Cocktail lovers, your favourite time of the year is just around the corner. Over six days in March, the Singapore Cocktail Festival will present concoctions by guest bartenders, cocktail workshops and masterclasses, a cocktail village, and loads more. If you’ve always wanted to do a cocktail tour across the globe, this is the next best thing — head bartenders of well-known names like ABV in Manila, Alice in Seoul, Q&A in Bangkok, Peg + Patriot in London and Dante in New York will be making appearances at cocktail parties around town.
Of course, you’ll also have a chance to get hands-on with cocktail bar tours, workshops and masterclasses that you can sign up for online (from Feb 1).
Noteworthy cocktails to sip on throughout the fest include Uncle Negroni ($14) by Mitzo Restaurant & Bar, Kopi Cocktail ($14) by Nutmeg & Clove, and Reminiscences ($14) by the Bar and Billiard Room at Raffles Hotel Singapore. If you find yourself a little too tipsy from all that alcohol, hit up the newly-opened Crackerjack for its Recovery Breakfast special ($19) that offers coffee and a hangover prevention packet.
Other names on the line-up include Anti:dote, Employees Only, Gibson, Jigger & Pony, Manhattan, Operation Dagger, Sugarhall, The Cufflink Club and Tiger’s Milk.
As for the festival village, it’ll be housed in a former 1930s police station, with 10 cocktail and mocktail rooms showcasing brands like Hendrick’s Gin and Perrier. But since you can’t go strong all night long without grub to pad your stomach, the food street will offer dishes by Ninja Bowl, IZY Dining and Bar, and The Disgruntled Brasserie. Tunes at the live music stage will provide a chill backdrop, and you can vote for your favourite drink to be ‘Singapore’s Next Top Cocktail’ to rep the country, or check out the ‘Asia Bar Battle’ between teams from countries around the region.
Singapore Cocktail Festival 2017 is on from Mar 16-21 at various bars; the festival village is at 99 Beach Rd, Thurs & Fri 4pm-10pm, Sat & Sun noon-10pm. Entry to the village is free; all cocktails there are $12 nett.
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