Cocktail Fest veterans, you already know what’s in store—the main Festival Village where the party happens; the Cocktail Passport that sets you on a self-guided bar hop; and crazy guest shifts popping up all over the city.
This year, you can expect even more to go down with the Asia’s 50 Best Bars tie-up growing deeper, and as spirit brands the world over descend upon Singapore for more than a week of wanton imbibing happening May 10-18.
One of the best new things to happen this year are the Bar Tours ($98 each). Ensuring the fun extends beyond the four walls of the Festival Village, the tours, essentially a guided (drinks and transport included) four-bar hop each, range from one that just highlights the newest cocktail bar openings, to one that takes you on an all-whisky showcase. There’s also the Asia’s 50 Best Bars X Four Pillars Gin Tour, where you get to discover more about the Australian craft distillery’s famed gins while enjoying a tipple at some of Singapore’s best like Atlas, Jigger & Pony and Employees Only. Slots for these tours are limited so act fast.
Singapore Cocktail Festival 2018
Back at the Festival Village (May 10-12), the party only gets bigger. Headlining bartenders hailing from the World’s 50 Best Bars list will be serving up their signature drinks for just $12. It’s your chance to sample cocktails from the likes of Kazuhisa Arai of Sober Company in Shanghai (14 on Asia’s 50 Best Bars 2018), as well as from Maros Dzurus and Adam Amir Ghalleb of Himkok in Oslo (19 on World’s 50 Best Bars 2018).
Want more? Delve even deeper with the new 50 Minutes with 50 Best Masterclasses, where the likes of Maxim Schulte from American Bar at The Savoy in London (2 on World’s 50 Best Bars 2018) and Antonio Lai from Quinary in Hong Kong (15 on Asia’s 50 Best Bars 2018) shakes things up with storied drinks and cocktail recipes, all while learning about and tasting concoctions by these true masters of mixology.
Making up the meat of the Festival Village are the various bar pop-ups from names like Brass Lion Distillery, Hopscotch and The Monarchy, as well as bigger interactive booths from brands like Jameson Whisky, who is opening a quaint JJ’s Vinyl Store on-site that combines the best of aural and imbibing pleasures. There is also the Artisanal Spirits Tasting Room (that’s more like a street filled with craft spirit brands) and the Food Street of restaurant kiosks dishing out eats from Como Cuisine, Neon Pigeon, Ding Dong and more.
Before you leave the village, try your hand at mini golf over at the Four Pillars Gin booth. We highly recommend doing so after (many) drinks for the best possible swing.
Singapore Cocktail Festival 2019 happens May 10-18. Tickets to the Festival Village (May 10-12; 4pm-11pm) range from $35 single-day to $50 three-day passes.
