New cocktail festival Singapore Cocktail Crossover broadens drinking appeal with padel, styling and wellness tie-ups

After a two-year hiatus, Singapore’s cocktail scene is set to welcome the return of a marquee event that unites top names in the international and local mixology scene in a thrilling series of city-wide guest shifts that will culminate in a two-day festival.

The Singapore Cocktail Crossover (SGCX), which is organised by a different team from the now-defunct Singapore Cocktail Festival, will bring together award-winning mixologists, chefs, artists and lifestyle brands from June 9 to 14.

SGCX’s organising team comprises industry veterans such as Peter Chua of Night Hawk and Vijay Mudaliar of Native, Analogue Initiative and the recently-opened Milli, alongside hospitality professionals Henry Stonham and Caryn Cheah.

The inaugural edition of the festival will feature 14 signature events held in neighbourhoods such as Bugis, Tanjong Pagar, Amoy Street and Robertson Quay and a two-day festival on June 13 and 14 at Mett Singapore in Fort Canning Park.

Stretching the appeal of cocktails

SGCX, which is supported by the Singapore Tourism Board, hopes to position cocktails within a broader cultural context. At the festival, cocktails will be paired with various concepts involving food, music, art, fashion, design, and even with the highly-popular padel in its line-up of over 30 stalls. More than 50 brands, including spirits, beers, Korean traditional liquors and non-alcoholic offerings, will be represented at the festival.

Brands include homegrown spirits company The Orientalist, which will showcase two limited-edition expressions: the seasonal Ukiyo Sake collaboration and the rare Mizunara Dragon Whisky. Hendricks Gin will launch Another Hendrick’s Gin, which is infused with orange blossom and cacao, at the festival.

Attendees can receive style makeovers from Ron & Rich while sipping on bespoke cocktails, or they can enjoy guided caviar tastings by gourmet purveyor 8 Gems paired with gourmet snacks from nötter. Need to hit the reset button before indulging in libations? SGCX has partnered with The Longevity Suite Asia for personal recovery treatments before hitting the festival grounds.

Padel lovers can take part in the inaugural SGCX Padel Tournament, held in partnership with Padel Locos. It will combine competitive play with tipple-happy post-match cocktails.

Fun cocktail collaborations

More than 15 international bars from eight countries will participate in SGCX, including globally acclaimed names such as Hong Kong’s Bar Leone, which has been ranked The World’s and Asia’s No. 1 Bar by 50 Best in 2025, Paradiso in Barcelona, Zest in Seoul and Sip & Guzzle in New York City.

One of the most anticipated events will see Barcelona’s Paradiso, ranked No. 4 on the World’s 50 Best Bars 2025 list collaborating with MS Bar Trends, a Barcelona-based atelier that designs aprons, jackets and clothes from organic and recycled materials. The atelier, founded by Margarita Sáder of Paradiso, will showcase customised aprons that reflect the identity of the participating bar and bartender, highlighting the relationship between style and hospitality in the showcase at Lavo in Marina Bay Sands.

Another notable collaboration pairs Paris-based Maison Mahjong with Side Door and Singapore zi char institution Keng Eng Kee. The one-night event will reinterpret Keng Eng Kee’s signature chilli crab through a cross-cultural exchange that combines Parisian cocktail-making and dumpling traditions. The collaboration brings together Keng Eng Kee brothers Paul and Wayne Liew with Maison Mahjong creators Millie Tang and Harrison Kenney in a nod to nostalgia meets modernity.

Recognising homegrown mixology talent

The festival will also introduce the inaugural SGCX Bar Awards, a community-led initiative designed to celebrate Singapore’s bartending scene. Guided by three academy chairs and more than 65 local voters from the industry, media and consumer communities, the awards will recognise bars, brands and individuals across categories including Best Bars, Bartender of the Year, Emerging Bartender of the Year and Art of Hospitality.

Caryn Cheah, SGCX co-founder says: “The bar industry gives so much — to the people who walk through the door every night, and to each other. The SGCX Bar Awards are our way of saying that it deserves to be celebrated out loud. This isn’t about rankings or who’s on which list, but about getting the whole community in a room, raising a glass, and recognising the talent, the hard work and the heart that makes this scene what it is. We’re all better when we celebrate each other.”