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With the cocktail bar scene as thriving as it is in Singapore these days, hotel bars too are not to be left behind.mini storage Three have upped their game by roping in top mixologists, growing their own herbs and specialising in craft beers. By Debbie YongOne-Ninety by Javier de las MuelasFour Seasons Hotel Singapore190 Orchard BoulevardTel: 6831 7671Open 8am-1am dailyWHAT makes a good hotel bar? One filled with pleased-as-punch hotel guests is not enough for veteran mixologist Javier de las Muelas - it has to be a gathering point for locals too."A hotel bar isn't just for hotel guests anymore. It's somewhere people can go to to discuss business, or for ladies who want somewhere to rest between their rounds of shopping," says the Spanish mixologist and owner of the award-winning Dry Martini and Gimlet bars in Barcelona.He was in town this week for the official launch of lounge-bar One-Ninety, a collaborative effort with the Four Seasons Hotel Singapore. The bar re-opening comes after a six-week overhaul as part of the hotel's bigger revamp to mark its 20th anniversary.To cater to this expanded demographic of bar patrons, then, he's designed the drinks menu around a more "feminine" pysche, Mr de las Muelas says, filled with healthier, antioxidant-packed and less alcohol-laden concoctions suitable for light afternoon drinking.On why he agreed to launch a Singapore outpost, Mr de las Muelas, who also crafted the One-Ninety Bar in the Four Seasons Resort Bali at Jimbaran Bay last year, says: "Singapore is so Asian but yet it has a modern twist, I've always thought it was special."He recalls having a drink in the bar's outdoor terrace on a visit here two years ago - before the partnership was inked - and "I thought, how nice it would be if I could create a bar here one day."The natural go-to section of the cocktail list is the range of classic martinis ($22), such as the Gibson, Martinez and the dry martini, the recipe for which Mr de las Muelas spent 35 years perfecting (the trick, he says, is that the gin has to be "very, very cold" and stirred for a mere 10 to 15 seconds, not shaken a la James Bond). More adventurous drinkers will delight, however, in the signature cocktails ($23) exclusive to Singapore, which work in tropical flavours such as pineapple, coconut and ginger.To keep standards consistent across his global ventures, bartenders at One-Ninety were first trained at his existing bars before being deployed, and cocktails are flavoured with his custom-produced Droplets range of all-natural, non-alcoholic flavour essences with aromas such as rosemary, smoked oak and Mediterranean flowers.New drink recipes will be introduced at One-Ninety every three to four months, with cocktail and sangria pitchers already on the cards. Knock them back with a group of friends on the bar's leafy outdoor terrace, which features a brand new smoking bar corner for cigar lovers. Gourmet sharing plates such as charcuteria boards, wood-fired focaccia with truffle mascarpone cheese and wagyu mini sliders cap the experience.He's encountered many "stressful bars" in which bartenders are hurriedly churning out drinks during his travels in Asia, says Mr de las Muelas, but "a bar must be authentic and have soul. It's not only about the alcohol, or the type of glassware and bar tools you use, but about creating the perfect atmosphere as the whole."Agreeing, Four Seasons Singapore's general manager Antoine Chahwan adds: "Hotel bars of the past were very stiff - you didn't feel very cared for. You were attended to by someone who knew everything and you feel like you didn't know anything, which can be an intimidating experience."But bars these days are undergoing an evolution: bars are now part of a state of mind, a place where you express your emotional status, be it celebratory or otherwise. Even if you're not a conoisseur, you should be able to find something that you like. You have to feel good when you leave."debyong@sph.com.sgAntidoteFairmont Singapore, 80 Bras Basah RdTel: 6431 5315Open 5pm-2am, dailyTHE farm-to-bar movement that rapidly sprouted up in Singapore over the last six months is no longer just confined to the backyard herb gardens of standalone cocktail bars.Sustainability-savvy hotels are starting to get in on the act too, and the latest among them is the Fairmont Hotel and its month-old Antidote bar.After a short period of refurbishment in December, away went the hotel's dark and broody jazz lounge, Ink, and in its place is modern, airy cocktail bar Antidote, which features cocktails made with fresh herbs and vegetables taken from the hotel's 600 sq ft, six-month old organic herb garden.And, as seems requisite for progressive cocktail joints these days, the hotel has roped in forward-thinking New York-born mixologist Tom Hogan to front the bar. Besides working in the fresh harvests, Waldorf Astoria Hotel-trained Mr Hogan has concocted a homemade series of bitters, liqueurs, flavoured sodas and vermouth for use in his cocktails.But what good is all the extra effort if it is lost on the patrons? To this end, part of the refurbishment effort also tore down kitchen walls, replacing them instead with kitchen and bar counters fully exposed to public view."Customers these days expect not only great tasting cocktails, but also an education on the origins of the ingredients used as well as processes and inspirations behind each cocktail," explains the hotel's director of food and beverage, Nick Flynn.In the dining space, a mix of plush sofas, lounge chairs and standing tables with cushioned high perches cater to all tipplers, whether you're looking to knock back a refresher while checking in, to catch up with clients over an afternoon beer, or to sip on a cocktail before a night out on the town.The bar menu, likewise, is a sketchbook peek into the mind of a mixologist, and features art school-educated Mr Hogan's quirky sketches of elaborately garnished cocktails and scribbled notations on each drink's composition. From the list of signature concoctions ($23), The Blood of Dillinger is a earthy, violet-toned muddle of beetroot, rosemary, honey, lemon and tequila, while Le Liason is a smoky-yet-smooth liquid working in Luxardo maraschino liqueur, egg white, lemon, and a touch of scotch whisky.True to the bar's name, the menu also has a full page dedicated to 'tonics' ($19), or cocktails that work in healthy medicinal herbs and vegetables such as cinchonas, bittergourd and American ginseng, that taste far better than they sound on paper.Peckish drinkers can feed on substantial European small plates with Asian inflections, such as the yummy-sounding langoustine tartar with peanut tofu in a chilled tom yum broth ($16) or the braised veal cheek with P?mrigord black truffle bao ($20).Cook and BrewLevel 33, The Westin Singapore, 12 Marina View, Asia Square Tower 2Tel: 6922 6948Open 11am-12mn Mon-Thu, 11am-1am Fri, 6pm-1am SunLUXURY hotel bars are usually more likely to trumpet their state-of-the-art wine cellars, or the range of premium whiskies in their whisky lounges - but newly opened The Westin Singapore has side-stepped convention to cast their spotlight on beer instead. Lots of it.Built into the 33rd floor of the hotel, in a spacious mezzanine floor above the lobby is Cook and Brew, a modern gastrobar that features over 100 different labels of beer from 17 countries.Organised by country, the beer catalogue rolls in everything from ubiquitous labels such as Heineken, Tiger, Carlsberg and Corona to more craft potions from breweries such as Scotland's Brew Dog, Australia's Cheeky Rascals and Mountain Goat Steam, and Sierra Nevada from the United States.A small bites menu runs the global gamut of flavours with creations such as chicken kofta with herb croutons and mint yogurt ($10), a salt and tongue-tingling peppercorn-dusted fried squid ($12) and wasabi mayo-drizzled soft shell crab with antioxidant-rich sweet potato fries ($12).Lunch-seeking office workers from the Marina Bay in can also stop by for larger plates that offer something for everyone, from local-inspired laksa ($22) and chilli crab ($29) to European-leaning staples such as barbecue pork ribs ($26), fish and chips ($19) and pancetta bacon and sunny side up-topped beef burgers ($19). All of the dishes come with recommended beer pairings - the delicate umami of the Hitachino Red Rice beautifully rounds out the fatty salmon and avocado toppings in the Sushi Bowl ($16), for instance - consult a frie迷你倉dly waitstaff if you don't know better.In keeping with the casual atmosphere, dedicated oenophiles can help themselves to their fill of 16 labels of red and white wines from the self-service Enomatic machines."The food and beverage industry in Singapore has become more competitive over the years. Customers are becoming more sophisticated in their choice of food and drinks and hotels have to differentiate their food and beverage offerings to stand out from the competition," admits The Westin Singapore's food and beverage director, Zulkiflee Januar.Timber wood flooring, metal mesh curtains and vintage lamps amp up the grungy New York loft vibe in the spacious 120-seater lounge and dining sections.But the icing on the cake at Cook and Brew is probably the unhindered views over the South China Sea that it affords. Drink it all in from the sea-facing strip of outdoor terrace at sunset, and you will quite easily forget that you're right in the heart of a congested metropolis' bustling financial district.Not had your fill? Try these other new and notable drinking holes.L'Aiglon 69 Neil RoadTel: 6220 0369Open 5pm till late, Mon-SatHOTEL bars are rarely sources of inspiration, but for French film director Pierre-Emmanuel Plassart (left), they evoke memories of childhood holidays with family and his own travels around the world as a former fashion photographer for luxury brands such as Cartier. Which is why he has no qualms admitting that his first F&B venture in Singapore, plush watering hole L'Aiglon along Neil Road, is modelled after one.Says Mr Plassart, who moved from Paris to Singapore in the middle of last year: "I didn't want to do another speakeasy. Comfort and service are very important to me."Sandwiched between Tanjong Pagar's rainbow bars and paces away from top drinking spots like the Cufflink Club and The Library, the 76-seater bar hopes to stand out by fronting top-shelf liquors and premium champagnes such as the Dom P?mrignon Brut Cuv?me Oenoth?oque 1971 or the Veuve Clicquot Brut Ros?m Cuv?me La Grande Dame 1990 - all arranged in categories such as vintage, non-vintage, exceptional cuvees, magnums and jeroboams, and ready stocked in-house."To me, champagne is the epitome of a celebration, and celebrations happen spontaneously - they can't be pre-planned," quips Mr Plassart. Bottle prices start at $110 for the house bubbly JM Labruyere - a 60,000 bottle per year production that makes its global debut at L'Aiglon - and go up to $5,000 for a Veuve Clicquot Brut Ros?m Cuv?me La Grande Dame 1990. For a truly exclusive experience, the private room for 10 can be cordoned off with its own private entrance by the back of the bar.For a more casual post-work sip, head barman Louis Tan, previously from The Horse's Mouth, shakes up a range of Franco-Asian cocktails such as the French 69, a tribute to the classic French 75 cocktail; the Asian Beauty, which fuses gin and pomegranate juice with accents of pandan and the cheekily named Screaming Tomatoes, a Bloody Mary spin-off working in blowtorched tomatoes.Travel influences further manifest in the bar's East-West roster of bar bites such as the PEP chicken mini burger, chicken samosas and the curry-tinged crab cakes with Granny Smith apples ($8 to $18).Whether in the custom-made velour sofas, the vintage metal trunk bar in the private alcove - all personally handpicked by Mr Plassart and his mother and shipped from Paris - or the walls displaying photographs from Mr Plassart's travels, the personal touch is undeniable.L'Aiglon (pronounced "leg-lon"), if you were wondering, meaning little eagle in French, was a common nickname for French leader Napoleon and also Mr Plassart's growing up. "I want this place to feel like an extension of my living room," explains the 31-year-old, who hopes to open a second outlet here by year-end.Way We Were92 Neil RoadTel: 6224 1607Open 9am-6pm Mon-Fri, weekends by appointmentTHE F&B boom in nearby Keong Saik Road and Duxton Hill seems to be quickly spilling over to the stretch of Neil Road wedged between, and latest new entrant, Way We Were, is something of cross between a Hong Kong-style private kitchen and a premium wine and spirits bottle shop.The inventory brief here is "rare, unique and interesting", according to Kevin Cheng, co-owner of the Concepts Group - which means you're probably knocking on the wrong barely-marked door if you're looking for New World libations or run-of-the-mill supermarket brands.Instead, Way We Were's 3,000-bottle wine cellar stocks labels from less popular parts of France such as the Jura Valley and - in keeping with the store's name - plenty of vintage gems such as extra-aged tequilas from HerraDura, Niepoort port wines dating back to 1850, and exalted Japanese whiskies such as 30 to 40-year-old Karuizawas.Also on their 36-page inventory list are a wood-encased bottle of Quinta do Vallado port from 1866 and every vintage from Spanish winery Bodegas Vega Sicilia since 1917. Prices start at $40 for a bottle of French wine and can stretch up to $35,000 for a 1964 Karuizawa whisky.Still can't find what you're looking for? Mr Cheng has a further 6,000 bottles in his collection currently safe-kept in professionally managed cellars in Bordeaux and Hong Kong, which can be air-freighted to Singapore with a week's notice. If you have a particularly elusive label in mind, the store's general manager Kenny Mok, a former sommelier at the Shangri-la Hotel in Hong Kong, will gladly tap on his network of industry contacts to uncover it, "whether you're looking for something from a specific year as a birthday present, or a limited edition bottle to impress your superiors", Mr Cheng adds.For the hard-to-impress, go a step further and create your own label of wine. Having bid and won in the Hospices de Beaune charity wine auctions since 2010, Mr Cheng will be able to aid interested connoisseurs on everything from the bidding process to the bottling and labelling of wines under one's preferred name.The versatile 500 sq ft space (right) holds up to 10 seated diners or 20 people standing, and can morph from intimate tastings room for a weekday night gathering among friends to a private dining space for guest chefs. Wall projectors help to facilitate informal corporate meetings and sessions with visiting wine speakers (Vega Sicilia's Pablo Alvarez will make an appearance next month.)Pair your tipple with ham, cheese and caviar platters or order from any of the Concepts Group's growing network of F&B spots, including The Retrospective, Mariko's and Bartini - all within a 10-minute delivery radius.Besides the economies of scale for Mr Cheng and his partners, their customers reap benefits, too: they can now order off Way We Were's premium winelist at any of the group's watering holes, which will then be dispatched on request.The Pecking Order / The Men's Room#01-01, 13 North Canal RoadOpens end MarchAh, it's about time. Already throbbing at the seams on weekend nights with work-weary corporates, popular watering hole The Mad Men on North Canal Road is set to triple their turf this March.The bar's management will be taking over the first and second floor units of the same building, which was previously occupied by now-defunct South American restaurant, Sur.In its place, the team - who also run The Merry Men on Robertson Quay - will launch two new concepts: a casual small plates restaurant, The Pecking Order, on the ground floor, and a whisky and cigar bar, The Men's Room, a floor above.The Pecking Order will dish out European cuisine in a format designed for sharing and pairing with drinks. The menu is still being tinkered with but expect dishes such as lamb chops with sides of baked endives and potatoes cooked in duck fat, along with seafood platters featuring fresh oysters, clams and prawns.The gin-centric drinks menu will showcase 10 to 15 labels such as Monkey 47 and The Botanist, along with premium tonic water, Italian Peroni beer and Magner's cider on tap.Upstairs, women-friendly The Men's Room will be fashioned after an old English bar with plenty of broody dark wood and leather accents, and high-end whiskies will be the tipple of choice. Cigar lovers will appreciate the tiny outdoor patio at the back, while DJs will spin mambo music on Wednesdays and crowd favourites on weekend nights."The flow of traffic has really picked up on this side of Boat Quay and this building holds plenty of sentimental value to us," says co-owner Eugene Fung.文件倉