What to Drink at Manhattan Bar Singapore, Asia’s Number One Bar

Location: Level 2, 1 Cuscaden Road, The Regent Singapore, 29715
Contact Info: +65 6725 3377
Operating Hours: 5 pm – 1 am (Daily); Violet Hour: 5 pm – 7 pm (Monday – Friday)
Kind of establishment: Hotel Bar
Price per head: SGD 25 – SGD 60
Signature drinks: The Manhattan, Solera-aged Negroni, The Princess Cut, Remember the Maine, The Flat Iron

Singapore reigns the bar scene in Asia with 13 coveted slots in Asia’s 50 Best Bars 2017 list. It came as no surprise when Manhattan Bar Singapore bagged the top spot after placing 5th last year and top 11 in the list of World’s Best Bars 2016.

What makes this three-year-old hotel bar so successful? “It’s because of the team behind the bar, led by our bar manager, Philip Bischoff,” says Cedric Mendoza, a Filipino Bacardi Legacy Finalist and senior bartender at the Manhattan Singapore. Aside from an award-winning roster of signature libations, it’s the team’s dynamics, teamwork, and hard work that keep the bar a favorite among a discerning population. According to Ced, the team takes care of each other and they make sure that they provide the best service and experience for all the guests.

Cedric Mendoza; his signature drink Regalo

It starts with a sophisticated but welcoming atmosphere. From the façade to its interiors, the place feels like a portal to a different era with a promise of exciting craft cocktails to appease your palate. The warm and accommodating bar team go above and beyond to make sure that you experience the culture, history, and flavors of 19^th century New York City through cocktails.

Aside from the drinks, we also wanted to explore the in-hotel rickhouse and the ingredients room. Manhattan Bar’s rickhouse is the first and only in-hotel rickhouse in the world. It holds over 100 American oak barrels used to age the house whiskies, cocktails, and bitters. The ingredient room is a bartender’s dream. It displays the bar’s assortment of exotic ingredients, in-house herbs, spices, fruits, and roots in various stages of drying and pickling. There are five new ingredients per menu that are rotated or changed every three months.

The bar menu is a result of the bar team’s collaboration headed by Philip Bischoff. Every cocktail has a story. This year marks Manhattan Bar’s third year anniversary, and they recently revamped the menu with 20 different cocktails, inspired by the five eras in the history of the New York.

Primavera – Plantation Rum, Curaçao, pineapples,bitters, mint, lime, the top is ice full of apples + mint; New York Sour, made with Cyrus Noble Bourbon, Ruby Port, house-made lavender-maple syrup, lemon, plum bitters, and egg white

Singapura Nacional – The Singapore Sling-inspired cocktail made with apricot brandy, gin, fresh pineapple juice, lemon juice, and a house made spice syrup.

The Veit, made with Monkey 47 Sloe Gin, lemon, house-made grenadine, egg white, Angostura Bitters, and seltzer water; Spectrum Punch ($22), Plantation Jamaica 2000 Rum, housemade falernum, lime, honey, and berries; Penicillin, Great King Street Blended Scotch, house-made ginger syrup, honey, lemon, and Laphroaig Quarter Cask

Eighth Ward – High West Campfire Whiskey, Sangue Morlacco, Cocchi Vermouth di Torino, and Ferrand Dry Curaçao

Solera-aged Negroni (aged Negroni), made with gin, Campari, and Sweet Vermouth. This is their top selling cocktail, they sell about 700 glasses a month; Bramble, made with gin, lemon, sugar, and Casis

Manhattan Bar has become a destination bar for craft cocktail enthusiast and curious drinkers. They cater to a wide range of clients ranging from 18 years old to 50s and 60s; they entertain and accommodate everyone as long as they are of legal age to drink.

When to Go: The best time to visit Manhattan Bar depends on your mood. If you’re looking for a chill time, it’s best to come in during the Violet Hour from 5 pm to 7 pm. During this time, once you enter the bar you will be served with a welcome cocktail served with a Raine Sandwich, inspired by the 1896 Raines Law, a liquor tax law enacted in New York to curb consumers’ appetite for alcohol consumption. One of the regulations was to serve food or small meals so that people would not get drunk easily. If you’re in the mood to meet new people, 8 pm onwards is best as people start coming in by this time to liven up the place. If you’re seeking a quiet time to savor a good cocktail without the noise of the crowd, go on Sunday or Monday.

For more information, click here to visit their website