SINGAPORE – New year, new sips. As 2024 dawns, drinks experts around the island share their spirited predictions for the Singapore scene.

Cocktails 

In 2023, new players who focused on novel experiences entered the Singapore cocktail scene – and that trend is likely to continue.

Bar Spectre in Tanjong Pagar Road – a mental wellness-themed drinking joint that opened in 2023 – is already planning workshops and pairing dinners.

Mr Andrew Pang, who manages the bar’s beverage programme, says: “We are planning more workshops that link mental wellness activities with a little bit of cocktail craft.

“For example, we’re planning a session called Death In The Afternoon, named after the Ernest Hemingway cocktail, for guests to talk about their experience with death. This could be the death of a loved one or the death of ideas and opportunities – the regrets and what-ifs,” he says.

Mr Daniel Goh, a craft beer entrepreneur, certified wine specialist and veteran drinks blogger, expects the trend to expand into unusual pocket and hybrid concepts.

“One thing I’d expect to see more of in our local cocktail scene: a bar within a bar or restaurant. Think Room 0202 within Last Word in Purvis Street, or Cat Bite Club in Duxton Road, which converts the back of a lifestyle retail store into a bar after hours,” he tells The Straits Times. 

And behind the bar, he adds, drinkers can expect to see many of their favourite watering holes push farm-to-glass drinks, such as those created through local sourcing.

“Great examples of hyper-local sourcing here include Fura in Amoy Street, which ties up with hydroponic farmers GreenLoop Farms for their greens, and the award-winning Jigger & Pony at Amara Hotel, which partners Singapore’s only goat farm Hay Dairies and local honey producers Nutrinest for ingredients for its cocktails,” he says.

Jigger & Pony – Singapore’s top-ranked venue in the 2023 lists of both Asia’s 50 Best Bars and World’s 50 Best Bars, at No. 2 and No. 14 respectively – uses heirloom beefsteak tomatoes from a farm in Genting Highlands in its Ugly Tomatoes cocktail.

Jigger & Pony’s head bartender, Mr Uno Jang, tells ST that the bar’s next cocktail menu, launching in March, will feature more of these farm-to-glass cocktails.

“Sustainability plays a part in (creating drinks like these), but having a better understanding of the produce or ingredients also helps bartenders create better cocktails,” he says.

“And for our guests, the drinks are attractive both because of their flavours and because of the story of the produce. We are excited to dive deeper into the ingredients we use in creating drinks for the year ahead.”

Mr Jang expects that bars in Singapore and around the world will reinvent familiar drinks in experimental ways, such as with unexpected flavour profiles.

“Think along the lines of a spicy margarita and champagne ramos gin fizz, or uncommon ingredient combinations like pear and hops or tomato and kummel, which is a caraway, cumin and fennel liqueur,” he says.

And mixologists will continue to push the boundaries of cocktail-making technique, he adds. They will be shaking up drinks that look deceptively simple, but belie a fine attention to detail and precise craftsmanship.

“This is something that Jigger & Pony has been doing in recent years, such as with our Super Lemon Highball. But we have also seen more bars around the world – like Sips in Barcelona, Bar Nouveau in Paris and Bar Leone in Hong Kong – putting out cocktails in familiar formats while using plenty of technique and creativity.”

Wine

The landscape for wine is bleak, with the International Organisation of Vine and Wine reporting that 2023’s global wine production was on track to hit a 60-year low. 

The low production volume from Europe and southern hemisphere producers such as Australia and Chile can be blamed on extreme weather conditions – particularly drought and heavy rainfall – due to climate change.  

This follows a rise in wine prices in 2023 due to international supply chain disruptions and inflation – the longer-term consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic.

“Rising prices are likely to force wine drinkers to be a lot more price-sensitive as familiar names from Bordeaux and Burgundy become increasingly out of reach,” says Smith Street Taps’ co-founder Daniel Goh.

Singapore consumers are also not likely to venture beyond reds and whites, he adds.

“Demand for natural wine and rose in Singapore hasn’t grown as much in recent years as they have in the rest of the wine-drinking world. That’s unlikely to change in 2024.”

Mr Koh Chin Liang, managing director of wine retailer Bottles & Bottles Singapore, says that “valued” wines will nevertheless continue to be popular.

“These high-value wines don’t necessarily have to be from big brands or from the super premium category; they are wines that have a limited allocation and are usually the first to be sold out,” he explains, adding that there is a growing base of knowledgeable consumers who are interested in these highly rated vintages. 

There is one bright spot in the wine world: champagne.

Although there have been reported shortages of premium brands such as Dom Perignon and Krug, mid-range offerings such as Moet & Chandon and Veuve Clicquot will still be available and popular.

“There is no shortage of these mid-range known brands, and their prices have gone down according to supply. Boutique houses have also started to produce Grand Cru champagnes in-house, and their prices are comparable with those of non-vintages of known brands, enticing consumers and giving them more options,” says Mr Koh.

Examples of boutique champagne houses include Lombard, Chapuy and Jean Pernet. 

Mr Koh adds: “In Singapore, consumers are starting to understand and appreciate these smaller houses for their unique offerings. So the known brands’ sales may not be as aggressive as before.”

Spirits

In 2023, it seemed like hardly a week went by without a new premium spirit bursting onto the market. That trend is likely to continue into 2024 – especially in Asia.

The continent is the “largest luxury spirits region globally”, according to Mr John O’Keeffe, president of Asia and global travel for spirits conglomerate Diageo – which produces brands such as Johnnie Walker and Baileys Irish Cream.

The Asia-Pacific region comprises some 20 per cent of Diageo’s business overall, he told reporters in Singapore in July 2023.  

“Post-pandemic, consumers are drinking less in terms of volume, and instead looking for higher quality to ensure they get the best out of that reduced volume,” he said. 

Given this demand, prices for these premium releases are likely to escalate in 2024, according to Mr Arthur Morbois, managing director of fine spirits retailer La Maison du Whisky Asia-Pacific.

He highlights another trend that is set to continue in 2024: the prominence of the Asian portfolio, particularly in the realm of Asian whiskies. 

“Notable mentions include La Maison du Whisky’s yearly releases from Nikka and Chichibu, contributing to the expanding landscape of Japanese whiskies,” he says.

“Additionally, the rise of South Korean whisky – Ki One from Three Societies bears Scottish pedigree – is noteworthy and expected to continue. Singapore has also entered the scene, becoming a player in this trend.”

Rum and agave spirits such as tequila and mezcal are also likely to continue flourishing, he adds. 

Sake

Sake has enjoyed a global boom in the last few years, and despite Singapore’s small size, the island is a key market for the Japanese rice wine.

According to the Japan Sake and Shochu Makers Association, the country was the sixth-biggest export market for Japanese-made sake in 2023, receiving some 590 kilolitres and 1.25 billion yen (S$11.7 million) worth of the liquor.  

As Mr Goh points out: “The massive queues at sake events such as Sake Matsuri and Sake Festival Singapore in 2023 is a strong indication of the category’s explosive popularity.” This, he adds, is likely to continue in 2024.

Ms Janice Chi, a master sake sommelier and co-founder of the Ishinomaki group of food and beverage concepts at Palais Renaissance, tells ST that Singapore residents are also increasingly open to trying new profiles of sake.

Some 160 sake bottles are available to consumers of the group’s concepts, from the flagship Ishinomaki Grill & Sake to sake bar Table 33. “We’ve seen more guests choosing to try sakes from microbreweries, and to sample our hot sake programme,” she says. 

The hot sake programme, which launched in 2021 with six labels, now includes 12 sake varieties. 

Moreover, Ms Chi adds, consumers are starting to branch out beyond the well-known classics such as the crisp and clean Junmai Daiginjo.

“There is more curiosity towards sakes which are unfiltered, unpasteurised, aged and even fortified. It has shown that in 2024, we can push the boundaries and bring in more experimental sakes,” she says.

To slake this thirst for sake, her venues will be hosting Japanese sake producers for monthly pairing workshops, which will run from March to November. 

Beer

Beer is the most consumed alcoholic beverage in the world, but consumption has been on a downward trend over the last few years. In 2023, the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States announced that spirits brought in 42.1 per cent of revenue in the US alcohol market, surpassing beer – which brought in 41.9 per cent – for the first time.

In the face of this slow decline, bigger beer players have looked to reinvent the age-old beverage in unusual ways.

Beer brand 1664, for instance, ended 2023 with a festive release of the 1664 Prestige, which was “brewed with champagne yeast” and bottled in 750ml glass vessels to emulate the sparkling wine experience with beer. 

And in January, Asahi is launching “self-foaming” Asahi Super Dry Nama Jokki in Singapore – which it touts as the world’s first “draft beer in a can”. The can has been engineered such that when the drinker pulls the tab, the top comes off entirely, and a fine and creamy foam is generated, almost as if the liquid inside was poured from a beer tap.

One segment of the beer market that is continuing to grow is craft beer.

Local craft breweries went from strength to strength in 2023, with Brewlander launching its inaugural Brewnanza Fest. Brewerkz, too, pushed the envelope with its EarthBrew Sourdough Pale Ale – beer brewed from leftover sourdough bread provided by artisanal bakery Baker & Cook.

“I think the local craft brewing scene will make bigger inroads in 2024, introducing even more interesting brews and beer styles to a wider drinking base,” says Mr Daniel Goh, who is the co-founder of beer hawker stall Smith Street Taps at Chinatown Complex Food Centre. 

“I predict local breweries like Brewlander, Alive Brewing and Brewerkz will continue to lead the way. Brewlander and Alive have been making some fantastic beers of late, while Brewerkz’s expansion into the heartland with its restaurants will likely help take local craft beer into the mainstream,” he adds.

In November, Brewerkz opened its newest restaurant at Seletar Aerospace Park. 

Mr Goh’s Smith Street Taps co-founder, Mr Kuok Meng Chao, says lagers and pale ales will continue to drive the most volume even within the craft segment.

He adds that more of his customers have been asking for sour beers, as these are “refreshing and actually really well-suited to our climate, especially fruited sours”.

These fruited sours incorporate fruit, and despite the name, they come in different flavour profiles – from sweet to salty.

Low-alcohol and non-alcoholic beverages

Low-alcohol and non-alcoholic beverages have been around for a few years, but more in the ready-to-drink market than at venues such as bars and restaurants.

Cider brand Somersby launched its alcohol-free Somersby Apple 0.0 at the end of 2023. 

But that might be changing. Outlets such as Night Hawk in Tanjong Pagar Road, which ST named the best bar of 2023, and Side Door in Neil Road, which opened in November, have dedicated sections in their menus for non-alcoholic drinks.

Multi-concept venue White Shades in Boon Tat Street, which opened in August, also serves low and no-ABV drinks at its ground floor ice-cream parlour. For instance, one creation mixes jasmine tea and soju.

Over at Bar Spectre, beverage programme manager Andrew Pang says 50 per cent of the bar’s drink orders are low ABV (alcohol by volume) drinks such as the Tea & Sympathy concoction, which is made from sauvignon blanc, honey, green tea and mint. 

“For 2024, we are exploring more no- and low-ABV beverages and deep-diving into the traditional Chinese medicine side of our concept,” he says.

“Our next menu will include cocktails that contain less alcohol, naturally sweeter ingredients or ingredients that mask bitterness – removing the need to add more sweetener. We may even play with frequencies and dining equipment that influence the perception of sweetness, as there has been research showing that high-frequency sounds can make food taste sweeter,” he adds.

Water sommelier Caryn Tan tells ST that consumers are beginning to gravitate towards sparkling mineral water as an alternative to the most popular non-alcoholic go-to drinks of soda. 

It helps that big bottled water players such as Evian and Spritzer have entered the sparkling water game in recent years, launching their own carbonated drinks in 2022 and 2023 respectively. 

“The refreshing taste and lack of excessive sugar make naturally sparkling mineral water an attractive option. Some even describe these drinks as ‘addictive’ due to their appealing sensory experience,” says Ms Tan.