Singapore may be small, but it is enormous in flavours.
Street food, hawker culture, whatever you want to call it, tourists flock from all over the world to eat here, and for a good reason.
The food is ridiculously delicious and diverse. Eating good food in Singapore is pretty much a national sport. And there are so many heritage flavours to try.
But everyone forgets one thing. Singapore is a true cocktail paradise too.
It may not be one of the first things on a traveller’s bucket list, like your MBSs or Gardens by the Bays. But drinking and drinking well should be at the forefront of your itinerary.
Venturing into a home bar
Nakul Pathak, the owner of Café Tailor Made, sips on a rojak gin in a home bar in Sengkang, a neighbourhood that most locals hardly venture to without good reason.
View this post on Instagram
The gin, flavoured by rojak (a sliced fruit and vegetable salad), is poured into a glass rimmed with powdered sour plum. It is Singapore in a mirror.
And that flavour representation doesn’t stop there. The global bar community has helped to elevate Singapore as a world-class bar destination, too, according to Nakul, making it a unique travel destination for travellers who love their cocktails.
“I think travellers who come to Singapore can get a whole spectrum of everything worldwide. If you like bars in Barcelona, if you like bars in Paris, if you like bars in New York, if you like bars in Sydney. Right. Well, we have all those bartenders here.”
“All those bartenders have gathered in Singapore, creating this industry by themselves, from the ground up. So instead of travelling to all these different countries, come to Singapore, the one unique country with bartenders from every walk of life.”
“And they’re not doing things half-assed. They’re doing it just as authentic as you would find it anywhere else in the world. That’s the best thing Singapore has, its cocktail bars.”
As Nakul tries what is probably Singapore’s first home omakase bar experience, he reflects on the local bar industry in Singapore as a whole and the changes he hopes to see, including the changes he is trying to drive forward also.
“I think people are not given the value that they deserve. They’re not given the inspiration they deserve too. And that is the biggest thing. Our locals are using the F&B industry as a means to an end.”
“Their thinking may be: I don’t have formal education. Let me just join a bar. I need urgent money. Let me do a part-time job.”
“I think inspiring people to join this industry, I think is the biggest thing I want to bring into this place. Because typically within Singapore, a country that is so corporate-focused, to bring an F&B culture in here, had to require people from overseas to come over here and set up the groundwork for us.”
“These guys came over and set up the groundwork and said, yes, let’s run with it. And a lot of foreigners know what they’re doing. But we, as Singaporeans, have to innovate. And now, for me, the most significant change I ever want to bring in this industry is to remove hierarchy from this industry.”
“I think hierarchy is something that should never exist. Bartending is not a corporate job. It’s not anything we’re human beings dealing with other human beings. That is all we do on a day-to-day basis.”
“And for that, everyone should have their specific roles and tasks, and that’s where they should find pride. If you’re a barista, make the best coffees you ever make. If you’re a mixologist, make sure you make the best cocktails you can ever do.”
“Make sure you do your job properly and go home and have enough work-life balance. Nobody today in F&B can stand by me and say they have a work-life balance in Singapore. And that bothers me.”
Private dining is massive in Singapore. But home bars are more or less non-existent. Probably the first of its kind, Section D is a hyperlocal bar in Sengkang. Here, sip on creative cocktails whipped up with household ingredients. Think buttered rums, barrel-aged spirits, and cold brew liqueurs.
The best bars in Singapore, according to a bartender
When it comes to hanging out, there is no shortage of options in Singapore.
But if you’ve always wondered where bartenders like to hang out, here are some of Nakul’s favourite places to visit in his free time:
“I like Lime House a lot. Lime House has the largest rum collection in Singapore. And I mean, the bartender, the team, the concept I’ve grown there is also outstanding.”
View this post on Instagram
“I also have a thing for Barbary Coast. I think that’s a concept that is a bit beyond the times right now. They try to create a new age, western, San Francisco-style old theme bar. Barbara coast is another big one as well.”
View this post on Instagram
“Employees Only is another incredible spot. Employees Only for me is very impressive because Employees Only is the only bar in Singapore where you can walk in on a Monday night and see everyone clubbing like it’s Saturday evening.”
View this post on Instagram
“And these guys have found the perfect formula of bringing your cocktails out in less than 10 seconds, making sure your drinks come out consistent, and everything comes out great.”
Great experiences for a boozy night out
Channelling some legit Sahara desert vibes is The Nomad’s Tent, a desert-themed bar in Siglap, one of the more unique bars in Singapore. Join one of their cocktail-mixing sessions to pick up the basics of mixology and learn how to shake up three classic drinks while chilling out on the sand floor!
| Address: |
|---|
| 705 East Coast Road Singapore 459062 |
Found in every coffee shop, 711, and most bars in Singapore, Tiger Beer is Singapore’s OG beer brand, and you can’t leave the city without trying a swig. The best place to do so is at the Tiger Brewery tour, where you can learn about the beer’s brewing process, from milling to mashing and how the beer is stored and filtered.
| Address: |
|---|
| 459 Jalan Ahmad Ibrahim, Singapore 639934 |
When in Asia, drink like the Asians. And the best place to get your fill of Asian-inspired beers is at The 1925 Brewing Co. Head down to this Singaporean brewery and join a tour that lets you check out their super cool brewing tanks while trying out ultra-Asian craft beers like Chinese herbal tea beer.
| Address: |
|---|
| 5 Mandai Link, Mandai Foodlink, #05-02, Singapore 728654 |
If you’re looking to up your game from just stirring and shaking, then check out Tanglin Gin Jungle’s cocktail masterclass. Learn about the “secrets” that many bartenders employ in their cocktail-making arsenals, and find out how you can put your twist on classic libations. There’s also the gin distillery tour if that’s more up your alley.
The beer industry is, unfortunately, male-dominated. But thankfully, things are slowly starting to change, and that change is led by RedDot BrewHouse, led by Singapore’s only female brewmaster, Crystalla Huang. Join a tour here and learn about beer brewing. And hang out at the charming beer garden after the tour.
Manhattan is not only one of the best bars in Singapore. This swanky outfit is one of the best bars in the world, coming in at No. 33 on The World’s 50 Best bars list in 2022. When visiting here, check out the barrel-aged cocktails and the in-hotel rickhouse filled with over 100 American oak barrels used for ageing spirits and bitters.
