What makes Singapore such a special Bar Place?

© Damien Guichard

A Chat with Peter Chua on the Singapore Bar Scene

After a gap year, BCB Singapore made its grand return in 2025 with a bang. With nearly 2,500 attendees at its second edition, the show came back stronger than ever, bringing together fantastic products, top-notch education, and an electric vibe. BCB Brand Ambassador, Damien Guichard, met Peter Chua, the BCB Singapore brand ambassador, for a chat.

Damien Guichard: How would you describe Singapore for someone who has never been there?

Peter Chua: Singapore is a melting pot of cultures. It’s southeast Asia on easy mode where you get all the convenience of a metropolis but still heavily influence by the cultures of the people who make Singapore.

(left) Peter Chua, BCB Singapore Brand Ambassador

(right) Peter Chua with Damien Guichard, BCB Brand Ambassador, and Henry Stonham, Senior Project Manager, BCB Singapore

Damien: How would you describe the bar scene in Singapore?

Peter: Vibrant, diverse and creative. Being in such a competitive scene, bartenders are always trying to create new innovative concepts to attract and retain guests. Especially with such an expensive cost of living, the importance of creating a valuable experience for the guest is priority.

Damien: Why is Singapore such a platform in Asia?

Peter: We are very fortunate to be able to get almost any produce or products that we like. That definitely helps with the diversity of the bars. More so, the average disposable income in Singapore is high so most people can afford to go out to eat and drink. Making the scene dependable on a nice balance of locals and tourists.

Damien: How do you see the future of the Singapore cocktail scene? Pros and Cons?

Peter: The future of the Singapore scene would now be survivability. Even though we have people with money to spend, people’s perception of spending value has changed over the years. Along with the continuous increment of overheads, bar owners are finding that the return of investment versus the effort of operating a venue getting increasingly less desirable. That being said though, the stability of the government and predictability of the weather and crowd means it’s also easier to plan and forecast the business model. With that, I feel that even though we are facing a slump at the moment, once the market is stable again, we will quickly see the resurgence of concept driven bars again.