The Vintage Room

The Vintage Room is one of our favorites around Duxton, thanks to its cute but not prissy vibe. Think cushy sofas, fuzzy rugs, vintage bric-a-brac, dainty French bites and girly-girl drinks list. As if all that wasn’t enough, they also make free Bellinis for ladies on Thursday nights, which makes it all the more difficult to resist popping by after work to hang out. (What? Us clichéd?)

Pangaea

If you’re often stuck at work and keep missing regular happy hours, Pangaea's weekly late night hip hop and trap party should make your trudge home a little lighter. From midnight, ladies get as many signature Pangini cocktails as they want for an hour. Although men have to pay $30 (the only cover charge in this list), they get in on the fun, too, with all-you-can-drink housepours and beers for the same duration.

Kyō

Newcomer Kyō’s really coming into its own with its slick parties and great guest DJs. But they’ve not too cool for a ladies’ night, apparently, and a pretty formulaic one at that: Complimentary vodka cranberry? Check. Hip hop and R&B soundtrack? Check. Though it’s not exactly cutting edge, it’s still one of the best ladies’ nights in town, because the crowd sure knows how to have fun. Come early for their fantastic Japanese bar bites.

Idle

If bumping and grinding to trashy club remixes is not your thing, Idle’s ladies’ night is a pretty good alternative. In-the-know DJs like Kentaro Taniguchi from the Mugic crew and the laidback guys from Kilowatt Soundsystem make this more a music scene get-together than an exploitative scheme to get girls maximally wasted. For free flow drinks, they’ve stuck to the traditional lychee martini. Oh well—we can’t have it all. Yet.

83

Slightly wacky Club Street watering hole 83 has a 1-for-1 on selected cocktails ($15) on Wednesday nights, and their Absolut Mandarin-spiked "Vitamin C" cocktails are $30 for four. We hear they even have mocktails ($10) for those who can't hold their alcohol but don't want to feel too left out.

more ladies nights in Singapore

More than just boozy fruit juice, these diverse hard ciders—some with wine-like complexity and others with novel ingredients like sake and hops—are versatile enough to drink straight, pair with dinner or even mix into old school shandies.

Aspall Dry Premier Cru Suffolk Cyder

What: This dry cider from Suffolk almost doubles up as a light sparkling wine, with its delicate fruity flavor, moderate body and tannic astringency. While most commercial ciders taste “loud” and unsophisticated, this one is quite restrained.
When: Pretty much a crowd-pleaser, plus it tastes more expensive than it is. It’d be perfect packed up with cold cheese and fruit for a picnic.
Verdict: √√√√√

$8.50 from The Cider Pit.

Anthem Hops

What: The bottle looks pretty boring, but open it up and you’ll find yourself inundated with the herbal, floral smell of hops. Basically, it tastes like a hybrid between craft beer and cider (albeit with a thinner body), only subtler, more complex and aromatic. Here’s the surprise: everyone, even beer haters, love it.
When: Impress your beer snob friends, or make this your contribution to the next boys’ night out. Even the most solid of dudebros need to express their sensitive sides now and then.
Verdict: √√√√

$21.90 from Thirsty - The Beer Shop.

Crispin Artisanal Reserve Cho-tokkyu

What: A cloudy American cider with a distinctive twist—its base of unfiltered apple juice is developed with sake yeast and finished with organic rice syrup. Though the drink lacks body, its strong sour notes and funky, fermented taste make it a divisive drink that people either love or hate.
When: It’s a lot of fun to watch the varied responses to this. Try pairing it with clean, seafood-centric plates, as one would with sake.
Verdict: √√√

$19.90 from Thirsty - The Beer Shop.

Etienne Dupont Cidre Bouché Brut de Normandie 2011

What: Not a cider for beginners, this unfiltered, unpasteurized specimen from Normandy is musty, earthy and tastes of leather. But we love it! The lovely soft amber color and fine consistent effervescence are big pluses too.
When: Its funky barnyard aromas mean that it can stand up to even pungent cheeses (think a nice stinky livarot). Pick up a couple of bottles for your next tasting party.
Verdict: √√√√√

$20 from Tippletown.

Napoleone & Co Apple Cider

What: This bottle’s crafted by winemakers (Punt Road Wines in Australia’s Yarra Valley) and it shows. Dry and sharp, it reminds us very much of a good trocken riesling. The light clear drink is made of a mix of apples—including plenty of Granny Smith—and the green apple flavor comes through beautifully.
When: Have it with dinner. It’d go great with some elegant poached chicken. Also, the almost bracing acidity would complement spicy Asian salads.
Verdict: √√√√

$7 from The Providore.

Thatchers 2011 Vintage Cider

What: Pumpkin-colored, with a ripe juicy red apple flavor, this initially seems a pretty standard. But what makes it interesting is the bittersweet balance: Aged in oak barrels, the stuff has a faint smokiness, which balances the sweetness.  
When: The smokiness would pair well with a well-browned, caramelized grilled cheese sandwich. And—this is a little déclassé—it could also work in cocktails like the Snakebite (stout and cider).
Verdict: √√√

$9.50 from Brewers’ Craft.

How and why did you start this project?
I have a big group of friends in a close-knit community revolving around Home Club, owners included. Inspired by a high school yearbook concept, I started documenting club nights and performers, usually right before they go on stage. It was a nice homage to the club and the local music community in Singapore.

Who were your favorites to shoot?
DJ Marky, Spectrasoul and Star Slinger. They were not afraid to smile for the camera, which made me smile when I looked at them. Also the guys from Le Palooza—they gave so much to the camera.

Are you really the super-cool girl about town you seem to be?
Not so much. Most days I'm going on photo shoots and doing retouching work for commercial projects or my personal projects, #vinyloftheday (www.vinyloftheday.com) and a new magazine, TWO edition (www.facebook.com/2edition). In my downtime, I usually hang out with my husband and our pug, watch movies or TV, and listen to records or Spotify.

Tell us about your dream photo shoot.
Anthony Bourdain. I’d travel to the locations for his Parts Unknown series on CNN, where raw locations and interesting cultures surround him. Portraiture, photojournalism, food and travel—a dream combo for me.

What and who else inspire you?
Individualism, and the ability to translate that through one's medium. I admire people who have an opinion, and who have found their method of expressing them—figures like Picasso, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Hunter S. Thompson, Banksy and Charles Saatchi.

The Home Club Portraiture Project will be launched on June 29, 8pm at Home Club. Get a copy for $25 on the night (regular price $30).

Can you go wrong with a burger-and-beer combo? Thought not. Each pint of Brewerkz's American pale ale goes a mere $5 with purchase of their famed Cowboy burger as part of their Red, White and Brewed promo.

If pale ale is just a bit too fancy for your tastebuds, there's plenty of good old Budweiser and Jim Beam at Blu Jaz, Muzium and Piedra Negra's Post-July 4 party. There's even a taco bar that will take care of those post-drinks cravings.

Or go for bourbon, beer pong, fried snacks and hip-hop jams at Tanjong Beach Club's Stars & Stripes do. Yep, it’s pretty much a frat party at the beach—good times.

And because there are few activities more patriotic than downing copious amounts of Bud via a bong, check out The Budweiser Beer Bong Challenge final showdown. Sweet land o’ liberty, indeed.