When you’ve got the best Singaporean bars in town, what do you do? You don’t pass off the opportunity, that’s for sure. And if they collaborate with one of the best bars in the country? You just have to go.
Singapore Nights is precisely that, and fortunately, it happens over the course of a weekend. An initiative under Singapore’s #PassionMadePossible campaign, it’s an experience that looks to bring all the energy of the country’s lifestyle to Philippines shores. While most tourism campaigns focus on promoting certain spots to travelers, that idea can be hard to continuously implement with a small country like Singapore, where one can easily fall into “seen-it-once-seen-it-all” territory. Passion Made Possible instead aims to relive the feeling of being in Singapore as a place where one’s dreams can see their fruition.
Singapore Nights in particular looks to cater to the socializers, travelers who “come for the atmosphere” and “stay for the company.” Coming at the tail-end of the Asia’s 50 Best Bars announcement last May, three of the leading Singaporean bars in the ranking took turns tending at The Curator, the only Filipino bar to make the list. From concoctions by leading mixologists to tunes from some of Singapore’s (and the Philippines’) finest, the whole thing was a fun romp of good drinks, good music, and good company.
NIGHT 1: Manhattan Bar with performances by Sezairi and Reese Lansangan
The first night involved drinks from Manhattan, ranked #1 in Asia and #3 worldwide. Operating behind The Curator’s main bar, the team served an assortment of killer cocktails, with the New York Sour being one of the evening’s most popular drinks. Meanwhile, The Curator team served some signature drink up at the front bar, such as the Horchata, the House Bitterness, and the Santeria Sling. The night’s man of the hour was Cedric Mendoza, The Manhattan’s head bartender and one of the Filipinos on the team.
Amid the drinks and conversation, performances by Reese Lansangan and Sezairi, who performed some hits and collaborations. Lansangan’s set included some familiar tunes like St. Petersburg and Autopilot, while Sezairi’s set started strong with some collabs between the two, showcasing his unique range and soulfulness.
NIGHT 2: NATIVE Cocktail Bar with performances by Tabitha Nauser and Kiana Valenciano
Bringing the Singapore night life straight to the heart of Makati, Native Bar took over The Curator to serve fine drinks while blasting the urban beats of Kiana Valenciano, and Singapore’s very own Tabitha Nauser. What makes this bar special is that they use ingredients sourced only in Asia – so you can’t expect a tequila or a whisky in your mix since those drinks come from Mexico and Ireland/Scotland respectively. You’d be surprise also that sometimes they use our very own Tanduay Rhum in some of their cocktails.
Native Bar had lots of interesting items on their menu during their bar takeover but a clear standout is the Cacao, which is a mix of Tanglin Gin (a craft Gin from Singapore), coconut water, palm sugar, and cacao distillate which they sourced from the Northern part of the Philippines, according to one of their bartenders. Other drinks in the menu include Forager’s Garden which has an edible flower, a lambanog-based Red bean; and Oolong Kombucha for people who preferred not to get buzzed for the night.
Native Bar ranks 13th best bar in the world, and 8th in Asia, and was represented by David Young and mixologist Vijay Mubar.
NIGHT 3: Nutmeg and Clove with performances by Charlie Lim and Clara Benin
The night has a peculiar way of opening closed doors. Nothing is left hidden or restrained leaving us at our most vulnerable. However, for the last leg of the Singapore Nights, vulnerability was celebrated.
Charlie Lim was the perfect headliner for the closing night. He said so himself as he interacted with the crowd in between sets, “I write sad songs.” The Singaporean singer-songwriter bared his soul with stripped-down versions of tracks from his new record, CHECK-HOOK. With vocals reminiscent of tenderness, “Light Breaks In” invited the crowd to embrace vulnerability and sing along. Charlie was also joined by the country’s very own Clara Benin. The minute Clara hit the first chord to “Parallel Universe,” you could immediately hear the gasps and whispers from the crowd as if they were bracing themselves for impact. The two shared an intimate moment as well performing some of their tracks together.
Letting go also became a lot easier with a little help from our friends from Nutmeg and Clove. For those that were up for a bit of an adventure that night, the Hotdog Stand was the perfect company. With its longganisa-infused whisky, the city’s sad souls got to enjoy the tang and smokiness of their favorite breakfast (minus the horrendous breath that followed). And for those that wanted to settle with something more subtle, Nutmeg and Clove’s signature Bay Side was the warm hug for that cold night.
The previous two nights had explored passion in the flavors and talents of Singapore with the STB’s Passion Made Possible Campaign. Singapore Night’s last gig closed it all off with the pleasant reminder that passion is never complete without a little vulnerability.
A combined article with words by Pam Musni, Candice Laquian, and George Dungca
