Druggists

Ok, I think Singapore may not be totally ready for Druggists. The fine folks at The Drinking Partners (
) decided to come up with The Great Beer Experiment and got some good buzz from beer enthusiasts that made the trek all the way out to Pasarbella at The Grandstand. So, toes dipped and the water temperature promising, putting the whole foot in involved launching Druggist in Tyrwhitt Road, where the gestalt is decidedly more hipster, low rent enough not to go the whole hipster hog (just opposite Jalan Besar Stadium) and not totally slumming it at a hawker center. The evening traffic, IS hipster, or so I’ve been told by the beertenders. I’ve never hung around long enough to find out for myself, opting to scurry away before the sun climbs below the multi-​story carpark at Jalan Besar Sports Complex across the street, like a Carpathian hay farmer fleeing the lengthening shadows. So I’m really glad for the Drinking Partners that they had the stones to put Druggist out there, but that’s just me, the beer nerd talking. If it’ll help, they have my undying loyalty and oh, here’s a virtual string of garlic and a wooden stake from Crate and Barrel carved with calculated indifference… the only thing to put the hipster undead down for good, or maybe put Tactical Nuclear Penguin on the menu.
Man shall not live by bread alone and beer businesses shall not live by beer nerds alone. We may love and understand everything you do, but we also understand that you cannot pay the rent and all those enthusiastic young people on beer nerd custom alone. You have to do the hard thing which, the almost impossible thing, which is to «educate the customer». No scarier words have rung in the ears of those who dabble in the dark art of F&B. My hat’s off to Lincoln and the Drinking Partners!
So here are my recommendations for Druggist:
Beer Nerds. Show up early. Preferably when they open. Keep asking for the tasting flights which should have been launched by now. Early is good since you have the place to yourself and you get to properly taste the wonderful rotating kegs (new kegs come in every Tuesday) in peace without being distracted by the bone chilling miasma of indifferent cool. You get a bit more individual attention from whomever is tapping that day as well if you need to find out a little more about each tap.
Ratebeer. Whip out that smartphone, type Ratebeer into the search bar. Get very useful rating information plus an invaluable guide to what to expect. None of the Druggists offerings are below a 90 rating. Useful supplement to whatever the staff at Druggists are already telling you about what’s behind each tap. You get information on what other beer nerds from around the world are saying about this very beer that has your eye.
Parking. Multistory carpark across the street. Basement parking also available at Jalan Besar Stadium, but a little creepy, but for me nothing compared to the threat of being mobbed by hipsters. Street parking if you’re early.
Flights. I wish they had them, but I just do my own when at Druggist. So you don’t rapidly reach a point of diminishing returns, you ask for about 100ml in each glass taste it and then move on. You end up paying for the full glass, but you don’t waste good beer and you don’t get wasted and you get to be a better person for having a more experienced palate for beer! Still waaaaay less expensive than tasting single malts…
Ok, to close, here’s the sermon. Beer in Singapore is close to where coffee is, a budding culture backed by people with a passion for their product, armed only with what little capital they have and a fierce belief that Singaporeans are ready to dig deeper and to understand the origins of beer, appreciate its traditions and explore the cutting edge of where global beer culture is headed. I think we’re getting there. There is a nucleus of enthusiasts and a general open-​mindedness about spending a little more to try something new, to explore outside the conventional, the commercial and the safe. Maybe, just maybe that rich amber brew with the off tan head bearing that slightly funky fog of sweat sock going at $ 17 a glass might be a life changing experience, an epiphany. The fine folk at Druggists are betting the farm that Singaporeans are willing to take that gamble and I for one am hoping fervently that my fellow Singaporeans are ready to roll the dice!

They have 24 kinds of beer. Tried a few of them. Taste was unique, non-​traditional, I would say, and was not for me. I like more traditional German or Belgium beer. They only have a few kinds of finger bites menu to eat. Beer «full size» was in large red wine glass (probably 350ml) and charged $ 15 to 17.

I finally made it out to this place! Druggist! A place of wonderful rotating 27 taps of awesome beer. If you are looking for tiger or any other light beer, sir please turn around because you will be disappointed… or maybe don’t…and instead bask in the hoppy, bitter, full-​bodied experience of craft beer! My beer count is going to rise slightly this week now that I know how to get here.
The promotion got me excited till I read it more carefully… then I was just sad, then I ordered beer and I was happy again! Singapore continues to amaze me. The place gets pretty full, I went on early Saturday so it was fine. Best part, it’s right next to a food court, so go get drunk and sober up for cheap!

Druggist
noun, North American
plural noun: Druggists
a pharmacist or retailer of medicinal drugs.
Origin:
early 17^th century: from French droguiste, from drogue ‘drug’.
the only medicinal drug that they sell here is beer!
given that moderate beer drinking can have positive health effects on diabetes, forms of cancer, inflammation and even weight loss, i am more inclined to re-​visit this druggist than the gym!;)
i have been here 3 times and every time my beer has been cold!
not as cold as the coldest pint of kilkenny from molly malone’s irish pub in boat quay but categorically cold.
the staff here have been nothing but friendly, helpful and knowledgeable.
each time, they recommended something that suited my palate and/​or disposition.
on my last visit, i was introduced to De Molen Mooi & Meedogenloos, Beautiful and Ruthless!
beautiful it was, dark and sweet and definitely ruthless in it’s alcoholic content!
i like this the best of the three i tried and it paired perfectly with a plate of pork roll that was plump full of distinctively flavoured minced pork with a tangy side salad and sweet, black dipping sauce.
i could totally taste the freshness of the roll and the portion was indeed generous.
yes, they do have a small but well thought out food menu for those who can’t drink on an empty stomach!
you can choose to sit alfresco out front, in the main air-​conditioned hall, in the small, hidden lounge beyond the bar or way behind where the toilets are.
if you like your beer and body cold, do stay in the main hall!
clearly, this place is not for everyone.
clearly, the price you pay for beer in SG is also not for everyone!
clearly, i’ll be back for my regular but moderate, over-​the-​counter prescription again!;-)

Fantastic craft beer joint — quality of selection you’d expect in a high end brewhouse in the U.S. or Europe.
They have over 20 craft beers on tap — quite a feat for Singapore. The staff was very nice and knowledgeable — fun to talk to.
I read an earlier review where a young lady complained that the beer was warm. I don’t know what she was expecting or what temperature her beer was sold at, but my experience was fine in that regard. I had an IPA and an imperial stout and both were fantastic and at the perfect temperature (cold, but not freezing). Maybe some people are just used to hawker center Tiger Beer on ice — that’s just not what this place does.
I didn’t try the food this time — will do next time.
Great place — I’ll be back.

This place serves 23 craft beers (last I walked past) on tap from various nooks and crannies of the world. The place is tiny, has bad air-​conditioning, and the size just makes sound reverberate in a really bad way.
Came here on a Friday night and it was so loud we had to shout, and when you’re paying $ 8 a glass for beer, it ought to be COLD. Within 5 minutes, my beer tasted like warm piss. I don’t care where this beer was brewed, I don’t care whether it is ale or pilsner or whatever, I do care about the temperature of my beer. Something needs to be done about the storage capabilities of this place. Mid-​priced warm beer coming out of the wall in some location not really near an MRT? Errrr okay.
I did take a look at their snacks menu — looks promising and very local, but I didn’t try. Also, they don’t allow you to taste test anything, with some clueless and overworked waitstaff at the cashier to collect your money and vaguely recommend you a brew.
This place would be good if they allowed a shotglass tasting of all the beers they have on tap for an amount, say $ 20, maybe someone can suggest this to their owner.
P. S. Amex not accepted