Emilio Villarruel
Director of Marketing

Tipsy Travels: Taiwanese Dream

Posted at 
December 17, 2021

With travel restrictions persisting, and all of us missing the excitement of hopping on our next flight, we find ourselves thinking back on destinations past. This guide is our tipsy trip through time, revisiting boozy haunts and spirit-soaked hangouts that made up our travels.

As I thought to give voice to all the things I love about Taiwan, I thought to give pause for a bit of self-introduction. While the bulk of the OrderEZ team consists of Singaporean locals or long-term transplants, I’m the sole outlier, living and working remotely from abroad.

If you don’t know us very well, the OrderEZ team is a bunch of foodies. Seriously. Meetings often include mouth-watering recollections of creative dinners from the night before, or excited descriptions of recently secured restaurant reservations. I share this with you, because the opportunity to work in this space is a bit of a playground for me. When it comes time to talk food? These are my kinda people. 


From spending my teenage days growing up in America binge-watching episodes of Iron Chef to paying my way through college working as a line-cook, I’ve always held a healthy appreciation for the discipline, creativity, and passion that go into crafting culinary experiences. A long career doing marketing in tech and a penchant for travel took me all over the world; and while great for collecting unique culinary experiences, frankly, sometimes the road less traveled has led to unplanned detours along the way. 


My migration to Taiwan was as unceremonious as it was unconventional. At the time, I was residing in Beijing, visiting Taipei regularly to see friends and escape to a more welcoming climate. It was one such visit that led to my permanent, and completely unexpected relocation.

To spare a confusing (and lengthy) description of the events that followed that fateful plane ride to Taiwan, suffice to say my return from what I intended as a five-day trip was interrupted by the arrival of the ubiquitous bogey-man of the travel world — COVID 19. With the dangers of flying during a pandemic then unknown, I made the hasty decision not to board my return flight to Beijing. A seemingly meticulously planned vacation transformed in a haphazard and chaotic migration. While navigating visas, employment, and the uncertain arrival of my belongings from China, I hopped between hotels, Airbnbs, and friend’s sofas, hoping things would work themselves out. Effectively, I decided to settle in Taiwan on accident.

To my delight (and considerable surprise) I eventually did get settled, and Taiwan has been an incredibly welcoming place to call home. Like Singapore, for such a small island, Taiwan is packed full of creative fine dining breakthroughs and incredible bars. A short time living here has taught me one thing — there’s much more to offer here than just bubble tea.

It’s in the spirit of this refreshing change of pace, that I share a drink that encapsulates the spirit of Taiwan - a twist on the Pineapple Breeze, the Taiwanese Dream. Taiwan is famous for its pineapple, and so it just seems right that this locally grown delicacy finds its way into our shaker cups. Simple, tasty, and refreshing, we hope you’ll find this cocktail like I found my trip to Taiwan, well worth the shake-up.

Taiwanese Dream Cocktail with KAWS Statue


Ingredients:

  • Rum 2oz
  • Simple Syrup 1/2oz
  • Fresh Lime Juice 1/2oz
  • Pineapple Juice 2.5oz
  • Angosutra Bitters
  • Dried Pineapple Slice (Garnish)
  • Rosemary (Two Sprigs)
  • Mint (Handful)


Instructions:

  1. Clap handful of mint leaves to activate oils, place in shaker cup
  2. Muddle lime juice, mint, and one sprig of rosemary
  3. Add 2-3 drops of bitters
  4. Add simple syrup, pineapple juice, and ice. Shake well.
  5. Pour mix into highball glass, garnish with dried pineapple slice and remaining rosemary sprig
  6. Bonus: Soak pineapple slice in simple syrup then torch for caramelized flavor notes