Jigger & Pony's second floor (Hong Yoo/The Korea Herald)


SINGAPORE — Singapore today stands as one of the world’s most influential cocktail capitals. The 2025 edition of The World’s 50 Best Bars list cements what industry insiders have long known: The Lion City is home to some of th 릴게임골드몽 e most innovative bartenders and boundary-pushing bar concepts anywhere. This year, two institutions — Jigger & Pony and Nutmeg & Clove — show why Singapore remains a global leader in craft cocktail c 황금성릴게임 ulture.



Jigger & Pony's Spicy Margarita (Hong Yoo/The Korea Herald)


Jigger & Pony (No. 9)
First opened in 2012 손오공릴게임 on Amoy Street, Jigger & Pony moved in 2018 to the Amara Hotel’s plush lobby, bringing a refined setting, but not a shift in spirit. At its core, the bar remains committed to genuine hospitality, new 릴게임골드몽 friendships and the joy of simple, delicious drinks.
What sets Jigger & Pony apart is its commitment to storytelling. Each year, the team releases a conceptual “menuzine” — part magazine, p 황금성릴게임사이트 art cocktail list — that has become a collector’s item among regulars. The current edition, Embrace, is a 68-page exploration of people, connections and the pleasures of shared moments.
Step inside the bar and you’ll notice why regulars speak of its hospitality almost as much as its drinks. Creative Director Uno Jang — the newly crowned winner of the 2025 Altos Bartenders’ Bartender Award, the only peer-voted accolade in the entire 50 Best program — has shaped much of that identity.
Korean bartender
A decade ago, Uno Jang arrived from South Korea with limited English and no experience behind a bar. His first gin and tonic — made “like a soju bomb,” he jokes — was a disaster. But his precision, persistence and engineering-style method of cocktail development quickly set him apart.
Jang’s workflow resembles a flow chart: define the classic, break it down, form a hypothesis and change one variable at a time. His reimagining of the espresso martini, for example, focuses on fresh coffee and building a stable crema — small details that sharpen the drink while respecting its roots.
Now Creative Director of the Jigger & Pony Group, Jang oversees teams, concepts and strategy across the group’s portfolio. Yet on most evenings, he can still be found behind the bar. “It usually takes three months to develop a drink,” he says. “Our whole staff tastes it, and only when everyone approves does it go on the menu.”
Jigger & Pony’s signature creations include the Spicy Margarita, made with Codigo 1530 Reposado, Ancho Reyes Chile, lime and a Japanese snowflake salt-coated agave lollipop. “Mix the drink with the lollipop and lick it after every sip,” he advises. “We wanted freshness in three spice levels, with a stable beer-foam head.”
Behind the bar’s design, too, lies Jang’s meticulous hand. When Jigger & Pony relocated, he mixed “new and old vibes,” crafting an organically shaped community table from Indonesian wood. The second floor features smaller, cozier tables and a key theme — transparency. “Wherever you sit, you can see the bartenders working.”
Jang’s next chapter unfolds soon. Early next year, he will open B.O.P., Singapore’s first Korean cocktail dining bar. Located in Tanjong Pagar, home to one of Singapore’s most vibrant Korean communities, B.O.P. will channel the ggi, jeong and heung — the flair, warmth and joyful energy — of Korean bar culture. Expect loud, playful K-pop elements and a spirit reminiscent of Seoul’s bustling youth pubs. Before its official launch, B.O.P. will debut through a December pop-up at MMS Bar in the Seoul neighborhood of Apgujeong.



Nutmeg & Clove (Hong Yoo/The Korea Herald)


Nutmeg & Clove (No. 50)
Relaxed, spirited and proudly Singaporean, Nutmeg & Clove lands at No. 50 this year. Founded by Colin Chia, the bar draws inspiration from the everyday textures of Singapore life: the neighborhood mama shop, the traditional herbalist and the old ice cream cart rattling through streets.
Now in its 11th year and third home, the bar seats around 50 — but often squeezes in more, the sort of place where guests willingly shuffle closer to make room for new friends. Head bartender Sim Sze Wei and the team infuse cocktails with personal narratives, many drawn from collaborators and local artisans.
The latest menu honors twelve members of the bar’s extended community. Kid Me Not captures childhood flavors — sarsaparilla, hawthorn, five-spice — dispensed in a sparkling highball that evokes corner-store nostalgia. Dirty Kopi pays tribute to heritage kopi roasters, turning deep, bitter local coffee into a cold brew with rum and cherry, topped with warm sesame foam, “the color of wet concrete.”



Nutmeg & Clove's Pasar Punch (Hong Yoo/The Korea Herald)


For something savory, Pasar Punch delivers a bright, umami complexity with Hendrick’s Gin, cucumber, passionfruit, beef stock, peppercorn and clarified milk. Guests are encouraged to alternate sips with a pickled cherry tomato for contrast.
Nutmeg & Clove’s pride in local culture goes beyond the glass. Their cups and plates are printed with Singlish phrases like “Heng Ong Huat” (“May you be blessed with abundance”), and much of their decor — such as their rattan lamps — comes from local craftsmen. “We want to celebrate Singapore’s history and show how far we’ve come,” Chia says.