub to say hi to @philipschoff_ , as well as to @stellabar.bangkok because I’ve never been. One weekend to Bangkok is always way too short, but that’s just another excuse to fly back here again. #bangkok #cocktaillovers #havecocktailswilltravel

Finally have time to do a longer post on Juju and how she's doing! Summary - Juju had a septic mass in her liver removed a week before Christmas, traumatised the vet team while hospitalised, got labelled "aggressive", then sent home earlier than expected because they didn't want to keep her on strong sedatives just to keep her calm. First week was tough - lots of incontinence and no appetite. But Juju bounced back super quick. Now it's exactly 9 weeks after surgery, no more meds, and she's clinically well. Bloodwork at 7 weeks was perfect. The mass was malignant and we unfortunately didn't get clean margins - although the neoplasticity of the cells at the edges was very low. This type is also known to be extremely slow growing or non growing (it took 2.5 years since we discovered it to become a problem) so we are praying it will never recur and will monitor with ultrasounds every 3 months. It's literally nothing short of a miracle (thank you Jesus!) that Juju is still here. She definitely wants to stay earthside with Mama - the dependency is real. Unless knocked out she's completely uncooperative. But if I'm sitting with her, she'll let the vet team do anything 🙄 It's fine. My life already revolves around her anyway. It's also divine intervention that we ended up at Landon who delivered a stellar hospital experience. Would definitely recommend them over 2 others we used previously (not going to criticise any vet publicly - it's a tough field as it is). Now we're just appreciating every extra day we have with Juju, and will be planning for our next staycation!

Judging cocktail competitions is one of those jobs that sounds far more glamorous than it actually is — long afternoons or evenings, a lot of sugar, and the quiet realisation that you’ve agreed to taste far more drinks than any sensible adult should in one sitting. Still, the 2025 Singapore Finals of Woodford Reserve’s The Wonderful Race a couple of months back reminded me why I keep saying yes. The brief was deceptively simple: reinterpret the Old Fashioned. Which also happens to be my favourite cocktail, and one I use to judge any bar I visit. In reality, that’s like asking a tailor to redesign a classic suit without ruining the cut. There’s nowhere to hide. Get the balance wrong and it sulks. Overdo the storytelling and the drink collapses under its own cleverness. What impressed me this year was how many bartenders understood that the Old Fashioned isn’t about invention for its own sake — it’s about judgement. The eventual winner, I’m glad to report, was @chavezmeljophn of @barsomma , whose cocktail landed squarely in that sweet spot. His creation, King’s Melon, sounded on paper like it might be an act of quiet rebellion — hojicha-infused bourbon, melon, elderflower — but in the glass it was disciplined, controlled, and still very much an Old Fashioned at heart. Sweetness reined in, structure intact, bourbon still doing the talking. Which, frankly, is harder than it looks. Competitions like this are a useful reminder — especially for those of us who write about drinks for a living — that restraint is a skill, not a compromise. For me, the Old Fashioned remains the ultimate stress test because it doesn’t care for trends, theatrics, or Instagram garnish. It only demands that you understand proportion. Also, for the record, judging alongside industry friends while trying to stay sharp after multiple rounds of tasting is a humbling exercise in self-awareness. I went home smelling strongly of alcohol, questioning my palate, and exceedingly grateful that I wasn’t the one behind the bar. Which is as it should be. Let’s have more of this in 2026. #cocktails #cocktaillover

I know it's late, but it's been that kind of 2025. Last year was a useful year. A clarifying one. Certain incidents near the end of the year made me realise I've not been prioritising me. Not every invite deserves a yes. Not every conversation needs continuing. Not every relationship, however long it’s been around, still earns a seat at the table. And I've realised not everyone has my interests at heart. Somewhere between deadlines, dinners, delayed replies and the exhaustion of always being “available” to some people, my time, attention, emotional bandwidth: all finite. Being selective is going to be key to my sanity in 2026. So yes I'm going to turn on the spotlight and set a critical eye on everything. Yes, that includes friendships. 2026 begins with fewer distractions, fewer explanations, and far fewer apologies. More space for work that still excites me. More room for people who show up without friction. More energy spent on things that spark joy. If that makes me harder to access, so be it. Peace, it turns out, is an excellent editor. PS: It's a glass of Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc 2025, if you need to know. #noteverythingmatters 📸: @happyfan10

Blessed adoption day to Juju! Officially adopted 5 years today because I insisted on signing the adoption papers on Jan 1st so that I wouldn't forget. And I almost forgot it this year no thanks to all the worry over Juju's health 😬 5 years is still not enough OK girl? I always say that you need to stay with us on this earth longer than you have lived without us. Since you came to us at 7.5 years old, that means you need to be here until at least 15 years or more! So glad to be entering 2026 with you given we could have lost you just 2 weeks ago. We still have some challenges ahead but we know the battle is the Lord's! In the meantime, we will soak in every minute of this life with you. Love you so much little girl. Probably more than you will ever know.

Juju, you are Mama's heart. Will detail the whole medical drama when we are in the clear but for now if you can, please keep Juju in your prayers. She still has a fever that's been going up and down, and we are at the vet getting supportive care until our specialist appointment tomorrow in exactly 21 hours' time - they don't work on weekends. Little girl, please stay stable. We know the plans He has for you and us are good and believe this battle is His! For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rules of the darkness of this age. Christ's work is done!