Jigger & Pony’s Indra Kantono is thinking beyond the cocktail bar

On Singapore’s cocktail scene, Kantono is not making any bold predictions. He believes the market is mature and healthy, increasingly comparable with those of London and New York.

The future, he believes, lies in stretching the traditional definition of a cocktail bar. “Cocktail bars are going to go beyond just being a cocktail bar as traditionally defined. Now, it’s about taking that elsewhere.”

That could mean food. “We are using the cocktail bar model to expand and include a big food element,” he said. BOP’s food programme, he added, has drawn strong feedback as an alternative to traditional restaurants as rising prices narrow their appeal.

Or it could mean an entirely different theme. He points to Singapore’s Offtrack for weaving music into its bar experience, Hong Kong’s Bar Leone for bringing in sports, and Bangkok for its hybrid concepts.

Fourteen years into the journey, the former consultant is as animated by aesthetics and atmosphere as he is by numbers. He helps drive the interior design direction, music and intangible “vibe” of each venue. “Now I am in the business of taste. The business of cultural zeitgeist.”

Yet for Kantono, it ultimately comes back to people. “Alcohol is just one part of my job,” he said. “The people connection – that’s what’s worth protecting.”