Alcohol – dubbed the ultimate social lubricant, a tool that bonds people and allows for individuals to open up and socialise with more confidence, paving the way for quality conversations. However, since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, the Singapore government has implemented strict regulations regarding alcohol sales and consumption in bars and in public for the past year.
Since April 2020, bars, restaurants or any food joints in Singapore are not allowed to serve or sell alcohol after 10:30 pm. No alcohol is to be consumed in the abovementioned venues and in public after 10:30 pm as well. This is a stark contrast to before the pandemic when people were able to drink at least until 2:30 am in neighbourhood coffee shops and bars or until dawn at night clubs. So how did Singaporeans cope with the new regulations? They moved the party back home.
Since the regulations were enforced, there has been a surge in demand for alcohol delivery, especially in the late night. In fact, despite smaller gatherings and parties, online alcohol retailers have seen a spike in alcohol sales during festive seasons in 2020. The shift in consumer behaviour during the pandemic has also resulted in more online procurement and home consumption of alcohol.
If you have never had your alcohol delivered to your home before, you might be wondering – where do people in Singapore order their beers? Well, the obvious answer is online. But how should you go about picking the best alcohol delivery service and what should you look out for when it comes to ordering your booze online? Read on to find out.
1. Get Your Alcohol Fix Whenever You Want
When you drink at home, you play by your own rules. As long as you don’t flout pandemic social gathering limits, you are free to drink past 10:30 pm or until however late you like. Bid goodbye to the days where you scramble to the nearby convenience store to get your beers just before 10:30 pm. Heck, you don’t even need to lug the heavy cans back home after!
2. Skip The Crowd
Instead of queueing for a table at crowded and noisy bars on weekends, why not have a chill night in with your closest friends where you can enjoy some cheap wine and have quality conversations without being interrupted by loud music? You can get your weekly dose of great wine and great company, minus the chore of booking a cab during the fare surge to get home after – win, win.
3. More Choices
What do you do when some of your friends prefer beer, some prefer wine and you just want a good bottle of whisky to end the hectic week? Order them all! When it comes to buying your alcohol online, the best part would be being able to choose from a wide variety of cheap beers, spirits, liquors and wines all at the same time. You don’t have to worry about finishing a whole bottle of whisky since you are not drinking at a bar and don’t have to carry the heavy bottle home, and everyone can enjoy their favourite drinks. Furthermore, exclusive promotions online can in turn help to save even more cost on your overall expenditure on alcohol since you are already exempt from Singapore’s service tax by drinking at home.
What to Look Out For When Ordering Alcohol Delivery Online?
1. Delivery Timings
The most important thing to look out for when you are making an order for booze online would be its delivery timings. Some online liquor stores allow you to pick and choose your preferred delivery timeslot, some are able to deliver on-demand or do same-day delivery, while some would require you to place your orders in advance if you want them delivered at a specific time. Take note of the terms and conditions for an alcohol delivery for each online liquor store before you make a purchase.
2. Selection of Alcohol
You wouldn’t want to have to order from multiple shops just to get a variety of alcohol for your guests, so you should definitely opt for an online alcohol shop in Singapore that has a wide selection of beers, spirits, liquors, whiskys and wines for you to pick from.
3. Prices
Without having to bear the overhead costs of operating a shopfront, alcohol shops online generally sell their products at a lower price than supermarkets or popular convenience stores in Singapore. With that being said, you should be familiar with the prices of your favourite alcohols at the supermarket, which means that you can easily do a price comparison between purchasing in stores and online or between several online stores. Another thing to consider would be delivery charges or minimum spend to be eligible for free delivery.
What Alcohols Can You Order Online?
As the millennials love to say, the Internet has everything, and of course almost every alcohol. Just in case you can’t make up your mind, we have curated a list of alcohols that you can get your hands on without even stepping out of your homes.
The selection of whiskys online is nothing short of impeccable. Whether you feel like having an authentic Japanese whisky, a glass of Scotch or even an Irish whiskey, you can get them all by ordering online. If you search thoroughly, you might even find the highly coveted and rare Hibiki 17 years, which has reportedly been discontinued by Japanese distillery Suntory.
How to enjoy whisky
The simplest method to enjoy your whisky is neat (with nothing else and in a neat whisky glass) while cleansing your palate with cool water in between sips. There is also a practice of adding a few drops of water to the whisky to “open up” the flavours of the drink. Ice works particularly well in Singapore, bringing the temperature of the whisky down to the equivalent of an enjoyably cool “Scottish room temperature”. If drinking it neat is not for you, start slow by enjoying it in a cocktail such as an Old Fashioned or a whisky sour.
Hendrick’s Gin is probably the most popular gin amongst Singaporeans, but if Hendrick’s Gin is not your top choice, there are also plenty of other choices for you to choose from online. Some brands you can expect to find online include Roku Gin, Bombay Sapphire, Gordon’s, Botanist, and more.
How to enjoy gin
The most common way Singaporeans love to enjoy their gin would be in a gin and tonic cocktail. Gin and tonic – gin with a splash of tonic water and a touch of lime, a perfectly refreshing drink for a hot day on our sunny island.
Wines are a versatile addition to cocktail parties, intimate gatherings and dinners at home. Whether it is chicken, fish or a mean beef steak that you are cooking up for dinner, you will be able to find a ton of red and white wines available online for any occasion. Search for wines from various sources such as Argentina, Australia, Chile, France, Italy, New Zealand, North America and Spain. Buy your wines at cheap prices online and taste the different wines the world has to offer!
How to enjoy wine
Wine tasting or drinking is an art in itself, often intimidating to curious beginners who are keen to dip their toes in the world of wine. However, here at JARBARLAR, we believe that wines should be enjoyed by everyone and anyone, as long as you are patient enough to learn the right steps.
Step 1: Pick the right glass – Always drink wine with a wine glass, different wine glasses can give you a different aromatic profile, so experiment with different glasses to see what most suits you and the wine
Step 2: Pour and swirl – Gently swirl the wine in the glass to release its aroma
Step 3: Nose – Take a whiff of the wine’s aromas then try to discern the different layers of flavours of the wine
Step 4: Taste it – Finally, take a sip without swallowing it right away. Keep it on your tongue and let it linger to have a full taste of the wine
Singaporeans love their beers, and the Internet provides. Do a quick search online and you will be able to find many popular beer brands sold in bottles, six packs or in cartons of 24 cans. Some favourites you can expect to find on online liquor stores include Asahi (Black and Super Dry), Erdinger, Guinness, Heineken, Tiger and Carlsberg.
We’re sure that beers don’t need a manual for you to enjoy them. Simply crack them open and drink them chilled from the can or from a chilled pint glass.
Other than whiskys, wines, gin and beer, you can also opt for other spirits like vodka, midori, rum and many more. These spirits are perfect for a night of cocktail making during your dinner soiree with friends at home, since they go well with a ton of recipes. Go on and get creative with your cocktails, the possibilities are endless!
To make your decision process a breeze, we have taken the liberty to come up with a list of online alcohol retailers in Singapore with alcohol delivery services right to your doorstep. Say hello to your favourite beers and wines on demand.
If you think getting your supply of booze online could be your “new normal” might as well earn points along the way by ordering from JARBARLAR. If you haven’t heard, JARBARLAR recently launched a loyalty program that rewards you for shopping with us.
If you see yourself ordering alcohol online often you can stand to save more money by choosing JARBARLAR as your designated alcohol provider. Simply create an account on our website and start earning points with each purchase to enjoy more savings! Stand to exchange accumulated points for cash vouchers usable on our online store. Find out more on our website today.
Ordering from JARBARLAR for your upcoming dinner? Check out our delivery rates below.
Delivery hours: 12 pm to 10 pm
Paneco has a wide range of alcohols ranging from an assortment of whiskys to vodka, rum, tequila and wines. They even have coffee and Fever Tree tonic water available on their site.
Delivery hours: 12 pm to 10 pm
Delivery fees:
- Next day delivery – free (for orders placed before 4 pm the day before)
- Same day delivery – $8 (orders placed before 2 pm)
- Wine delivery – additional $8 with a minimum spend of $80
- Two-hour delivery – $19.90
This one’s for the ones who get the munchies when they drink. Ring to Drink might not have a ton of alcohol choices for you to choose from, they offer cheap bundle deals that come with snacks, mixers and ice for your liquors.
Deliver hours: 6 am to 12 am
Delivery fees: Free/$5 surcharge if delivery is to Sentosa
Prime Liquor might not offer as many brands of beers as JARBARLAR, but they have different-flavoured Sojus, which are widely popular among the younger crowd in Singapore, and party bundle deals available on their online catalogue.
Delivery hours: 3 pm to 2 am
Delivery fees: $8.99 or free with a minimum spend of $120
From Sakes and Umeshus to Brandy and Cognac, Alcohaul seems to have it all. Heck, they even have beer kegs available if you prefer to dispense your favourite beer from the tap.
Delivery hours: 12 pm to 10:30 pm
Delivery fees:
- Next day delivery – $10 or free (for orders placed before midnight the day before with a minimum spend of $100), additional $10 for orders to Sentosa
- Same day delivery – additional $5 (orders placed before 2 pm)
- Two-hour delivery – $19.90 (last order at 7 pm on weekdays and 3 pm on weekends)
The name of the store says it all. When you are in need of alcohol for your next celebratory event, Cellarbration is the place to call!
Delivery hours: 11 am to 10 pm, 2 pm to 10 pm for same day or next day deliveries
Delivery fees: $8 or free with a minimum spend of $99
Self-collection is available at the warehouse 2 days after order.
Looking to get drunk this weekend? You can get your beers from 6 Drunk Men, but not literally. This online liquor shop has everything from whiskys to Tequila but one of its highlights would be its offering of international craft beers rarely found in Singapore bars.
Delivery hours: 10:30 am to 1 pm on weekdays, 1:30 pm to 8pm on Saturdays, 10 am to 5 pm on Sundays
Delivery fees: $25 or free with a minimum spend of $150
Other than the usual selection of liquors and beers, Asher BWS has festive giftpacks and bundle promotions available for special occasions. Planning to make cocktails? They have a full cocktail toolset available for purchase too.
Delivery hours: 12 pm to 6 pm from Monday to Saturday (closed on Sundays)
Delivery fees: $7 or free with a minimum spend of $50
Same-day delivery: only available on a case by case basis
Self-collection is available at the warehouse from Monday to Saturday.
If you are only planning to get some wine for an intimate dinner at home, go for Wander Wine, a brand that is passionate about educating all Singaporeans about enjoying a good bottle of wine.
Delivery hours: 10 am to 10 pm
Delivery fees: $16 or free with a minimum spend of $75 (only next day delivery available)
While Changi Recommends is not a drinks-only online liquor store, it carries an expansive range of liquors ranging from spirits and Sakes to rare Chinese liquor such as the Moutai Prince.
Delivery hours: 8 am to 11 pm
Delivery fees:
– Next day delivery – $8 or Free with a minimum spend of $70 (orders places before 4 pm)
– Same day delivery – $9.90 (orders placed before 6 pm)
– Two-hour delivery – $19.90 (orders placed before 10 pm)
Get Your Booze Online Now
With the latest Covid-19 regulations in Singapore, it might be best if everyone takes their drinking sessions back home since dining-in is no longer allowed – at least until 13 June. Skip your weekly runs to the supermarket to pick up your favourite beers and start ordering online instead!
