Kim Sisters' legacy lives on through Republic bar cocktail

Food & Travel

Published: 15 Sep. 2023, 06:00 Updated: 15 Sep. 2023, 11:33

Kim Sisters' legacy lives on through Republic bar cocktail

Olivia Lee, Korean bartender at Republic Bar inside The Ritz-Carlton, Millenia Singapore [THE RITZ-CARLTON MILLENIA SINGAPORE]

A bartender some 3,000 miles away from Seoul is keeping the legacy of a '60s Korean girl group alive through a stylish cocktail.

Republic at The Ritz-Carlton, Millenia Singapore is currently offering an eclectic cocktail menu that is dedicated to cultural giants of the 1960s, and among the cocktails inspired by the era’s icons, like Audrey Hepburn and Andy Warhol, is a classy coffee concoction called Kim Sisters, priced at $26.

Crafted by the bar’s 28-year-old Korean bartender Olivia Lee, the cocktail pays tribute to Kim Sisters, which is largely recognized as the first Korean girl group to have achieved success in the United States, far preceding the current global fame of female K-pop groups like Blackpink.

The group, comprised of members Kim Sook-ja, Kim Ai-ja and Kim Min-ja, began by performing in 1953 at U.S. military camps that were set up because of the 1950-53 Korean War. In 1959, they moved overseas to Las Vegas and won over the hearts of Americans by covering classics like “Danny Boy,” “Try to Remember” and “Charlie Brown” throughout the 1960s.

Kim Sisters cocktail at Republic Bar in The Ritz-Carlton, Millenia Singapore [THE RITZ-CARLTON MILLENIA SINGAPORE]

Lee has reimagined the legendary girl group’s spirit with hot coffee and whiskey infused with dark chocolate and hazelnut, overlaid with fresh, cold cream and finished off with a piece of crunchy dalgona, or Korean honeycomb toffee.

“I learned that Kim Sook-ja, a member of the Kim Sisters, used to perform for the U.S. military along with the trio, and the soldiers would offer her whiskey, coffee and chocolate as tokens of appreciation for her performance,” Olivia Lee told the Korea JoongAng Daily in a video interview in August. “Naturally, this story became the inspiration for the ingredients in the drink.”

1960s Korean girl group Kim Sisters [JOONGANG PHOTOS]

Lee said she watched many clips of the trio, including their television performances on the “Ed Sullivan Show,” in which the trio made over 20 appearances. In comparison, The Beatles only appeared on the show twice.

“I found that each [of the trio’s] interpretation [of the cover songs] is very different from the original, and the members’ ability to sing, play multiple musical instruments and their inclusion of theatrics intrigued me,” Lee said. “I particularly like how they added a fun twist to their interpretation of these songs with swing jazz.”

The end mixological product that encapsulates their energy is a “sweet, yet delicately balanced variation of Irish coffee,” according to Lee.

Interior of Republic Bar at The Ritz-Carlton, Millenia Singapore [THE RITZ-CARLTON MILLENIA SINGAPORE]

Lee bears some similarities to the Kim Sisters, as they are all young Korean women who found their footing in a foreign country.

Lee worked at The Ritz-Carlton Millenia Singapore’s all-day dining restaurant, Colony, for four years before bartending at Republic.

“I’ve always known that the bar scene in Singapore has a strong presence and felt that venturing into bartending was the right move for me,” she said. “Thankfully, an opportunity at Republic opened, and I took a leap of faith!”

Republic Bar opened in 2021 and currently ranks No. 16 on Asia’s 50 Best Bars list.

Lee is joined by a diverse team of bartenders at the Republic Bar, from places including Singapore, Malaysia, the Philippines, Vietnam, Nepal and mainland China.

Every drink by these bartenders has a unique story to tell, like the Smoking Suit cocktail ($26) that recreates Yves Saint Laurent’s defining geometric pattern on its surface, or the Velvet Underground cocktail ($26) that was inspired by Andy Warhol with a combination of whiskey, cherry, banana and bitters.

“One of the things I love most about bartending at the Republic Bar is being able to work with such a diverse team,” Lee said. “It is a wonderful way to learn about different languages, customs and traditions, which broadens my worldview.”

More new drinks by her team are in the works, according to Lee. The current cocktail menu is the bar’s second volume, which was released in November 2022.

“Hopefully I can introduce more cocktails that reflect my beautiful Korean culture to share with guests!” she said.

BY LEE JIAN [lee.jian@joongang.co.kr]