An extra round, please! Ladies (and gentlemen), it’s time to hold on to that sippy in your hand. For the second time, Cocktail Week comes to Singapore from 12 to 19 March 2016 – hurrah! With nearly 30 of Singapore’s best cocktail bars participating in last year’s inaugural Singapore Cocktail Week, we’re positive that this year’s eight-day fiesta will be even bigger, better, and boozier.
Organised by Curated Events with William Grant & Sons as the presenting partner, Singapore Cocktail Week is a yearly celebration of the vivacious local cocktail scene. Aside from featuring some of Singapore’s hottest watering holes and the region’s finest bartenders, the second edition will also showcase the thriving dining scene in Singapore, presenting restaurant bar takeovers, supper clubs and even cocktail brunches. But that’s not all. There’ll also be more than 50 cocktail-related events for you to partake in, from cocktail workshops to bar tours around town, to downing signature concoctions crafted by well-known bartenders. We’ve put together a quick list of five activities and workshops we’re absolutely thrilled about.
1) Stumble into a Wonderland of Gin at The Rabbit Hole
Are cucumber garnishes in vogue, or are they a travesty that’s befallen the timeless gin and tonic? If you’ve got strong opinions either way, hop down The Rabbit Hole and be whisked away into a complex new wonderland of gin. The Book of Ginesis workshop will see Group Bar Mentor, Julian Serna, take guests through a live pot distillation session, an in-depth introduction to the history of gin and, of course, a gin martini and gin punchbowl making demonstration. Alternatively, head to Spiffy Dapper and sample three different gins and five different tonic waters to find that perfect gin and tonic pairing.
2) Savour the finest whiskies at Meat Smith
Experience the marriage of great whisky and gourmet food at Meat Smith’s A Journey Through Bourbon, Smoke and Time. Head Chef, Andrew Baldus, and Bar Manager, Katherine Whitcroft, will be putting together a four-course dining experience that pairs food with increasing Bourbon age statements. If you like your bourbons and your meats smoky, this one’s for you – and yes, you can take all the time to relish it all.
A slider with the ID of 447 doesn't exist.3) Learn the basics of home bartending with just eight bottles
Want to whip up some nifty cocktails for your guests without investing in countless bottles of expensive liquor? Jigger & Pony’s 50 Cocktails crash course will expand your repertoire of tasty tipples, all made using just eight bottles of spirits. Keen on becoming the hostess with the mostest? Here’s your ticket.
4) Wine (and dine) in the dark with Nox
We’re no strangers to Nox’s dining-in-the-dark concept. But in the spirit of Singapore Cocktail Week, a new three-course mystery menu is in the works; and naturally, we say mystery menu because you won’t be able to see what you’re munching and sipping on! What we know for sure about the Mystery Tipples in the Dark menu is that each of the three courses comes with an accompanying cocktail, perfectly concocted to complement the meal. Try not to spill!
5) Mingle with the international elites of the bartending industry
Singapore Cocktail Week’s star-studded line-up consists of over 20 internationally renowned bartenders conducting masterclasses and guest bartending shifts. Want to sip an Old Fashioned with Jim Meehan, founder of New York’s acclaimed PDT? Or maybe you’d rather pick the mind of Alissa Gabriel, winner of the Australian Final of the Bacardi Legacy cocktail competition? SCW is your chance to rub shoulders with some of the industry’s finest. Just keep it cool, yeah?
And the fun doesn’t stop there. During the Singapore Cocktail Week, there’ll also be The Bar Awards, organised by industry veteran Tron Young. At this ceremony, you’ll get to witness the crowning of the best in the cocktail industry on 13 March 2016. Personally, we’re pretty stoked for new categories like “Best Culinary Experience in a Bar” and “Best Young Bartender”.
So, how to pour yourself into the festivities? It’s simple; all you’ve got to do is to get your hands on a set of eight wristbands at $38. With that, you can enjoy all the parties happening during the Singapore Cocktail Week: pop-up bars, supper clubs and all. You’ll also be able to join the workshops available at a discounted price. Not only that, you’ll get $14++ signature cocktails at participating bars. Where to get those exclusive wristbands, you ask? You can purchase them online from February 2016 onwards.
Singapore Cocktail Week 2016, March 12-19, 2016. For tickets and further updates, visit their official website or check out their Facebook page.
