A new era of prohibition is upon us—well, sort of. We’re in the midst of what our government calls, “CB”, short for “Circuit Breaker”. Many locals have come to mock due to the fact that “CB” also (coincidentally) happens to be an abbreviation of a Hokkien vulgarity. But what it really means is Singapore, like many other countries, are in a semi-lock down phase. Bars and entertainment venues have been ordered to shut down and dining out is illegal which is absolutely no help to an already-struggling f&b industry, and for folks like us who simply can’t operate without a good cocktail at least twice a week.
In order to work around this new ruling, many bars and drinks-related brands in Singapore have made available, pre-batched cocktails available for takeaway, delivery or both. Here, we reveal a list of 11 for your tippling pleasure.
1. ATLAS
Gift your loved one and yourself a bottled cocktail or two from ATLAS (no.5 on Asia’s Best Bars). Every cocktail on offer is specially handcrafted by ATLAS’ team of veteran bartenders before being bottled for your home tippling pleasure! They do island-wide delivery and shipping is free for orders above S$100! Food, desserts and cocktails are available for takeaway with cocktails ranging from 100ml portions (S$18) to 500ml portions (S$75).
Contact: +65 9739 5591or info@atlasbar.sg
Take-away hours: 12PM to 9PM (Daily)
Read our guide to gin.
2. Compendium
A homage to local Singaporean flavours, Compendium is a premium spirits brand that’s been shaking up the local drinks scene. A major hit among the local masses, their sweet and mellow Chendol Gin, made with pandan, coconut and juniper, is a delightful recreation of the familiar local dessert. Their Rojak Gin, a nod to Singapore’s hawker culture, is distilled from fermented honey and infused with juniper berries, lemon peel and torched ginger. They’re currently offering island-wide delivery on any bottle or cocktail box purchased.
Contact: compendium@rachelletherabbit.com or via this link.
3. D. Bespoke
Taking its cue from Japan’s finest watering holes, D. Bespoke is a handsomely fashioned Ginza-style cocktail bar that never fails to deliver as far as a proper speakeasy experience goes. This season, they’re offering bottled versions of their classic cocktails and a few food dishes to help tide you through your mundane stay-home weekends. All their bottles are meticulously prepared and even come wax-sealed to ensure maximum freshness.
Contact: +65 8141 5741
Take-away hours: 12PM – 10PM
4. Gibson
Yet another entrant onboard the takeaway cocktail wagon, Gibson is one whom you can always trust to provide delectable and memorable tippling experiences. Available for island-wide delivery, get in on their selection of six signature cocktails from the must-try Gibson—a modern Japanese-inspired rendition of the Martini—as well as the newly-introduced, Lobster Bloody Mary—a savoury cocktail that packs major heat and flavour by means of Ketel One Vodka, lobster tomato juice, spices, salt & pepper along with celery and a lobster tail as garnishes. Each portion, priced at S$30 each, can be enjoyed by up to two people.
Contact: +65 9114 8385 or via this link.
5. Jigger & Pony
Fashioned into vacuum-sealed sachets, cocktails you can expect include their take on a classic Old Fashioned along with signatures such as Madame President, Journey of the West, Sakura Martini, Little Red Dot and Jungle Bird. Each individual pack—which includes garnishes as well—is priced at S$30 and serves 2. Looking to go heavy and organise a virtual party with your buddies? Well you’re in luck as they even deliver punchbowls! You can share this punchbowl with up to four addresses and all portions will be divided equally. They deliver island-wide.
Contact: +65 9621 1074 or via this link.
6. KOMYUNITI
Located in YOTEL Singapore (Orchard), KOMYUNITI goes above and beyond your average hotel lounge bar. The bar is helmed by As’ad Isnin—a key profile in Asia’s bar scene—and the drinks are anything but simple. Think fat-washed spirits and other more elaborate infusions for starters.
To help tide you through this CB period, they’ve made bottled versions of their signature cocktails available for both takeaway and delivery. Each 200ml serving is adequate for sharing among two people and is priced at S$25++ per bottle. Among the seven cocktail varieties available, we opted for the Mellon Down and Maize Martini. The latter is made with sweet corn-infused gin, homemade bourbon butter corn syrup and clarified lemon juice. Safe to say, it’s an a-maize-ing experience.
Contact: +65 6866 8067
7. Manhattan
Stay home and enjoy the company with your loved ones (or you friends via Zoom) over a good drink and a few laughs with award-winning Manhattan Bar’s bottled cocktails (available in 100ml and 350ml portions). Pictured above is their classic Manhattan Cocktail concocted with Bitters, Cherry Brandy, Rosso Vermouth and Rye Whisky. They deliver island-wide at a minimum spend of S$30.
Contact: +65 6725 3057 or via this link.
8. NATIVE
The good folks of NATIVE (No. 12 on #Worlds50BestBars) have rolled out their own line of pre-batched, bottled cocktails and you’d be thrilled to know that they deliver islandwide. Each bottled cocktail serves about 6 to 8 portions over ice. The options you can choose from include Hibiscus (S$68), made with Hawthorne Distillate, Hibiscus Jun and Kithul; Foragers Garden (S$68), with Matcha Gin, Blue Pea Flowers, Calamansi, Matcha Kombucha; Peranakan (S$88), with Jackfruit-infused Rum, Laksa Leaves, Goat’s Milk, Candlenut, Gula Melaka; and lastly, Pineapple Arrack (S$88), with Ceylon Arrack, Old Coconuts, Pineapple Skins, Sri Lankan Spices.
Contact: +65 8869 6520 or info@tribenative
9. Operation Dagger
Ingeniously thought out to impart equal parts thrill, novelty and bar-bending drinks, Operation Dagger deserves top marks in every regard. Hidden in a random basement along with Ann Siang Hill, this speakeasy bar is where it’s at if you’re looking for a bar that exudes major cloak-and-dagger vibes and a repertoire of elevated cocktails.
Among their list of pre-batched cocktails, the Bee Pollen—concocted with Wild Bee Pollen, Oak, Thyme, Dark Chocolate and Lemon Charcoal—is probably the most approachable. If you’re game for something exciting, we highly recommend their in-house ferments, or hooch, as they call it. We particularly like their Choc Pinot. A chocolatey concoction made by fermenting pinot noir with raw cocoa nibs.
Contact: +65 9248 7553 or info@operationdagger.com
Take-away hours: 4PM – 7PM (Daily)
10. The Old Man
Hidden discreetly along Keong Saik Road with the only visible indication of its whereabouts being a pineapple lamp hanging above its entrance, this award-winning cocktail bar from Hong Kong is renowned for bloody tasty and mind-boggling cocktails. Inspired by one of Ernest Hemingway’s fictional works, ‘The Old Man and the Sea’, the bar presents 9 cocktails inspired by the man’s libations, named after his novels.
Helmed by a veteran bartender, Andrew Yap, previously from Neon Pigeon, expect an array of amazingly creative cocktails with unique twists. Cocktails available for takeaway include A Farewell to Arms, The Sun Also Rises, Papa Doble, Little Wax Puppy, Negroni, Clear Old Fashioned and Classic Old Fashioned.
View the full takeaway menu here.
Contact: +65 6909 5505 or info@theoldmansg.com
11. The Single Cask Singapore
A whisky lover’s heaven, The Single Cask is tucked away in a quiet corner of Caldwell House in the historic CHIJMES complex. The bar stocks over 400+ Single Malts, boutique Blended Malts and Single Cask Rums and is widely renowned as being THE place to go for all things whiskey.
This period of time, they’ve collaborated with a local creative, Hugo (@h.czy), to roll out their own line of bottled cocktails. They currently have four to choose from—Bitter Mornings, Keep Rootin’, Life Never Expected Us To Reuse The Lemons! And Rising Sun, each designed to fit a different time of day either as a Daytime Pick Me Up, Aperitif, Digestif and a Nightcap. The menu is also designed to be close looped, with the coffee they use for their ‘Bitter Mornings’ cocktail repurposed from spent coffee grounds from a neighbouring cafe. Each bottle is priced according to size. They range from S$22 for a 90ml bottle to S$140 for a 750ml bottle.
Contact: +65 9764 1600 (Hugo), +65 9837 2879 (Wei De) or drop them a DM via their Instagram Page.
12. Wheels On The Bars
COVID-19 has gravely impacted Singapore’s bar scene but fortunately for most bars, many have found ways to bottle their cocktails to make available for takeaway and delivery. That said, Wheels On The Bars was a project conceptualised and organised by a group of locals to support local bars by helping expedite sales by means of providing a platform for people to purchase bottles from multiple bars. Their online catalogue features a wide array of bottled cocktails from a broad range of bars from bars such as Operation Dagger and KOMYUNITI to Ah Sam Cold Drink Stall and Canjob Taproom.
More Information:
Wheels On The Bars
Read our guide to whisky.
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