With this handy guide to saving pennies on booze, enjoy free drinks, one-for-ones and hefty discounts around town
Psst… for a 2015 version of this cheap drinks in Singapore article, head here!
If you thought booze was pricey on our little island, you thought…right. Nothing can kill your buzz faster than $15 watery cocktails. Well, to ease the pain in your wallets (and your hearts), we’ve scouted around and found the cheapest drinks in Singapore. Bottoms up!
FIV五 Izakaya Bar
The name doesn’t lie: FIV五 (pronounced as ‘five’) offers $5 specials all day everyday on Asahi draught beer, red and white wines, sake, shochu, all house pour spirits, and bar snacks. Yup, you read it right: FIVE dollars. You certainly can’t beat a bargain like that.
FIV五 Izakaya Bar,various locations. See website for details.
No. 5 Emerald Hill
1-for-1 martinis at $16, coupled with some seriously delish pub grub like the chicken wings? Sounds like a deal to us! Housed within a Peranakan shop house, No. 5 Emerald Hill’s laid-back vibe makes it a great spot to unwind after a hard day’s work (or shopping!). Bonus: littering is not an issue here. Patrons are encouraged to throw their peanut shells anywhere.
No. 5 Emerald Hill, 5 Emerald Hill Road Singapore 229289, p. 6732 0818. Open Mon-Thur 12pm-2am, Fri & Sat 12pm-3am, Sun and public holidays 5pm-2am.
The Exchange
With its distinctly high-end metropolitan surroundings, you’d expect this brasserie and bar to have similarly high-end drink prices. Well fear not, dear revellers. The Exchange offers promotions such as $8 martinis during Happy Hour on Wednesdays, $88 per bottle of G.H. Mumm champagne on Fridays and free martinis for the gals on ladies’ night.
The Exchange, Asia Square Tower One, 8 Marina View, #01-05, Singapore 018960, p. 6636 1200. Open Mon & Tue 8-1am, Wed-Fri 8-3am, closed Sat & Sun.
Sauce Bar
Dubbed “the marvelous vintage bar”, Sauce is a delightfully whimsical spot by the bay with drinks that are just as delightful. If you’re looking for a bargain, get your hands on five Asahi Super Dry beers for just $35 (available all day) and 1-for-1 drinks on Fridays and Saturdays. Everything else tends to be on the pricey side but you won’t be able to resist the novelty of Sauce Bar’s party punch bowls and DIY cocktails, which come with a range of mixtures to bring out your inner alchemist.
Sauce Bar, 8 Raffles Ave, Esplanade Mall #01-10/12 Singapore 039802, p. 6837 2959. Open Mon-Thur 5pm-1am, Fri 5pm-3am, Sat 6pm-2am, Sun 6pm- 1am.
The Good Beer Company
This isn’t your usual Happy Hour in a snazzy bar: what you’ll get with The Good Beer Company is a strictly no-frills drinking experience. But the selection of craft beers and ciders offered at this hawker stall is refreshingly unique and certainly not the typical Tiger Beer variety. With over 60 different brews from Europe, Asia, and the US at hawker centre prices, it makes the less-than-stellar surroundings worth it.
The Good Beer Company, #02-58 Chinatown Complex, 335 Smith St. Singapore 050335. Open Mon-Fri 6-10pm.
Cuscaden Patio Café & Pub
Cheap booze, surprisingly addictive chicken wings and a truly welcoming atmosphere – need we say more? The friendly owners of Cuscaden Patio Café & Pub, Jeffrie and Jennifer, will make you feel right at home and the drink prices will make you want to stay all night long. A jug of San Miguel draft beer goes for $18 ($12 on Tuesdays) and a bucket of six Stella Artois beers costs $30 during Happy Hour.
Cuscaden Patio Café & Pub, 21 Cuscaden Road, #B1-11 Ming Arcade, Singapore 249720, p. 6887 3319. Open Mon, Wed & Thur 3pm-1am, Tue 3pm-2am, Fri 3pm-3am, Sat 4pm-3am, closed on Sun.
Standing Sushi Bar
Dirt cheap sashimi and cheap drinks – the best combo ever? We think so! Standing Sushi Bar serves up some pretty attractive promotions that you’ll be crazy to pass up on. At its Queen Street outlet: $2 sakes, $5 beers and wines to go with $3 salmon sashimi on Mondays and Thursdays, 50% off house pours and nigiri sushi on Tuesdays, and 50% off house pours and hand rolls on Wednesdays. Happy Hour at its Marina Bay Link Mall outlet offers $5 beers, sake, and salmon sashimi and $10 martinis on weeknights.
Standing Sushi Bar, 8 Queen Street & Marina Bay Link Mall. See website for details.
Tanuki Raw
As the sibling to Standing Sushi Bar, you can expect the same great deals on drinks to go with your grub. Martinis go for $10 during Happy Hour and better yet, every martini you buy lets you order half dozen oysters at $2 each or salmon sashimi at $5. If you’re feeling a little adventurous, Tanuki Raw also offers 50% off a different specialty martini everyday.
Tanuki Raw, 181 Orchard Road, #02-03 Orchard Central, Singapore 238896, p. 6636 5949. Open 1130am-1030pm daily.
Insomnia
If there’s ever a time and a day to drop by this watering hole, make sure it’s Wednesday from 9 to 11pm. Why? Free flow of beer, wine and house pours for just $20. ’Nuff said.
Insomnia, 30 Victoria Street, #01-21 Chijmes, Singapore 187996, p. 6338-6883. Open Sun-Tue 11-4am, Wed-Sat 11-5am.
(working title)
Coffee, cakes, and craft beers: what more could you ask from (working title)? We can’t imagine a better way to spend an evening than to sip on a range of exotic brews like chocolate beer (which go as low as $8) while gorging on the decadent desserts this hipster café-bar has to offer.
(working title), 48 Arab Street, Singapore 199745, p. 9734 4187. Open Mon-Thu & Sun 10am-10pm, Fri-Sat 10-12am.
Top image: Sauce Bar