A gin thing
Singapore drinkers head over heels for the boutique spirit
Since 1915, with the invention of the Singapore Sling at Raffles Hotel, Singapore has been wedded to cocktails and has everything from hidden speakeasy bars to glitzy rooftop palaces.
But perhaps the bar scene is having a midlife crisis, because drinkers in Singapore are head over heels for gin. Worldwide boutiquescale production and the use of interesting botanicals mean you can now love a different style of gin every night.
The grand dame of all gin bars is ATLAS, high on wow factor. ATLAS invokes 1920s opulence, with dark leather, gilded balconies, rich red carpets, and deer murals on the ceiling.
With a staggering 1010 bottles, the bar boasts one of the biggest gin collections in the world, all housed in a three-storey gin tower.
Gin master Jason Williams explains that, as with food, people are becoming interested in the origin of their drinks and seeking more interesting tastes. “It’s because of all these beautiful natural herbs, spices, fruit, barks and roots that make up the botanicals in gin,” he says. Try the Atlas Martini, with London dry gin, Italian bianco vermouth, orange bitters and a splash of champagne vinegar. For a casual gin encounter, visit the Spiffy Dapper. Old-school nautical lanterns provide dim lighting, and you may be offered a hammer to bash your own dent into the brass bar-top, just for fun.
Manager, Pavel Zdarsky, recommends the Spifflicated Beet, with London dry gin, dry curacao, homemade beetroot syrup, lime, and black walnut bitters. Served with a basil leaf and lemon biscuit, this drink is an earthy and sour taste sensation. If you’re looking for a budget-conscious gin, visit British
themed gastropub Oxwell & Co, located on trendy Ann Siang Hill beside Chinatown.
There are several levels in this historic shophouse, but do climb the three floors to the leafy rooftop for the cooling breeze.
While bespoke gin creations are available, their signature gin cocktail is the Gin and Chronic and it’s available on tap, making it cheaper. Or if it’s volume you’re after, Bathtime is a mini-bathtub of Hendrick’s gin and tonic, serving four.
For a colonial feel, head to the only gin garden in town, the Rabbit Hole.
Enter through a lush tunnel of tropical plants lined with fairy lights and sink into a romantic wroughtiron swing or wicker garden chairs. The bar is situated at leafy Dempsey Hill and attached to a 1930s church-turned-restaurant, the White Rabbit.
Try a G’vine Floraison, an aromatic French gin made from grapes in the Cognac region, and quirkily topped with a dehydrated orange basket of dried camomile flowers, served with house-made tonic and homegrown herbs.
Drinks mentioned in this story range from $SG16 to $SG26 (about PGK65), plus seven per cent tax and usually a 10 per cent service charge. Air Niugini flies from Port Moresby to Singapore five times weekly. See airniugini.com.pg.
With a staggering 1010 bottles, the bar boasts one of the biggest gin collections in the world, all housed in a three-storey gin tower.