Hopulist Issue 7

“The bar also has
its own chapter of
Mikkeller Running
Club, something I
couldn’t resist buying
some merchandise
of, being a keen
runner myself.”
AN INTERNATIONAL FLAVOUR
The international feel of Singapore is everywhere you go. It’s
in the architecture, the wide range of languages spoken, the
religions practiced and, thankfully for us, the beer drunk. Two
particularly favourite examples of that I discovered during my
stay were JiBiru and Mikkeller.
JiBiru is a Japanese craft beer bar just off one of Singapore’s
major shopping avenues, Orchard road. The name means ‘local
beer’ and the range is pretty staggering. Avid Hopulist readers
will remember our trip to Japan last year and the collection
of Japanese beers here is worthy of any bar we visited there.
Minoh is here, Hitachino is here, Echigo is here, even a good
range of Sake is here if you get bored of the beer. And all of it
can be served with accompanying delicious food. I didn’t stay
long here as it was a busy Saturday afternoon, but it is a bar
that should certainly be on your hit list.
For a European flavour, the Mikkeller bar in Singapore is an
absolute must. No matter where Mikkeller sets up its bars, it
manages to perfectly marry its own style with the local feel.
This bar is located not too far from the famous Raffles Hotel
with its even more famous Long Bar (the birth place of the
Singapore Sling cocktail), and is housed in a magnificent
colonial-era building adorned with bright red shutters that
really make it stand out. The building was in fact once a
settlement for Chinese communities first arriving in Singapore
years before. The bar had the usual excellent selection of beers
and plenty of space to sit and enjoy good company and watch
the world go by through those shuttered windows. As usual
the staff were super friendly and genuinely fans of the beer
they served, which always makes for a better beer drinking
experience. The bar also has its own chapter of Mikkeller
Running Club, something I couldn’t resist buying some
merchandise of, being a keen runner myself.