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The Little
C Story / Maximillian Wee Photo / Doggaebi Singapore
Red Dot
A little red dot just south of the Malay
Peninsula, Singapore is the second
smallest country in Asia, well-recog-
nized for its diverse culture and
abundance of local gastronomy.
Singapore has a rich history for coffee
dating back to the 18th century.
Immigrants flooded the shores of
Singapore, the intermingling and
cross-cultural exchange gave birth to
a myriad of local delicacies and
traditional Nanyang coffee, better
known by its Malay moniker “Kopi”,
a popular beverage served in several
Southeast Asian nations.
Singapore
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Day and night drinking need not be mutually exclusive
In Singapore, coffee has evolved rapidly over the years,
with specialty coffee shops embracing light roasts, pulling
focus on terroir and acidity. The small land space constitutes
a saturated coffee scene with coffee shops popping up just a
stone’s throw apart. With a large majority of cafes situated
along the central district, it forms its very own coffee belt,
where everything is within walking distance.
Cafe hopping is a popular weekend activity for locals, and
it is not uncommon to bump into a familiar face at every cor-
ner. The tropical island is known for its sweltering hot weath-
er, and when it is not, it’s probably raining cats and dogs. It
would do one well to always have an umbrella on hand.
As part of an initiative to build a cohesive coffee scene,
the Singapore Coffee Collective (Instagram @coffeeinsg) was
founded. A project that hopes to engage active participation
to foster a tight-knit and all-inclusive coffee community, all
about showcasing the local coffee industry to the world – not
just the coffee, but everyone in it.
For a lot of us, coffee is a beverage best enjoyed while the
sun shines as we’re afraid of the caffeine buzz keeping us up
late into the night. Singapore has a bustling nightlife, espe-
cially as we approach the weekends. While some are looking
to stimulate their dopamine, others view alcohol as a wind
down social activity. Although there aren’t many, we do have
a small handful of cafes that rock both a strong coffee program
and booze after hours.
Let’s step into these cafes, where day and night converge.
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