Travel+Leisure India & South Asia — December 2017

FROM TOP: COURTESY OF EMPLOYEES ONLY; PETER ADAMS/GETTY IMAGES

1/The Flagship This

convivial whiskey bar has

a superlative selection

of scotch, rye, bourbon,

and more. Sip a classic

cocktail while admiring the

concert posters on the brick

walls. Pop into sister spot the

Gibson, upstairs, for some

Prohibition-era ambience.

theflagship.sg

2/Crackerjack This

laid-back all-day café

(from the team behind

28 HongKong Street) morphs

into a cocktail bar after

dark. Sculptural honeycomb

shelves hold spirits used for

libations like the Ticonderoga—

maple, rye, coffee, and

black walnut—and the

Wall of Sound, made with

whiskey, peach, burnt honey,

and thyme. crackerjack.sg

3/Nutmeg & Clove

Singapore's biodiversity

inspires this bar, with a menu

that's divvied up into

sections, each themed

around the flavour profile

of a native plant. Order the

King & Queen, which features

durian and mangosteen

blended with dark rum,

coffee, pandan, and milk.

nutmegandclove.com.sg

4/The Apothecary

You’ll find this 12-seat spot,

designed to look like a

medieval pharmacy, on the

third floor of the gastropub

Oxwell & Co. The bottles

lining the shelves contain

concoctions that go into

medicine-inspired drinks like

the Fenicillin, with whiskey

and a honey-fennel syrup.

oxwellandco.com

5/Operation Dagger

The bartending borders on

the surreal at this joint,

where co-owner Luke

Whearty serves boundary-

pushing cocktails like the

Egg, a spiced interpretation

of eggnog served atop a nest

of smoking hay within a glass

vessel. The décor leans

minimalist, save for a cloud

of light bulbs floating above

the bar.operationdagger.com

6/Native Bartenders

here use locally grown and

foraged ingredients like betel

leaves to create cutting-edge

drinks. Native is known for

a tangy yogurt-and-rum mix

garnished with ants, but less

adventurous types can ease

in with a Mango Lassi, a

tricolored showpiece of beets,

mango, yogurt whey, and

Indian rum. tribenative.com

7/Sugarhall Despite

the subtle tiki vibe, there’s

no sign of kitsch at this rum

bar. Guests sit at sleek leather

banquettes under a gallery

of black-and-white photos,

and the signature daiquiri—

made with an aged dark

rum—comes with a garnish

of caviar on a banana chip.

sugarhall.sg

8/Employees Only

This location of the popular

New York bar has all the

familiar hallmarks of the

original—like a pink neon sign

that reads PSYCHIC and a

raucous atmosphere. You’ll

also find some beloved menu

items, like the truffled grilled

cheese and the signature

Manhattan. employeesonlysg.

com — MEREDITH BETHUNE

SINGAPORE

HIGH-CONCEPT COCKTAILS IN...

If you’re looking for a nightcap in Singapore,

Chinatown is the place to go. The 2011 arrival

of 28 HongKong Street—whose meticulously

prepared drinks have won global recognition—

encouraged mixologists to try niche spirits and

ingredients, kicking off a drinking renaissance

in the city. Since then, Chinatown’s shop-houses

have welcomed a steady stream of ambitious

bars. Ahead, the neighbourhood spots to visit.

South Bridge Rd

1

2

(^34)

5

6

7

8

From above:

Employees Only

opened in 2016;

the shop-houses of

Trengganu Street.

<

CHINATOWN

SINGAPORE’S

BEYOND

Nightlife