It’s that time of the year again. No, not Christmas, but pretty close!
We are, of course, talking about Singapore Cocktail Festival, back for its fifth year, and bigger and better than ever.
Let’s take a look. shall we?
Get on my lawn
The Asia’s 50 Best Bars 2019 will open this year’s festival on the evening of 9th May 2019, with the festival proper taking place from 10th to 18th May.
As with last year, the biggest bang event of the week will be the Festival Village at Empress Lawn, open from the 10th to 12th of May, 4pm to 11pm.
As always, there will be a lineup of bar pop-ups, masterclasses, brand experiences, live entertainment acts and more. There will also be some new stuff as well, including:
50 Minutes with 50 Best, a series of cocktail masterclasses featuring luminaries from the Asia and World’s 50 Best Bars list, such as Antonio Lai from Quinary (No.15 in Asia), Beckaly Franks from The Pontiac (No. 31 om Asia) and Maxim Schulte from American Bar at The Savoy, London (No.2 in the World).
The Barstylez International Bartender Championship, where over 60 bartenders from more than 25 countries will compete in ‘Flairing’ (International) and ‘Cocktail’ (Asia)
Bar pop-ups by The Monarchy Cocktail Bar & Ultra Lounge, B Bar, Brass Lion Distillery, Hopscotch, Joji Bar and La Maison du Whisky
Brand pop-ups by Cocchi Vermouth di Torino, Fever-Tree, the new Haku vodka, Havana Club and Maker’s Mark
Experiences like the “JJ’s Vinyl Store” by Jameson Whiskey, where partygoers can enjoy the Irish Whiskey and music, the “Monkey 47 Jungle Safari”, and a Four Pillars Gin putting green, with prizes to be won for scoring hole-in-ones
New brands at the Artisanal Spirits Tasting Room, including Amrut, Blind Tiger gin, Compass Box, Dancing Sands Distillery, Little Lon Distilling Co. and Tanglin Gin
Restaurant pop-ups on the Food Street, such as COMO Cuisine, Ding Dong and Neon Pigeon.
Naturally, other than the festival events, there will be drinks (of course!). At the festival village, there will be cocktails served by some pretty big names at $12 nett. Some highlights include Andrew Loudon from Tippling Club, Giovanni Graziadei from Jigger & Pony, Lolita Goh from Junglebird in Malaysia, Danny Yeung from Smalls, Bangkok and Kazuhisa Arai of Sober Company, Shanghai.
Paint the City Red
If the festival is not your thing, there will be cocktail experiences in the city, including bar tours and guest bartender appearances across 45 venues.
The bar tours include ‘Whisky Business’, an all-whisky cocktail showcase, ‘Luxury Escape Tour’, highlighting a trail of luxurious cocktail experiences and the ‘Asia’s 50 Best Bars X Four Pillars Gin Tour’, an interactive gin discovery featuring four of Asia’s leading bars.
We had a little sneak preview of the Four Pillars Gin Tour, and it was quite a wild time. From an amazing experience at Atlas, to a crisp Gin and Tonic at The Other Room, a fruity, mild punch at Jigger & Pony and a refreshing Gimlet at Employees Only, all gin cravings were satisfied.
Naturally, there’s a who’s who list of guest bartenders coming down for the week, including Simone Caporale from Marque D’Amour, who will be at Skai Bar on 13 May, and PS40 hailing from Sydney and contemporary Paris bar, Danico, will take over MO Bar from 8pm till late.
Jay Natividad from The Spirits Library and Ian Libang from NoKal will be at Fat Prince on 16 and 17 May 2019. The theme: One Thousand and One Drunken Nights, with cocktails evocatively named 40 Thieves and Aladin and The Magic Lamp.
For those looking for something more focused, award-winning bartender Nico de Soto of Mace, New York City, will be coming down to Tippling Club on 10th May. He and head bartender, Andrew Loudon, will be joining forces for “Once Upon a Time in Cognac”, focusing on cognac cocktails, including a twist each on Rémy Martin VSOP Sidecars.
If you have time, be sure to check out the slew of events at Nutmeg & Clove. The bar will be celebrating its 5th Anniversary while the Cocktail Festival goes on. It starts with The Curator Coffee and Cocktails from Manila taking over the bar on 10th May, and seven different bartenders from across the region, coming down on 11th May for a gigantic shift.
Australians Matt Linktaker from Black Pearl and Evan Stroeve from Bulletin Place will then serve up tipples on 14th May. Two of the best bartenders from Japan, Hidetsugu Ueno and Ryu Fuji, will follow suit on 16th May. Finally, the week culminates in a European twist as Max Venning of Three Sheets, London, takes over on 17th May, and Juliette Larrouy of Le Syndicat tends the bar on 18th May.
Finally, the week culminates in a European twist as Max Venning of Three Sheets, London, takes over on 17th May, and Juliette Larrouy of Le Syndicat tends the bar on 18th May.
You’ll be pleased to hear that the much-loved Bar Residencies by Jigger and Pony will be returning this year, as well. Alice Cheongdam will be taking over Gibson on 10th and 11th May, showcasing Asian ingredients. Lamp Bar will be taking over the following weekend, on the 17th and 18th, focusing on Japanese ingredients. If you’re looking at regular guest shifts, consider going down for the Nightjar guest shift at Jigger and Pony itself, held on 14th May.
Or, just have a drink
If you’re just looking for a chance to have a good drink at discounted prices, then the Singapore Cocktail Festival delivers. We particularly liked the Peel and See at Smoke and Mirrors ($20++, down from $28++). Inspired by Andy Warhol, it showcases a particularly interesting combination of savoury miso and olive and sweet banana.
We also liked Origin Bar’s completely clear take on the Strawberry Margarita, the Americas ($16++), and a take on a local coffee-tea cocktail at IB HQ, The Old Qisher ($20++). The former is sweet and smoky, the latter dry and smoky. Most enjoyable.
Other interesting drinks to tantalise the tastebuds include Neon Pigeon’s Kyoto 75 ($16++), a Japanese-styled take on the classic French 75, and the Monkey’s Best ($18++), made with Monkey Shoulder, preserved mandarin orange peel infused with Chartreuse Green, lime juice, goji berry syrup and herbal soda.
Or, if one is looking for something cool for the May heat, try the Watermelon Crispa from Cook & Tras, a tipple of Citadelle gin, watermelon, shiso and tonic. The Mekhong Thai Sabai, a tipple of Mekhong, fresh lime juice, Thai sweet basil leaves and a splash of soda water will be available at Jim Thompson if you still need to beat the heat.
Details, Details
The festival takes place from 10th to 18th May. Tickets for the Festival Village component costs $37 for a regular one-day pass and includes one welcome drink. A Jumbo Pass costs $53 and includes entry for all three days, one welcome drink and 4 sample shots. If you’re looking to bring some friends and save a bit of cash to boot, group deals are also available.
If you’re not heading down to the festival, consider getting the Sluggr App, which is free to download. You can redeem exclusive cocktail deals via the app, and completing redemptions across 15 bars or more can unlock exclusive promotions.
If you’d like to take a look at the full set of events, book tickets or get more information, please visit www.singaporecocktailfestival.com.
