The pandemic has forced many of Singapore’s bars to offer their cocktails for delivery and takeaway. We put together a list of some of these recommended bottled cocktails.
There’s really nothing good about the COVID-19 pandemic that’s currently afflicting our world. But if there’s one thing cocktail lovers can be grateful for during this period it’s how lockdown measures have forced Singapore cocktail bars, gastrobars, and even regular restaurants, to pivot and innovate very quickly in order to survive.
We’ve seen how many of them took to offering their cocktails for takeaway and delivery during Singapore’s last year, and they were ready this year when Singapore again entered near-lockdown during Phase 2: Heightened Alert. Some were more prepared than others – award-winning Jigger & Pony even launched PONY Cocktails, an entire shelf-stable bottled cocktail range that consumers can enjoy in the comforts of their own home.
With drinking forced into the home due to the current dine-in restrictions, cocktail lovers can only but turn to bottled cocktails for comfort for now (or when – touch wood – another lockdown happens). Thankfully the options these days are near limitless – cocktails from our favourite bars come in all shapes and sizes, bottled, canned or pouched.
To help you decide we’ve sampled some of these delicious takeaway cocktails from our favourite establishments. Here are our recommendations:
- 1-Atico
- Ah Sam Cold Drink Stall
- Caffe Fernet
- Canchita
- Ciao Chow
- Dishoom
- The Elephant Room
- The Exciseman
- Gibson
- Heart of Darkness Singapore
- Humpback
- IBHQ
- Jigger & Pony
- Laut
- Levant
- Lil’ Tiger
- Live Twice
- Manhattan
- Mimi
- MO Bar
- NINETEEN80
- Nutmeg & Clove
- The Old Man
- Origin
- The Secret Mermaid
- Smoke & Mirrors
- Writers Bar
*We’ll be adding more to the list as we go – and taste – along, but for now please do support these venues through their bottled cocktail delivery options.
Singapore’s latest integrated rooftop dining destination 1-Atico – which comprises of Argentinean grill house FIRE, Nikkei-inspired gastrobar FLNT, and ultra-lounge 1-Atico – has barely opened before Singapore’s Phase 2: Heightened Alert hit. But 1-Atico’s parent company 1-Group was quick to launch 1-At-Home, which curates signature dining (and drinking) experiences across its venues and made available for home delivery. From 1-Atico you’ll find the likes of El Libertador, a coffee-inflected Negroni, and fruity and floral cognac-based Mizuame.
website | 2 Orchard Turn, Level 55 & 56 Ion Orchard, Singapore 049323 | 6970 2039 | order here
Casual Haji Lane drinking hole Ah Sam Cold Drink Stall carries some rather creative Asian-inspired twists on classic cocktails on draft which they bottle for takeaway and delivery. Popular favourites available in bottles include the Silver Screen and Tak Qiu Old Fashioneds, and Oriental Elixir (a Singaporean herbal take on the Negroni). There are some new creations too; Cha is a black tea-based clarified milk punch, while Bandung Collins is a rose syrup twist on the Tom Collins.
website | 9 Haji Lane, Singapore 189202 | 6391 9942 | order here
“New Italian” themed riverside bistro Caffe Fernet – operated by the same people behind award-winning cocktail bar Jigger & Pony – normally has its own range of fabulous Italian-style aperitifs that’s perfect for drinking while soaking in the Marina Bay seaside view during sunset. While those are currently not available, they’ve tied up with Jigger & Pony Group’s bottled cocktail brand PONY Cocktails for a special PONY X Caffe Fernet range. The Sicilian Spritz is a classic Italian aperitif highball, while the Espresso Martini is more of a digestif you imbibe after an indulgent dessert like Caffe Fernet’s Peanut Butter Bar.
website | 70, #01-05 Collyer Quay, Customs House, Singapore 049323 | 9178 1105 | order here
Newly-opened Peruvian restaurant Canchita at Dempsey offers perhaps the most authentic Peruvian cuisine in Singapore, and their cocktails also derive influences from the South American country. We did enjoy the highball-style Chilcano, which employs pisco, turmeric, ginger, and citrus, while the Canchita Negroni interestingly uses mezcal instead of gin. Its Gin & Chicha incorporates chicha, the indigenous South American fermented beverage usually made from corn, which gives the cocktail a grainy, creamy texture.
website | Dempsey Rd, 9A, Singapore 247698 | 6232 7895 | order here
Ciao Chow is a cloud kitchen and home delivery concept offering a range of classic Italian dishes with a focus on pastas, but interestingly they also carry a range of fun canned and pouched cocktails. There’s the classic and refreshingly bitter aperitif Aperol Spritz, but for those who prefer their drinks stronger can opt for the White Negroni and Vesper Martini.
Like Ciao Chow, Dishoom is a a cloud kitchen concept – opened by the same people, in fact – that offers a range of bold and inspired Indian dishes. Dishoom similarly carries a range of canned and pouched cocktails, most of which are familiar classics – opt for the refreshing Whisky Soda, Lychee Fizz, and Gin Sonic, or go strong with a Manhattan or Smoky Negroni.
Little India-inspired cocktail bar The Elephant Room has some of the most creative cocktails in town – including a few cheeky ones – and a number of them have made it into their bottled cocktails delivery menu. We’re big fans of Buffalo Road, a delicious gin and tonic using pink guava-infused gin, while Jothi’s Flower Shop is a Gimlet replete with jasmine notes. For something punchier (and naughty-named) there’s the rum-based Karmasutra. There are entries from its latest menu too, such as Race Course Plantation and Ayurveda.
website | 20A Teck Lim Rd Singapore 088391 | 9111 5131 | order here
The Exciseman at The Esplanade is better known as a whisky bar – and a very highly-regarded one, at that – but they do offer a couple of cocktails as well. One of their popular signatures is The Exciseman Negroni. One very big (700ml) reason to order this? Their take on the classic Italian aperitif is made with Poli Marconi 46 Gin, and the bar actually reuses the gin bottle for your bottled Negroni.
website | 8 Raffles Ave, Esplanade Mall #02-27, Singapore 039802 | 6462 0053 | order here
Contemporary cocktail bar Gibson – part of the Jigger & Pony Group – has partnered its sibling concept bottled cocktail brand PONY Cocktails for a special limited-time PONY X Gibson range for this period. The two on offer are its popular Mango PX and Sugarcane Daiquiri.
website | 20 Bukit Pasoh Rd, 2nd Floor, Singapore 089834 |9772 9896 | order here
Craft beer brewery and restaurant Heart of Darkness Singapore may be best known for their range of cutting-edge brews, but they do offer a wide range of other tipples as well. For this period aside from delivering their bottled beers, there are bottled cocktail options as well – The Tropics Pina Colada is a beer twist on the Pina Colada using a touch of their The Tropics Pina Colada Hazy IPA – which adds a lovely tropical fruitiness and bitterness to balance the normally creamy cocktail – while Marlow’s Paloma likewise uses beer that’s been slow-cooked with grapefruit before tequila and mezcal is added to the concoction.
website | 1 Keong Saik Rd, Singapore 089109 | 6208 7940 | order here
Seafood gastrobar Humpback – part of the Jigger & Pony Group – has partnered its sibling concept bottled cocktail brand PONY Cocktails to create a couple of bottled cocktails as part of the PONY X collaboration. There’s the Lavender Gimlet, a floral take on the gin-based classic, and Lobster Bloody Mary, which tastes exactly as it sounds – i.e. awesome.
website | 20 Bukit Pasoh Rd, Singapore 089834 |9772 9896 | order here
Cocktail bar IB HQ may be vacating its current premises by mid-July and is in the process of looking for new digs, but that’s not stopping them from offering their creative concoctions – many made with unexpected ingredients such as blue cheese (Bleue de Dux) or miso (Kanji) – for your home enjoyment during this period. Their cocktail menu changes week by week though; follow them on Instagram to find out what’s available at any one time.
Multiple award-winning cocktail bar Jigger & Pony – the flagship of the Jigger & Pony Group was Asia’s best bar in 2020 – like the rest of the group offered their cocktails in pouches last year, but that’s no longer necessary with its bottled cocktail brand PONY Cocktails now available. Then there’s the limited edition PONY X Jigger & Pony range, from which you can get some of their popular signatures, such as the deconstructed Negroni twist Madame President – complete with a Campari lollipop – and the iconic Jungle Bird.
website | 165 Tanjong Pagar Rd, Amara Hotel, Singapore 088539 |9621 1074 | order here
Contemporary Asian gastrobar Laut is as well known their take on modern Southeast Asian cuisine as they are for their unique, category-defying cocktails. While their names don’t tell you much – like Soy, Kumquat, Grass, Pineapple, and Banana, among others – the bottled versions of these cocktails are a way to taste Laut’s innovative mixology at home.
website | 17 Stanley St, Singapore 068736 | 8878 8018 | order here
Recently-opened Levant, the idyllic Mediterranean-inspired rooftop bar started by serial F&B entrepreneur Beppe de Vito – who is behind the dining concepts such as Braci, Amò, Gemma, and Carne – offer bottled cocktails running the gamut of cocktail styles which largely employ spirits and ingredients hailing from the Levant region. Unique cocktail twists include the Negroni-like Amber Constellation and the Manhattan take Tango Era. Also interesting are Turkish Delight (which employs gin that’s infused with mastiha), and Medusa’s Gaze, which incorporates Mediterranean liquorice.
website | 32 Tras St, Singapore 078972 | 6304 3298 | order here
Robertson Walk speakeasy gastrobar Lil’ Tiger aims to prove that convenience and quality can go together with their canned and pouched cocktails. And what a range of those they offer, ranging from classic cocktails to more modern interpretations; You’re looking at the Cosmopolitan, El Diablo, the Carmencita, and even the Lychee Martini.
website | 11 Unity St, #01-07, Singapore 237995 | 8884 6445 | order here
Like the rest of its sibling concepts in the Jigger & Pony Group, mid-century Japan-inspired cocktail bar Live Twice is collaborating with PONY Cocktails; their PONY X contribution is Bamboo and Drops of Dew, two of their best-selling cocktails.
website | 20 Bukit Pasoh Rd, Singapore 089834 |9011 8304 | order here
It’s not quite the same drinking cocktails of award-winning cocktail bar Manhattan in Regent Singapore if you’re not there to take in the cosy vibes and personalised service, but at least some cocktails from their latest cocktail menu, New York Personified, can be bottled and can be delivered to your home for your enjoyment. Their barrel-aged classics – such as the Solera-Aged Negroni – are also great alternatives.
website | 1 Cuscaden Rd, Level 2 Regent Singapore, Singapore 249715 | 6725 3377 | order here
Modern Chinese restaurant Mimi at The Riverhouse by 1-Group is better known for their mod-Chinese eats, but they do offer some cocktails as well. They are offering a couple of them on the 1-At-Home delivery platform; the Chrysanthemum Sangria is a lovely floral version of the white Sangria, while Fire is a peppercorn-spiked, gin-based tipple.
website | 3A River Valley Road, Clarke Quay, #01-02 (Level 2 The Riverhouse), Singapore 179020 | 8879 0688 | order here
One of our favourite hotel bars, MO Bar at Mandarin Oriental Singapore is offering a curated selection of their cocktail hits as well as a number of classics. We love their Panacea, their pandan-infused Gimlet, while the rum-based Moka – with notes of chocolate and banana – will hit a sweet spot. Old school classics worth your while include the Manhattan and the Milano Torino (the latter a favourite during MO Bar’s iconic vermouth happy hour).
website | 5 Raffles Ave, Mandarin Oriental Singapore, Singapore 039797 | 6885 3500 | order here
Retro-themed arcade and music bar NINETEEN80 – with its vintage cocktails like the insanely-strong Long Island Iced Tea and blue-hued Blue Hawaii – is a place to relive part of our misspent youth. Since we can’t exactly do that these P2HA days, we’ll settle for having those cocktails sent over for drinking at home.
website | 21 Tanjong Pagar Rd, #01-05, Singapore 088444 | 9183 6073 | order here
Irreverent local cocktail bar Nutmeg & Clove has some of the most fun with their cocktails; its latest menu “Mythical Animals Story: The Great Race” incorporates some unusual ingredients. Those wacky new cocktails haven’t made their way inside a bottle yet, but Nutmeg & Clove does have a new range of bottled cocktails. Good options include their Almost Colourless Negroni and Is This Really Boulevardier, as well as our favourite from an old menu, the Roses & Lychee.
website | 8 Purvis St, Singapore 188587 | 9389 9301 | order here
Ernest Hemingway-themed cocktail bar The Old Man Singapore, an offshoot of the award-winning Hong Kong bar The Old Man, were among the first to offer bottled cocktails in Singapore’s circuit breaker lockdown period last year. They continue to offer signatures from their V1 menu such as The Torrents Of Spring #1926 and A Moveable Feast #1964; a must for us though is the Clear Old Fashioned.
website | 55 Keong Saik Rd, #01-04, Singapore 089158 | 6909 5505 | order here
We consider the bar component of Origin at Shangri-La Singapore one of the most underrated drinking holes in Singapore; the rum-focused cocktail bar recently unveiled a new menu that displays some real cocktail mastery. Unfortunately those new tipples aren’t available for takeaway or delivery, but hits from their past cocktail menu iterations are. For example there’s Lear Black, a twist on the Aviation, while Smoke For Sinners is a smoky rum-based concoction. Don’t forget their Chocolate Rum Negroni, which eschews the gin in your usual Negroni for white rum that’s been aged in chocolate.
website | 22 Orange Grove Road, Shangri-La Singapore, Singapore 258350 | 6213 4398 | order here
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The Secret Mermaid
The Secret Mermaid – an American-themed speakeasy bar hidden in plain sight in Singapore’s Central Business District – is yet another underrated bar, mostly because it shuns the limelight. Which is a shame because they push out some really good cocktails. Well, you can try some of them in the comforts in your own home – we’d recommend the Passionfruit Daiquiri, Mezcal Margarita, and their Quarantini, but you really can’t go wrong here.
website | 10 Collyer Quay, B1-09, Ocean Financial Centre, Singapore 049315 | order here
National Gallery Singapore rooftop bar Smoke & Mirrors has one of the best views to offer during Singapore’s National Day and the F1 race, but with the latter cancelled and the former likely to be as muted as last year’s celebrations chances are we won’t be able to witness those big scale events for a while yet. Thankfully we still can get cocktails from Smoke & Mirrors delivered to the home – Life Is Beautiful, A Change Is Needed and United We’ll Beat are as spirit rousing as they sound.
website | 1 St. Andrew’s Road, #06-01 National Gallery Singapore, Singapore 178957 | 9380 6313 | order here
Raffles Singapore’s cosy cocktail bar Writers Bar recently launched a brand-new cocktail programme by recently installed new head bartender Nicholas Alexander; it’s so new we haven’t had a chance to try it before Singapore was hit by new dine-in restrictions. In the meantime though we can get its takes on classic cocktails in bottled form – such as the Vieux Carre and Vesper – from the hotel’s online RafflesGrabandGo.com delivery platform, until we get a chance to drop in.
website | 1 Beach Rd, Raffles Singapore, Singapore 189673 | 6412 1816 | order here
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