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At the old Sugarhall on Amoy Street, rum was unavoidable. Four years later, it’s barely a whisper at the new iteration, which reopens today at Raffles Place.

Gone are the tropical vibes, which have been traded in for dark wood accents and distressed walls of a homely English pub. Only a top shelf of elaborately decorated bottles hint at what they focus on, and that’s precisely how Sugarhall wants it.

It’s a cocktail pub that happens to love rum,” said Bar Operations Manager Davide Boncimino. “You come here for the good times. If you’re open to it, we’ll introduce you to rum. And maybe we’ll convert you to it.”

Principal Bartender Sam Loh (left) and Bar Operations Manager Davide Boncimino (Image credit: Sugarhall)

The original Sugarhall debuted in 2014, next to the first home of craft cocktail bar Jigger & Pony. Both bars, which are part of the Jigger & Pony Group, closed in 2018 (Jigger & Pony moved to Amara Hotel that same year).

Now occupying the same building as sister brand Rosemead, the new Sugarhall offers a menu of 20 cocktails, which are mostly classics and split evenly between rum and other spirits. “We don’t want people to feel intimidated by a rum-focused menu,” Boncimino said.

The drinks are also drier to change people’s minds that rum is sweet, Boncimino adds. Daiquiri, for instance, combines two rums for a bright, refreshing take. Coconut water brings a saline and nutty profile to the Mango Colada. Lacto-fermented passionfruit in the Porn Star Martini offers an umami note. It’s also made with vodka, but Boncimino sneaks a little passionfruit-infused Guadalupe rum in it. “It adds a grassy aroma and perhaps gets people thinking that rum is something they can drink easily,” he said.

sugarhall cocktail pub
Daiquiri (left) and Dark & Stormy (Image credit: Sugarhall)

As a category, rum suffers from a transparency problem, Boncimino observed. “People think it’s all artificial. But nowadays independent bottlers and even big brands share what casks they use and how much sugar they add, if any.” To address this, the bar has a Rum of the Month programme that includes rum flights and an Old Fashioned made with premium expressions.

If you just want an unfussy time, Sugarhall is happy with that too. Upsize your Dark & Stormy to the Mega Stormy, which comes in a huge glass stein. A bottle of rum comes with The One Punch Rum punchbowl, which you can pour into the mix as you please. For food, Rosemead chef David Tang offers minor upgrades to traditional pub fare, such as Snapper, Fennel, and Laver Pie, and Cheese Burger with a dry-aged beef patty and beer- and treacle-cured smoked bacon.

“We want to keep Sugarhall fun,” said Principal Bartender Sam Loh, who worked at the first location. “I get feedback from our old customers on how much they missed the old place, the vibes, the music, the crowd.”

sugarhall cocktail pub
Snapper, Fennel, and Laver Pie (left) and Cheese Burger (Image credit: Sugarhall)

Cocktail prices range between S$22 to S$28, with most drinks falling around S$24 (except for the punchbowl, which is S$250). There’s also a Happy Hour deal between 4pm to 6pm daily, with selected cocktails for S$14.

Sugarhall is located at Cecil St, Level 2 19, Singapore 049704. Book here.

Wednesdays to Sundays, 4pm to 10.30pm

The post Exclusive: Sugarhall reopens after four years as a rum-focused cocktail pub appeared first on Lifestyle Asia Singapore.