Let’s be real, we are stuck in Singapore and the options of things to do can be quite scarce, considering most of us have not been able to travel for over a year now! Partying at Employees Only would be a good idea, known for high volume, loud music, screaming, dancing, chanting, party, GOOD VIBES, but none of that either is allowed, atypical. What to do?
Fear not! We at AdventureFaktory, will always find something new for you to try and this time, it involves alcohol and good conversations. Yes, good conversations but also well made classic cocktails. Ok, I didn’t find this new thing for you to try. It’s all Steve. Steve Schneider, principal bartender of Employees Only Singapore (and NY), while being stuck in quarantine playing video games (not too shabby) and killing 2 weeks time, thought it could be a good idea to reinvent what we know as THE Happy Hour.
Also, just saying, you should jet over to Employees Only now, literally, before he jets off himself back to NYC.
Back to this new ‘happy hour’, well it is that idea born in quarantine: the 99 Classic Club baby!
Ok, there’s no ‘baby’ to it. It’s just the 99 Classic Club.
It’s simple. Nothing fancy.
A fun and different way to engage people to come back to Employees Only for a good time and drinks. Steve has been in the industry for 18 years and has seen the industry go through many phases and trends, but there are just some classic cocktails that simply never go out of style. After writing a list of 100 something cocktails, which Steve describes as “They are the basics, the fundamentals of bartending”, it has been narrowed down to 99. (Don’t ask me why 99, I forgot to ask him, ha!)
The featured drinks are classics because they are what many guests have ordered throughout all these years Steve has been bartending. It wouldn’t be a classic if people didn’t ask for it!
How does the 99 Classic Club work?
You can catch the drinks from 4-7PM, all night Sunday and Monday, the drinks from the 99 Classic Club at 18 bucks. They are slightly smaller, affordable, because there are many and you might not like them all so it just makes sense! To join the club, you just ask the team or Steve himself. You get your booklet (Jotter book to be precise) with a printed list of the 99 cocktails. You drink a drink, you cross it out. There is no time limit. Some guests have been scribbling in it, others writing random thoughts of the moment while having their drinks. That’s it! Super simple, the booklet stays behind the bar for you, happy days.
Drink all the 99 cocktails? Not only do you get your booklet back as a souvenir, you get a SG$200 Gift card to use at Employees Only Singapore, access to all the bar’s exclusive parties (when we can have parties, geez) and a 10% discount for LIFE!
There’s one key rule: you have to start fresh. You can’t just start within the club by crossing the drinks you’ve already tried in your life before, oh no no no, that would be too easy!
Look. This is not for everybody. If you sign up, you don’t really NEED to actually get to 99, but it is a fun and unique way to learn about cocktails! So many modern cocktails you know today are remakes of these classic cocktails, so if you are in the mood of learning about cocktails, this list is pretty much a good start.
Going through the list, I pretty much realized that I have always stuck to the same cocktails all of my life. Worth exploring new drinks via Employee Only’s 99 Classic Club.
So? Will you try it out?
- Who would you go try the 99 Classic Club with?
- Read more about Things to do in Singapore!
- Follow us on Instagram @adventurefaktory to keep looking at beautiful destinations we have been to!
