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Singapore has long been recognised as one of the world’s great culinary destinations, home to Michelin-starred fine-dining restaurants such as Odette and Summer Pavilion as well as Unesco-recognised street food. The city’s culinary culture is a vivid expression of Singapore’s vibrancy, colour and cultural diversity.
But when it comes to attracting epicureans from around the globe, Singapore’s esteemed restaurants have recently found themselves competing with a new generation of cocktail bars vying to become the jewel in the island’s crown.
“Singapore is the cocktail capital of Asia, and there is no sign that the industry is slowing down,” says Ivy Woo, co-founder of the Singapore Cocktail Festival. “A decade ago, we saw some of the best cocktail talents arrive on our shores. “Coming from around the world, they brought their knowledge and expertise in mixology, and inspired a new generation of homegrown talent. That generation is now coming of age, and has such a strong sense of individualism that they are creating a cocktail culture that we can finally call our own.”
International recognition
The vitality of the city’s cocktail scene is encapsulated by Republic, the atmospheric new bar at The Ritz-Carlton, Millenia Singapore, which, despite only opening last year, debuted at 12th place in the annual Asia’s 50 Best Bars awards. As its name suggests, Republic pays homage to the 1960s and the birth of Singapore as an independent sovereign nation, with a wall adorned by images of the decade’s icons.
Headed by Martin Villareal, who started at The Ritz-Carlton, Millenia Singapore as an intern from the Philippines and has risen to the position of head bartender, Republic’s cocktails are inspired by the art, cinema, fashion and music of that transformative period in popular culture. Drinks include a celebration of Yves Saint Laurent called Smoking Suit, which combines Grey Goose vodka, lapsang souchong tea and Islay whisky, and Velvet Underground, a marriage of Michter’s rye whiskey with cherry and banana. Martin’s favourite cocktail on the menu is Glass in Bloom. “It’s a Sazerac-style cocktail with a great flavour combination that is the result of sous-viding together beetroot and cognac, and also rye whiskey and feta cheese.”
at The Ritz-Carlton, Millenia Singapore
Ivy Woo was won over instantly: “Republic embodies the warm, welcoming personality of an independent bar, and the impeccable, thoughtful service that is synonymous with The Ritz-Carlton. The menu celebrates the influential hallmarks of the 1960s, and one cannot help but wonder at the amount of research that goes into it. Every cocktail comes with a historical anecdote that piques your curiosity.”
Republic represents the apex of a new breed of hotel bar: considered spaces that are no longer simply lounges where guests pop in for a quick nightcap chosen from a standard menu, but destinations in their own right. Another is the Astor Bar at The St. Regis Singapore, where the cocktail list is inspired by five New York neighbourhoods, a homage to the original St. Regis opened by business magnate John Jacob Astor IV in Manhattan in 1904. Highlights include the Harlem Swizzle, made with light rum and manzanilla sherry, and Tong Wars, inspired by New York’s Chinatown and made with Chinese plum vodka and lime.
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New bars to know
Away from the top hotels, the wider Singapore scene is similarly dynamic, from its underground speakeasy-style joints to its ultra-modern drinking lounges. Noteworthy recent openings include Analogue, a new bar from rising star Vijay Mudaliar that takes sustainability seriously – the show-stopping bar top was 3D-printed from 1,600kg of recycled plastic bottles and everything on the menu is plant-based. The super-cool Stay Gold Flamingo is another much-talked-about arrival – a coffee bar by day that transforms at night into a neon-lit haven. “I adore that sense of self at these new, independent bars,” says Ivy Woo. “The moment you step into one of these bars, you can almost immediately see the personality of the people behind them. Stay Gold, for a start, is the brainchild of young bartenders Bai JiaWei and Jerrold Khoo, who came together to create a cocktail bar with a rock ’n’ roll attitude.”
As well as energy and exuberance, this new generation of cocktail-makers has a genuine knowledge of the craft, a willingness to experiment and, maybe most importantly of all, a deep sense that the emerging Singapore scene has serious staying power. “When it comes to bars, the UK is very strong and so is the US,” says Martin Villareal. “But after that it is Singapore. It’s only a relatively young scene, but we’re now number three in the world when it comes to cocktails, which is incredible.”
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