PUBLISHED September 12th, 2018 07:00 am | UPDATED May 18th, 2020 04:23 pm
Though whisky and rum still tend to steal the spotlight, there’s no doubt that gin is becoming an increasingly fashionable spirit in Singapore. Sip it neat, drink it with tonic, or have it in a cocktail – there are just too many possibilities for the juniper juice. Ready for the next gin renaissance? Here are 10 of the best bars in Singapore to get a refreshing gin fix.
ATLAS
Have you seen ATLAS’s literal gin tower? Because that thing is gorgeous! This Art Deco-esque joint is arguably the city’s most good-looking bar, taking its inspiration from the roaring twenties. Select from over 1000 labels of gin, which can be enjoyed on its own or in one of the bar’s wide range of gin-focused cocktails like the ATLAS Martini. You can even sample three gins from their extensive collection with the Juniper Flight, which changes every month. The possibilities are really quite endless. Read our review here.
ATLAS is located at 600 North Bridge Rd, Parkview Square, Singapore 188778, p. +65 6396 4466. Mon-Thu 10am – 1am, Fri 10am – 2am, Sat 3pm – 2am. Closed Sun.
Party Room at mezza9
Remember the award-winning martini bar at Grand Hyatt Singapore? This haven for martini connoisseurs boasts over 30 martini selections, including new martinis of the month ready to impress. The ever-changing menu includes a refreshed list of bar snacks (think glamourous lobster rolls) for tipplers to complement their drinks.
For the ultimate gin experience, head over to the party room next door. Boasting spacious seating for up to 68 and handwoven Peranakan fabrics on its walls, the party room promises an intimate and stylish space to knock back some of the city’s best gin and tonics, including artisanal labels like Paper Lantern Sichuan Pepper Gin and Martin Miller’s Westbourne Strength Gin. Want to go ‘omakase’? Leave it to the bartenders on hand to make you the ultimate Negroni or dirty martini. In fact, enjoy a special price of $14++ for all G&Ts and selected cocktails when you go down during from 5pm to 9pm every day.
party room at mezza9 is located at Grand Hyatt Singapore, 10 Scotts Rd, Singapore, Singapore, 228211, p. +65 6732 1234. Open Sun-Thu 5pm – 12am, Fri-Sat 5pm – 1am.
Native
Can you call a bar that produces its own infused gins a gin bar? Because that’s what the award-winning Native does. From a bittersweet Matcha Gin that goes great with tonic to a Coffee Gin made with beans from India. A Laksa Leaf Gin sounds bizarre, but that’s just what the bar owner, Vijay, wants to promote: an appreciation for regional ingredients that go beyond the norm. While you’re there, you might want to get a taste of the recently-launched Tanglin Gin, distilled by four diehard gin lovers right in Singapore. Read our review here.
Native is located at 52A Amoy St, Singapore 069878, p. +65 8869 6520. Open Mon-Sat 6pm – 12am. Closed Sun.
The Rabbit Hole
With more than 15 labels of gin to choose from, there’s quite a number of drinks that can be concocted at The Rabbit Hole. It’s good then that this garden bar is situated at such an idyllic location away from the stressful city, so you can take all the time you need. Perfect for evening drinks, take a seat inside the lush space as you sip away on a cocktail or G&T made with ingredients plucked from their very own garden, as well as housemade tonics. Think a simple Plymouth Gin infused with dehydrated lime, or the unique Monkey 47, distilled with Bavarian botanicals. Read our review here.
The Rabbit Hole is located at 39C Harding Rd, Singapore 249541, p. +65 6473 9965. Open Tue-Thu, Sun 6pm – 11.30pm, Fri-Sat 6pm – 12.30am. Closed Mon.
Cin Cin
Located at Oasia Hotel Downtown, Cin Cin (the Italian way of saying “cheers!”) boasts over 100 different varieties of gin, along with a fair amount of vermouths, bitters, and tonics for the perfect bespoke cocktail. That’s over 500 possible combinations for your martinis and G&Ts! Boutique labels here include the floral Bloom Gin and the barrel-aged Koskue Gin. Fancy a cocktail? Try the Bronze Venus by Head Bartender Fadly, prepared with earl grey-infused Bulldog gin, Domain Chandon Brut and Valrhona chocolate.
Cin Cin is located at Oasia Hotel Downtown, 100 Peck Seah St, Singapore 079333, p. +65 6385 2604. Open Mon-Wed, Sun 5pm – 12am, Thu-Sat 5pm – 1am. Closed Sun.
Oxwell and Co.
Oxwell & Co has fantastic gin-based drinks, but first, you’ll have to work for it by climbing several flights of stairs to the rooftop bar. Surrounded by an organic herb garden (the produce here is used by both the bar and kitchen below), this space is perfect for evening cocktails while overlooking the Chinatown neighbourhood. Signature gin concoctions include the refreshing. Gin & Chronic, which comes from a tap, and Bloody Bill, a variation on the Bloody Mary that includes a lengthy splash of Sandeman port.
Oxwell & Co is located at 5 Ann Siang Rd, Singapore 069688, p. +65 6438 7036. Open daily 12pm – 12am.
The Spiffy Dapper
Coffeeshop by day and bar by night, The Spiffy Dapper is dim and swankless, but no one seems to be bothered. What it does have is soul, and a lot of gin – a massive collection of some 130 labels and climbing – like Bulldog and Pierdre Almas. Drink them neat, with a small array of tonics, or enjoy some pretty mean cocktails. Order the Sheik on the Level, a beautifully presented drink made with with gin, Turkish black tea, lemon juice, fresh-pounded cardamon.
The Spiffy Dapper is located at 73 Amoy St, Singapore 069892, p. +65 8742 8908. Open Mon-Thu 5pm – 1am, Fri 5pm – 2am, Sat 6pm – 2am, Sun 6pm – 1am.
Gibson
Gibson is named after the eponymous classic cocktail, a variation on the classic martini. Head bartender Aki elevates the drink to become the bar’s signature cocktail Gibson, combining Roku Gin with a specially commissioned vermouth from a sake brewery in the Kansai region. Then it’s lovingly presented with pickled wasabi leaves, house pickled pearl onion, and smoked quail egg. Sexy and sleek, these guys know exactly what you want. Read our review here.
Gibson is located at 20 Bukit Pasoh Rd, Singapore 089834, p. +65 9114 8385. Open Mon-Thu 6pm – 1am, Fri-Sat 6pm – 2am. Closed Sun.
Top Image: ATLAS
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