If you're a local indie music fan, you may already be familiar with these bars. From Blu Jaz cafe to TAB, there are cool acts and DJs spinning almost every day of the week. Check their rosters, bring your friends, and nod to the beat with a round of drinks.

Acid Bar

Acid Bar is dark, intimate and chill. Its house bands play everything from jazz, pop and rock to classic evergreens and alternative numbers, while the alfresco area is great for beers and martinis.

Peranakan Place, 180 Orchard Rd.,, 6738-8828. Open Sun-Thu 5pm-2am; Fri-Sat 5pm-3am.

B28

This newly revamped swanky underground bar is tucked in The Club, now under ownership of the Harry’s Group. Regular weekend jazz performances are on Wednesdays to Saturdays, setting the perfect ambiance for unwinding over a glass of whisky from their extensive collection.

B/F  The Club, 28 Ann Siang Rd.,6808-2188. Open Mon-Wed 5pm-1am; Thu-Sat 5pm-2am. 

Blu Jaz

One of the coolest places to groove on a casual night out, this cool Kampong Glam mainstay is packed on weekends with a laidback crowd who come here for local jazz musicians as well as guest DJs on the second floor.

11 Bali Lane, 9199-0610. Open Mon-Thu 11am-midnight; Fri 11-1:30am; Sat 2pm-1:30am. 

Crazy Elephant

This long-time rock and blues institution in our live music scene is cozy and never disappoints, especially when resident acts like Roach & The Blues Machine takes the stage. The jokes being screened on the TVs are hilarious. Even stars such as REM, Deep Purple and Robbie Williams have graced this modest spot.

#01-03/04 Blk. E Clarke Quay, 3 River Valley Rd., 6337-7859. Open Mon 5pm-1am; Tue-Thu 5pm-2am; Sun 5pm-2am; Fri-Sat 5pm-3am. 

Hard Rock Cafe

Decked out in music memorabilia, this spot is home to the popular bands Enigma and Acoustic Trip. Try the American cuisine, before you dance to Top 40 hits and have a rocking good time. A claim to fame: the legendary Blondie has performed here. There’s another outlet at Resorts World Sentosa and even at T3 at Changi.

#04-01 HPL House, 50 Cuscaden Rd., 6235-5232. Open Mon 11-3am; Fri 11-3am; Sat 11-3am; Tue-Thu 11am-midnight; Sun 11-1am. 

Hero’s

From the people who brought us Boat Quay’s Mogambo, Hero’s has a varied selection of drinks—with beer to wine and bubbly champagne, bourbon to vodka, and cocktails. And, like Mogambo, they have gourmet burgers prepped by Bergs. Hero’s also regularly screens sporting events on their TVs, and has a live band that plays rock and roll.

01-01 69 Circular Rd., 6438-6058. Open Mon-Fri 5pm-3am; Sat 6pm-4am.

The Pump Room

Other than its delicious range of micro-brewed beer and sumptuous bistro fare, The Pump Room is also known for its rocking live music, namely its resident bands Raz Nat1on which belts out infectious rock and pop hits.

#01-09/10 Blk. B Clarke Quay, 3 River Valley Rd., 6334-2628. Open Sun-Fri 5pm-3am; Sat 5pm-4am. 

TAB

Besides its usual line-up of live music, this entertainment venue features stand-up comedy, dance and theater acts from the region. At the moment, TAB is only open when there are events. Events are listed on their website and Facebook page.

#02-29 442 Orchard Rd., 6493-6952.

Timbre @ The Substation

A great place to unwind with a couple of drinks after a play or gig at The Substation, this live music specialist hosts some of the finest local musicians. Timbre also has branches at The Arts House and Gillman Barracks.

45 Armenian St., 6338-8030. Open Sun-Thu 6pm-1am; Fri-Sat 6pm-2am.

We've previously featured the best sports and wine bars, and now we're shaking things up with the ones with the best spirits. Be it scotch, tequila, or gin, there's something for everyone at these joints. Have a look:

The Auld Alliance

This place stocks well over 1,000 Scotches on its lofty shelves covering every distillery in Scotland from affordable drops to truly astonishing bottles like the Mortlach 70-year-old, the world’s oldest whiskey (distilled in 1938). The bar also has a number of whiskeys from Japan, the US and Ireland, Armagnac, over two dozen absinthes and an impressive Champagne selection.

#02-02A  Rendezvous Hotel, 9 Bras Basah Rd., 6337-2201. Open Mon-Thu 5pm-1am; Fri-Sat 5pm-2am; Sun 5pm-midnight. 

The Beast

On the edge of Kampong Glam you’ll find this rustic, three-story Southern American restaurant that also specializes in bourbon. Choose from over 30 bourbons, including the more unusual Willet Pot Still Reserve. Or just go with a fruity mint julep, a bourbon mojito or a boozy sweet tea. Fortify your stomach with snacks like chicken wings. 

17 Jalan Klapa, 6295-0017. Open Mon-Wed 5pm-midnight; Sat 5pm-midnight; Thu-Fri 5pm-1am; Sun 10am-5pm.

Bedrock Bar & Grill

There’s no place better than this Mad Men-esque spot to dig into New York-style steaks. They’ve got a fantastic list of choice cuts like USDA Prime dry aged ribeye and Aussie grassfed porterhouse, but the big thrill is their comprehensive list of Scotch, handily divided by regions such as Isle of Islay, the Highlands and other. They also have essential Japanese stuff like Nikka and Hibiki, along with a handful of bourbons.

#01-05 Pan Pacific Serviced Suites, 96 Somerset Rd., 6238-0054. Open daily noon-3pm, 6-11pm.

Buyan Russian Restaurant & Caviar Bar

A rare Russian restaurant in Singapore, predictably has a big vodka selection from Russia, Poland and the Ukraine—both clear and fruit-based and some house infusions using exotic ingredients like cloudberry and horseradish. For something less esophagus-searing, try their unusual Russian vodka-based cocktails, like the Spetsnaz, made with pickles and pickle juice, and the Szatlotka, which is a mix of fresh green apple juice and bison grass vodka. On the food front are borscht, pirozhki and pelmen.

9 Duxton Hill, 6223-7008. Open Tue-Fri noon-3pm; Mon-Sat 6-10:30pm.  

Lucha Loco

A laid-back yet bustling spot does hearty Mexican fare like pork belly tacos and Mexican street corn. It’s probably one of the best places in town for tequila—blancos, reposados and anejos—and mezcal. You’ll definitely need to pad your stomach before sipping (yes, sipping) shots of these. 

15 Duxton Hill, 6226-3938. Open Tue-Thu 5-10:30pm; Fri-Sat 5-11pm. 

Orihara Shoten

Specializing in sake, sochu and all things Japanese and boozy, this Singaporean offshoot of the well-known Japanese liquor store is a place to discover a still relatively underappreciated drink.

#01-02 Robertson Walk, 11 Unity St., 6836-5710. Open Mon-Wed 7pm-midnight; Thu-Sat 7pm-1:30am. 

The Rabbit Hole

Chapel-turned-Eurochic restaurant The White Rabbit’s leafy alfresco area has reinvented itself as a gin bar in recent months, with a decent selection of bottles like Brooklyn and Bluecoat (both London dry varieties) and super botanical Spanish stuff Gin Mare, all served with their house made tonic water. In case gin’s not your thing, there’s a lovely wine list as well.

39C Harding Rd., 6473-9965. Open  Tue-Fri 6-11pm, Sat-Sun 6pm-midnight.

The Secret Mermaid

Casual Japanese eatery Shinkansen by day and a watering hole and liquor retail store by night, this hidden hangout specializes in rare, small-batch, handcrafted spirits, specifically gin, rum, tequila, vodka and whiskey. For cocktails, there are classics like the Spiced Blueberry Mojito, Salted Caramel Old Fashioned, or the Sangria Sour.

#B1-08 Ocean Financial Centre, 10 Collyer Quay, Open Mon-Fri 5-11pm. 

Vasco

The boys behind Jiak Chuan’s The Cufflink Club open their second bar and it’s all about South America, with leather booths, hanging copper lamps and a focus on mezcal, cachaca, rum, pisco and tequila. There are also cheekily-named cocktails like the Cusco Puta with pisco, strawberry, capsicum, chili and lime, alongside caipirinhas and pisco sours. The kitchen dishes out empanadas, a few ceviche and heartier offerings like cubanos. 

42 Hongkong St., 8799-7085. Open Mon-Sat 5pm-1am. 

The WOW

This classy spot, launched in partnership with Hotel Waldhaus am See in St. Moritz, Switzerland (famed for its massive whiskey collection), offers 250 types of single malt scotch whiskeys­­—many of which are obscure or unavailable elsewhere.

G/F  Mövenpick Heritage Hotel Sentosa, 23 Beach View, 6818-3388. Open daily noon-midnight.