Drinks You Need to Have in Your Home Bar for Happy Hour

Creating your own open bar can be easy with these three simple tips – offer a variety of alcoholic beverages that will appeal to different tastes, serve up fuss-free drinks, and ensure that the line-up will pair well with the party menu. Here are our recommendations:

If you’re a fan of flavoured alcoholic drinks, liqueurs are right up your alley. These sweetened spirits come in many flavours and make a good bar addition.

A popular choice at parties is the limoncello, an Italian lemon liqueur mainly produced in Southern Italy, especially in the region around the Sorrentine Peninsula and the coast of Amalfi. For a taste of Southern Italy, try the Giffard Liqueur Modern Limoncello. It has a refreshing lemony aroma and tart, bittersweet flavour, which goes best with heavy, creamy pastas or decadent desserts.

If you like your caffeine in the form of a cocktail, Bottega Espresso is certainly your cuppa. This coffee liqueur is delicious yet delicate and will not leave a heavy aftertaste. It has a fruity bouquet of peach and apricot that gives way to an intense mocha fragrance, which is then finished with a subtle hint of chocolate. To enjoy it, you can add a touch of cream to create a creamy and rich dessert drink. If you prefer it neat, have it with a slice of chocolate cake or a selection of dark chocolate petit fours.

For those who are always looking for a thirst-quencher after a meal, you may want to consider the Giffard Liqueur Menthe Pastille. Drinking it, with ice and some sparkling water, is like popping a mint - fresh, a little spicy and not too overpowering. This liqueur also works well with other cocktails, as its minty flavour is perfect for bringing out chocolate, cream and even coffee flavours.  

When it comes to choosing what beer to stock up on for a party, think about the kind of food you’re serving. There are generally two categories of beer: Ales and lagers. Ales have a creamier mouthfeel and pair well with savoury foods and meats, while lagers go best with rich-flavoured bar snacks due to their lightness and thirst-quenching abilities.

If you’re unsure about the drinking choices of your crowd, opt for the 1925 Lychee Pale Lager. This lychee-flavoured drink is also infused with rose notes, making it crisp and refreshing. This subtly sweet beer is a great starter for any party and goes well with appetisers like cheese platters and fruits.

For something a little less fruity, the Reddot Brewhouse-Summer Ale is a mildly hoppy and malty brew. Made locally and infused with floral notes, this is perfect if you’re serving Asian dishes like stir-fry, grilled meats or salted peanuts.

To add on to the variety of beers in your home bar, try the award-winning Brewerkz Oatmeal Stout. This rich stout is smooth and contains caramel and chocolate flavours and is well-enjoyed on its own or with fried foods.

Besides new-fangled brews and cool-flavoured liqueurs, which Happy Hour get-together can do without firm favourites like whisky, sake and gin? 

Thanks to Batik Label by KrisShop, which showcases exclusive collaborations that feature the unique Singapore Airlines batik motif, you can get the best of this trio of spirits.

Make your homemade G&Ts great again with the Singapore Airlines Batik Gin By Brass Lion, an exclusive blend created by Singapore Airlines, Singapore Tourism Board and Brass Lion Distillery. This drink is smooth, full-bodied, and bursting with the flavours of tropical fruits like pineapples, calamansi and hawthorn berries. The zesty and sweet flavours are perfect if you’re intending to serve hors d’oeuvres at your party.

If you’re having a small catch-up session with old friends, nothing beats a leisurely chat over a glass of whisky. Consider one of Kavalan’s finest whiskies, the Kavalan Batik Solist Vinho Barrique - Single Malt Whisky for its complex flavour of pepper, spice, dates and fruit such as ripe melon, mango, kiwi and citruses. Pair it with seafood (including sashimi and sushi), cheese, smoked, roasted meats, and desserts.

Finally, you have to add at least one versatile sake to your home bar, as this Japanese alcohol is great on its own and with food. The Dassai 23 Batik Collection is the first of its kind, having achieved a high degree of polishing and purity. The creamy yet floral drink starts off with a milky soft nose, followed by a slightly powdered bouquet of peony and iris. As you sip on it, you’ll get hints of candied praline of vanilla and caramel, aromatic white flowers and sweet pear. This gastronomic sake pairs well with heavy to light Japanese fare (shabu shabu and teppanyaki), seafood and vegetable dishes. 

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