Tell us a little about the history of the Singapore bar scene?

The roots of Singapore’s drinking culture can be traced back to the city’s British colonial heritage, and it was centred around grand hotels such as Raffles, home to the world-famous Singapore Sling. Some of that formality and glamour has remained, and there is definitely a bit more. Local bars tended to be informal and communal; think large groups drinking cheap beer outside on plastic chairs. 

How has the cocktail scene developed and is an Asia bartending style emerging that differs from the Japanese and western styles? 

The Singaporean cocktail scene has developed incredibly rapidly in the last couple of years, and we enjoy some unique advantages as a diverse country that doesn’t have much of an established drinking history. We have experienced bartenders who have migrated from across the globe, and an enthusiastic crop of homegrown talent that are great students of the craft. 

Lacking that cultural history or distinct style frees the scene to draw from the best practices and influences of a variety of traditions. A willingness to try new things and lack of preconceived notions of “what is good” from the drinking public – as well as the high prices charged by nightclubs and cheesy expat bars for mediocre service and drinks – gives our cocktail bars a lot of room to innovate and provide a great experience at a variety of price points. 

At its best, the Singapore style that is developing combines some of the polish and showmanship of the European tradition, the focus on flavour driven by great spirits and artisinal ingredients from America, the ceremony and service of Japan and the goofy experimentalism of Australia. I feel this all adds up to an amazing opportunity.

Who and what are the pioneers?

Ken Loon kicked off the cocktail scene here with Klee, which was a breeding ground for an entire cohort of Singaporean barmen and was highly influential in developing their style. Tippling Club was way ahead of its time when it opened in 2008. It continues to evolve and thrive under the leadership of Kamil Foltan (formerly of Zetter Townhouse in London) and just won an award for Best Bar in Singapore. 28 Hongkong Street was the first American-style bar, combining a high energy, informal vibe with a great craft spirits collection and no-nonsense, booze-forward cocktails. Founding barman Michael Callahan was influential in bringing international attention to the Singaporean scene and building connections among the local bar community. 

Are the locals enjoying cocktails or are wine, beer and straight spirits most important?

Singaporeans love cocktails. A combination of an adventurous public, the fact that most Singaporeans are
not heavy drinkers, the relatively high price of alcohol
and the hot, sticky climate, make this an ideal place for
craft cocktails. 

Where do you think Singapore ranks in terms of bar scenes in Asia? 

Tokyo has an amazing drinking culture and Hong Kong, Taiwan and Seoul are great places to party. But as far as the craft scene goes, Singapore is the most diverse and developed market in Asia.

How is 28 Hongkong Street’s business – does custom track to economical shifts? 

Our business is super stable. We have a ton of regulars and a constant stream of visitors to Singapore who have been recommended by someone, somewhere in the global community. One of the big things we track is who is coming to the bar. Obviously it varies night by night, but we generally host about 60% local Singaporeans, 20%-30% expats, and 10%-20% international travellers.

What does Singapore have to do to grow?

The bar scene needs to continue to grow by focusing on quality and execution, continuing to build a sense of community in the local scene and reaching out to forge connections in the international bar community. One of my favourite things about drinking in a mature market such as NYC or San Francisco is the confidence to keep it simple. Even the cocktails at The Artesian are fundamentally straightforward and delicious, once you dig under the glitzy presentations.

Singapore is really far away from most of the other cities with great cocktail scenes so it is doubly important that we encourage our brothers and sisters to come and see it for themselves. We love hosting guest bartenders at 28 Hongkong Street, which has been a major factor in our success in garnering international recognition. If any of your readers happen to be in the neighbourhood, we always have a place behind the stick for a fellow barman.

The biggest challenge is a dilution of talent due to the rapid pace of growth. Barmen with two or three years of craft experience are being offered their own programmes and even opening their own bars. This is why we believe so strongly in building a collaborative bar community through events such as the Bartender’s Allowance, an informal monthly contest run for barmen by barmen. Great markets such as NYC and London are built on a foundation of sharing information, mentoring and friendly competition and Singapore must continue to foster that to mature into a great drinking city.