Think a pub crawl, but a sober one, whereby at the end of it, you will still be able to walk steadily, and not wake up with a raging hangover the next day.
That is what the SingaPour Drink Tour offers. Organised by tour operator VegThisCity Singapore, it is currently the first-of-its-kind in the country to focus exclusively on zero-alcohol cocktails and alternative beverages.
That is not to say the drinks were any less potent or tasty. As Eiktha Khemlani, the founder of the company puts it, the tour aims to highlight the sustainable and health-forward culture at Singapore bars.
On this three-hour walking tour, participants will visit three very different bars, speakeasies or hidden hotspots, and have at least one drink and a bar snack at each venue.
The bars on each tour will be different and participants will not know where they are going until the actual day, to keep the element of surprise.
My tour began at The Coup, a cosy bar in the basement of historic Ann Siang Hill. Here, my group had the opportunity to try a curated selection of kombucha-based concoctions by a local brewer, Boujee Botanicals. With names like Relax Ribena Kombucha, Cognitive Elixir, Jamu Immunity Shot, it is clear that each drink was carefully selected to nourish the body.
Hydrated and feeling marginally healthier, we moved on to the next stop, Spectre, a mental wellness-themed bar with a vintage apothecary-inspired interior. The drinks crafted are inspired by traditional Chinese medicine and the three non-alcoholic drinks were conceived in the same vein, one designed to aid digestion, another to sleep better.
The last stop was 28 HongKong Street, which has consistently been on the list of Asia’s best bars for years. Here, the ingredients used in some drinks are sourced locally or from the region, while the spirits used contain naturally sourced ingredients.
What stood out was getting the chance to interact with the bartenders, which was not something that you would get to experience on a regular visit to a bar. Throughout the tour as well, participants will also get to learn little nuggets of history and culture of the bars and the area they are at, great for those new to Singapore.
Each tour will be led by an expert guide familiar with the local nightlife scene. The group size is also kept small, not more than 10, to maximise interaction among participants. They also get to skip any queues and special access into bars and hotspots.
Private tours can also be customised to participants’ preferences and suitable for corporate groups too.
Verdict
It was impressive to hear from the bartenders and brewers themselves about the thought process and well-intentioned meaning that went into the creation of each drink. As someone who has been teetotal for a few months, I left well-hydrated, with a greater appreciation for Singapore’s bar scene and glad that I still had my wits about me.
Rate
S$129 (US$99) per person
Contact details
Website: https://vegthiscity.com/product/singapour-drink-tour-copy/
Her hospitality career has included postings at numerous luxury hotels and resorts around the world, including in North America, Asia, the Middle East and Europe.
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