Kampung Spirit

Mel Chavez of Smoke & Mirrors on creating a cocktail snapshot of Singapore’s past.

- Yeo Suan Futt

BARRING THE PANDEMIC that has largely throttled the rampaging beast that is the global economy, Singapore has been firing on all cylinders in its spirited trot from Third World to First. It’s not just about peaking GDP numbers, but also solidifying national identity, and growing stature and sophistication on all fronts – not least in the area of beverages.

“Cocktail bars are booming in Singapore and the scene is getting bigger and better every year. Singapore is one of the top places in the world to have a drink, on par with New York and London, and we’ve got many bars here listed on the World’s 50 Best Bars,” says Mel Chavez, assistant bar manager at Smoke & Mirrors, the rooftop bar at National Gallery Singapore. It sure looks like it, as we chat at the bar’s open area, with a gorgeous panorama of the Padang flanked by Singapore’s postcard landmarks (Marina Bay Sands, Art Science Museum, Esplanade, etc.) arrayed like pieces on a chess board.