Mr Jim Meehan, one of the most respected bartenders in the United States, says the future of cocktails is big – as in big rum punch bowls that can be shared, rather than esoteric and bespoke drinks tailored to the individual.

The 39-year-old, who founded the famed New York speakeasy PDT (Please Don’t Tell), says: “We’ve seen cocktails on tap, bottled cocktails and different styles of mass-quantity cocktails. But for me, they take the art out of it.”

Instead of sticking a spigot in a cask of pre-mixed cocktail that can be served en masse, he says rum punch bowls can still have a handcrafted element as they can be made table-side “in a way that’s quick and elegant”.

“You can assemble all the ingredients, grate the nutmeg over it, ladle out the first cups, put the bowl on the table and then the guests can serve themselves,” he says.

There are equally practical applications for the punch bowl. “Ten years ago, cocktail bars weren’t that busy and they weren’t as popular as they are now.”

With a punch bowl sitting at the bar, ready to be ladled out when guests come in, “it’s going to buy the bartender time to have that conversation with you to find out how you’d like your Old Pal made today.”

He believes that punch is an “innovative and timely solution, and has a good chance of catching on”.

Mr Meehan, who began his bartending career while in college in Wisconsin, is in town for Singapore Cocktail Week, which runs till Saturday.

He will be doing guest bartending shifts at The Cufflink Club (tomorrow) and Manhattan (Friday), and rum and food pairing sessions at Sugarhall (Wednesday) and Lime House (Saturday).

The last time he was here for a guest bartending shift at The Cuff- link Club in 2014 – he was blown away by some of the “world-class bars” including Manhattan at the Regent Singapore and whisky bar The Auld Alliance at Rendezvous Hotel, which he considers “the best whisky bar in the world”.

He was here for only five days but he was struck by how “amazing” the scene was here. “There’s a lot of money in Singapore. The economy here drives the cocktail world and the cocktail renaissance in a way that is vital.”

Based in Portland, Oregon, with his wife and daughter, he takes on a mentor and consultant role at his own bar, PDT, which is run by head bartender Jeff Bell.

PDT, which opened in 2007, is an exclusive spot that is accessed via an old-fashioned phone booth at the back of a hotdog restaurant in the East Village in New York City.

He says he did not realise how much he would miss running a bar, having stepped out of daily operations for a long time. “It makes me hungry to be involved in running a place again,” he says.

Though he has nothing on the cards in terms of bar spaces to run, the brand ambassador for Banks rum has other projects to keep him occupied, including an upcoming second book – called Meehan’s Manual – that he has spent the last four years working on.

His first book – The PDT Cocktail Book: The Complete Bartender’s Guide (2011) – contained more than 300 cocktail recipes, but his new book pays tribute to people who have influenced and mentored him.

He has interviewed 52 people all over the world, including chefs, bartenders, distillers and sommeliers. Japanese mixology guru Hidetsugu Ueno, ice sculptor Shintaro Okamoto and Audrey Saunders, one of the pioneers of New York’s craft cocktail explosion, are among those he is planning to feature.

He says he wanted his new book to be a moving picture instead of a snapshot of a time period like The PDT Cocktail Book was.

“I want it to be about the way I bartend, who I am, why I am and the way I am. It’s a book about life because bartending is my life.”

BOOK IT / SINGAPORE COCKTAIL WEEK

WHERE: Various bars and restaurants islandwide

WHEN: Till Saturday

ADMISSION: A set of passes at $38 for full access to all eight days of Singapore Cocktail Week parties and pop-up bars, discounts and signature cocktails at $14++ at participating bars

INFO: singaporecocktailweek.com.sg/a>

anjalir@sph.com.sg

This article was first published on March 14, 2016.
Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.

This pre-schooler is a tiny terror. And his antics have repeatedly shocked neighbours, with some wondering why no adult family member is supervising him.

One worried neighbour even went to the extent of filing a police report for the boy’s safety.

According to residents, the boy and his younger sister would hang precariously “halfway out” of their third-storey flat kitchen window and throw water on people and stray cats below.

On one occasion, neighbours from the opposite block were so concerned that they yelled at the children, which alerted an adult in the flat who then pulled them in, said one neighbour, Mrs Amy Lee, 75, a retiree.

On other occasions, the boy, sporting a crew cut and wearing the uniform of a childcare centre, was seen jumping up and down on the bonnets and tops of parked cars at the open-air housing estate carpark.

He even helped himself to some tools in the back of a parked lorry after climbing into it.

The neighbour who filed the police report, a 53-year-old housewife who declined to be named, said she tried to stop him.

“I saw the boy playing in the carpark a few times and every time, there was no adult was with him. I’m concerned because it is a carpark and drivers may not see him,” she told The New Paper.

But when her attempts to stop him from climbing onto cars and jumping on them fell on deaf ears, she took a video of his antics on March 3.

In the clip, the boy is seen climbing onto a black Volvo and jumping and stomping on the bonnet. He is also seen running towards and climbing into the back of a white pickup, where he helps himself to some tools.

POLICE REPORT

Armed with the video, the neighbour made the police report.

She said: “This is not a place for a kid his age to run around. He might get knocked down or worse – get driven off by a stranger. It’s so dangerous.”

Police confirmed that a report had been lodged and that the matter had been referred to the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF).

A check with the boy’s childcare centre revealed that children under its care are not released without a parent or caregiver present.

A spokesman for the centre said: “Only nominated adults registered with the centre are permitted to pick up the children. They are also required to sign on the centre’s attendance register when they do so.”

Boy treats carpark like his playground

Click on thumbnail to view photos. Source: 

The New Paper

When TNP visited the boy’s home on March 4 and informed his father about the neighbours’ concerns, he denied there was no adult supervision when his son was playing in the carpark.

“I was there. I had just picked him up from childcare and I was walking him home,” he said.

But when asked why he did not stop his son’s carpark antics, the man only said “he was punished”, before shutting the door.

TNP understands that the boy’s father recently suffered a stroke and the mother is now the sole breadwinner, leaving her three children in the care of her mother.

Last Wednesday, TNP approached the boy’s grandmother after she had picked him and his sister up from the childcare centre.

She said the boy “is very playful and extremely active”.

“There are times he wouldn’t even listen to his father,” she said, adding that the police and social workers had come to the house to speak to them. “We are now keeping a closer eye on the children.”

TNP is not naming anyone in the family to protect the boy’s identity.

This is not a place for a kid his age to run around. He might get knocked down or worse – get driven off by a stranger. It’s so dangerous.

– The 53-year-old housewife who made the police report

BOY’S CASE REFERRED TO CHILD PROTECTION CENTRE

After receiving the report on the boy playing in an open-air carpark, the police referred the matter to the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF).

In an e-mail reply, the ministry’s spokesman told The New Paper that both MSF and Heart@Fei Yue, a child protection specialist centre, are reaching out to the family “to support them and their care of the child”.

When contacted, Heart@Fei Yue said the case had just been referred to them and that it would take eight weeks to make a thorough assessment.

“The results will be presented to a multidisciplinary team, then we would decide what sort of intervention to take,” the centre’s spokesman said.

Ms Koh Wah Khoon, senior director of the Singapore Children’s Society Family Service Centre in Yishun, said: “Sometimes people who need help do not know where to seek help or they do not know how to ask it. They may even feel ashamed to seek help outside of their family circle.

“The larger community, whether it is a neighbour or a passer-by, can be the bridge or catalyst to link those who need help to agencies that are best positioned to give them the needed assistance.”

She added: “I am heartened and encouraged that a member of the public takes an interest in what is happening in the community; shows care and concern for fellow citizens, especially very young children who are more vulnerable and need the protection and supervision of adults.”

Families who are experiencing difficulties are advised to seek assistance early by approaching a family service centre or a social service office.

juditht@sph.com.sg

This article was first published on March 14, 2016.
Get The New Paper for more stories.

It was seen being beaten on the head, lifted off the ground by its collar and swung around in mid-air.

In October last year, the alleged abuse of a six-month-old puppy that was caught on video sparked a furore here.

After the video went viral, the dog, named Pumpkin, was rescued by the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) and put up for adoption.

At least 20 people applied to adopt the puppy, said the SPCA. (See report on far right.)

Today, the 10-month-old dog has a new home, a new life and a new name.

Its new owner, Ms Gourie Pandey, 26, a part-time cycling instructor, told The New Paper that she renamed the dog Liska, which means fox in Czech.

“I don’t understand how anyone could treat a dog like that, especially a puppy,” she said.

Related story: Shocking video shows guy dangling dog by its neck on leash

“I didn’t want her to be associated with her old name and her horrible past. So I gave her a new name for her to start a new life – one that’s happier.”

The New Paper visited Ms Pandey’s semi-detached home in Kovan last Thursday and an excited Liska was at the gate to greet us.

As soon as we were inside, it jumped on us, nuzzled against us and followed us everywhere during the hour-long interview.

But Liska, a cross-breed between a Japanese spitz and a samoyed, was not as friendly when she was first adopted, said Ms Pandey.

In the first two weeks, it was sullen and quiet, and displayed an adverse reaction to loud, metallic noises.

“Maybe it was also that she was in a new environment,” said Ms Pandey.

But perhaps the most telling was how Liska hated wearing a collar around her neck, she added.

In the video, Liska’s former owner was seen yanking its leash, which was attached to a collar around its neck, and lifting the dog off the ground.

Ms Pandey said: “Initially, Liska really hated wearing a collar. She would try to bite it off. It took a month for us to get her used to it.”

PSYCHOLOGICAL DAMAGE

Animals, like humans, suffer psychological damage and take time to recover, veterinarians told TNP. (See report on right.)

Ms Pandey said she first watched the video sometime in November last year, just as she was looking to adopt a dog.

She jumped at the chance when she found out that the SPCA, through its Facebook page, had put Liska – or Pumpkin, as it was known then – up for adoption.

“I was always looking to adopt a dog from a shelter because there are so many of them who need to be cared for,” she said.

“I knew there would be many people interested to adopt Liska, but I didn’t rush down or anything.”

Click on thumbnail to view photos. Source: 

Video screengrabs

Ms Pandey said she visited SPCA, which was then at its old premises in Mount Vernon, on Nov 23 to do the adoption paperwork.

“Perhaps it’s fate because they called me the very next day and said I got her. I was overjoyed,” she said.

Today, Liska is toilet trained and understands basic instructions such as to sit and follow its owner.

Ms Pandey, who is its main caretaker, feeds, bathes and grooms the dog. She also takes it for hour-long walks at East Coast Park or Punggol Park almost every day.

“As an owner, you have the responsibility to care for and love your pet,” she said.

“Liska has also brought my family closer because everyone loves her to bits and chips in every now and then to care for her. She’s our bundle of joy.”

Lasting effects of abuse

Dogs, like humans, do suffer some form of post-traumatic stress disorder after they are abused, veterinarians told The New Paper.

Dr Jason Teo, a vet and owner of Point Veterinary Surgery who has over 14 years of experience, said he has seen many cases of dogs becoming withdrawn and different after they are abused.

He also took in a shiba inu (a spitz-style dog) that had been locked in a small toilet for many years by its former owner.

“Today, it still gets aggressive easily, is very hesitant towards humans and has a deranged look in its eyes. There’s a chance it will never be the same again,” Dr Teo said.

The rate and length of recovery depend on each dog’s personality and character, he added.

Related story: SPCA removes dog from home of man after Stomp report on him pulling leash to lift it by its neck

“Some dogs will remember and take the abuse to heart forever. Some are more happy-go-lucky and tend to forget after a while.”

Dr Rachel Tong of Spring Veterinary Care said owners can help their pets get over their unhappy pasts through actions of positive reinforcement.

“For example, if your dog hates wearing a leash, make it wear one while giving it a treat,” she said.

“That way, it will come to change the association to something that makes it happy.”

Dr Tong said there is no definite period of post-trauma recovery, which could take as long as a year.

“Be patient and dedicated. Once you gain your pet’s confidence and trust, then you can slowly modify its behaviour and help it,” she said.

Dr Teo agreed, saying: “The way to recovery is very simple: Just love your dog, properly care for it and make it feel comfortable in your home.”

rloh@sph.com.sg

This article was first published on March 14, 2016.
Get The New Paper for more stories.

As the lift door opened, her father, looking tired and lost, emerged.

The sight of her dad shackled with handcuffs and being taken to the waiting police car was too much for the daughter.

Surrounded by relatives, the slim woman in a T-shirt and pants cried out: “Pa! Pa!”

Two words that carried a volume of pain.

Pain that came from the shattering knowledge that her 68-year-old father had been arrested for allegedly killing her mother.

The man kept his head down and did not say a word as he was led to the car at about 7.30pm yesterday.

His family had been at the void deck for more than an hour, waiting for him to appear. He was being questioned by police in the flat.

The police said they received a call for assistance at 4.35pm.

The 63-year-old woman was found motionless in a pool of blood in the living room of their five-room flat in Compassvale Crescent.

Related story: Woman allegedly murdered in Compassvale flat

She was pronounced dead at 5pm.

The couple have two daughters in their 20s, according to neighbours.

As the husband was retired and the wife was a housewife, neighbours often spotted them together in the neighbourhood.

The New Paper understands that one of their daughters alerted the police after receiving a call from her father.

The two daughters, who were visibly distraught, as well as their relatives and friends who had gathered at the void deck, declined comment.

They were questioned by the police and left the block at about 8pm.

Click on thumbnail to view photos. Source: 

Lianhe Zaobao

The couple’s immediate neighbour, who wanted to be known only as Mr Lin, 50, was shocked to hear about the tragedy.

He was not allowed to enter his flat for nearly an hour while the police cordoned off one section of the corridor.

His wife and daughter were not allowed to leave their flat as well.

He said in Mandarin: “My wife looked out of (our) flat and told me that the husband was being kept in the flat by the police.

“She told me that there were many police officers outside our neighbour’s flat.”

Other neighbours learnt of the grisly incident when they were asked by the police if they had heard anything.

They said they did not hear any commotion before the woman was allegedly killed.

Mr Lin said the couple’s elder daughter got married a few years ago and the couple were living with their younger daughter, who is a teacher.

He added that the husband and wife were very loving and he had never heard any quarrels from the flat.

“The couple would leave the house together in the morning for breakfast and come home together.

“They were very kind. I remember my daughter forgot her keys once when we first moved in and the wife invited my daughter into her flat to rest.”

The police were in the flat till late, collecting bags of evidence.

They have classified the case as murder and are investigating.

linheng@sph.com

This article was first published on March 14, 2016.
Get The New Paper for more stories.