Meet Singapore’s hottest new drinking den – an eclectic mix of shochu mezcal and feline appreciation that scooped the Campari One To Watch Award at The World’s 50 Best Bars 2024
Straddling the laid-back atmosphere of a San Francisco neighbourhood boozer and the intimacy of an upscale speakeasy, Cat Bite Club never needed nine lives to survive Singapore’s crowded cocktail scene. Combine a few hundred bottles of heritage spirits and two veteran bartenders with a spritz of Californian hospitality and serve up in one of Asia’s most renowned cocktail cities, and you’ve got a bar that’s the cat’s pajamas.
Riding the agave wave
Best mates since the age of four, operating partners Gabriel Lowe and Jesse Vida dreamt of opening a bar together from the day they concurrently launched their bartending careers in San Francisco in 2007. While Lowe went on to open multiple bars in Bogotá before serving as the beverage director during the launch of The Standard in Bangkok in 2019, Vida cut his teeth as senior bartender at New York’s The Dead Rabbit, led the charge at Blacktail and ultimately ended up in the Lion City as head bartender of Atlas in 2018.
Gabriel Lowe and Jesse Vida were childhood friends before opening Cat Bite Club in 2023
The two rendezvoused in Singapore to turn their childhood aspirations into reality, opening Cat Bite Club’s doors in June 2023. Embracing the world of agave early on in their careers in the West, the duo recognised that same potential in Asian legacy spirits like soju and shochu.
“Being baby bartenders in California, we were at the forefront of the agave wave, a spirit that swept up the rest of the world in its wake,” says Vida.
“Similarly, Asian spirits are now on the rise, gaining popularity both inside and outside their home markets. We want to highlight that regionality, served up with a side of genuine San Francisco service.”
The purr-fect pairing
The drinks roster celebrates the tastes of Mexico and Asia, embracing the defining traits of each base spirit while weaving together the narratives behind crossover ingredients.
More than 300 distillates from Mexico and Asia line the shelves of Cat Bite Club
“Whereas modern cocktail drinking is very end flavour-focused, Cat Bite Club perches on the other side of the spectrum. We have a curated selection of more than 240 artisan Mexican spirits and 50 crafted Asian liquors that deserve to be showcased, with extra ingredients playing the role of supporting actor,” Vida explains.
Each page of the menu features one timeless tipple interpreted in two ways via the context of agave and rice. The iconic New Orleans recipe for a brandy crusta, for example, can be experienced in agave form in the Ghost’een (a blend of two varietals of mezcal, mangosteen cordial, chili tincture, amaro and fresh citrus) or with a China-meets-Japan rendition dubbed Rice Rice Daisy that sees two styles of Japanese shochu paired with baijiu, rum, miso and a coriander-shaken coconut cordial.
By empowering staff throughout the cocktail ideation process, the ever-changing menu dives deeper into the evolution of iconic libations. From the unexpected roasted broccoli-infused tequila and force-carbonated Hulk Splash to the sherry-forward makgeolli floater-topped Return of the Mak, the aim is to broaden guests’ perspective on what classic cocktails can be.
The Meow Now Brown Cow combines tequila, coffee liqueur and banana cordial
As Vida attests: “Our menu is designed with approachability in mind. Any person – regardless of their cocktail knowledge and past experience – should be able to enjoy a drink here. At the same time, even the most seasoned palate can appreciate the layered nuances.”
The team also serves up a weekly Milk Punch for a Cause, with a portion of sales donated to local cat charities. And for those alcohol aficionados feeling frisky, generous pours of pioneering agaves and rice-based liquors are available in pre-set tasting flights.
Mirroring the drinks, the food menu underscores the parallels between Mexican and Asian culinary traditions, with a throughline of products from fresh herbs to fermented fare, from coconut to coriander.
The cat’s meow
Recently clinching the No.56 spot on the extended 51-100 list of The World’s 50 Best Bars 2024, Cat Bite Club embodies curiosity, whimsy and playfulness in both name and (mischievous Cheshire cat grin) logo, mimicking these same sentiments that guests feel when discovering the menu inside.
Vida collected the bar's trophy at The World's 50 Best Bars 2024 awards ceremony in Madrid
“Cat Bite Club is a true bar lover’s bar. Rather than a ‘bar Disneyland’, we are about honest, non-scripted service that is engaging to the individual customer experience,” says Vida. “Every seat, table and barstool are level with the bar counter. No matter where a guest sits, they are directly interacting with our team, all of whom specialise in spirits education.”
And that education initiative extends a step further with Cat Bite Club’s Agave La and Rice Academy, courses that encourage participants to explore a range of agave and rice distillates through guided tasting experiences. Each masterclass provides cultivation and fermentation history, artisanal method insights and recipe suggestions, along with opportunities to get involved in future product launches and courses, making it ideal for beginners and buffs alike.
So what’s next for the rising star of the Singapore scene? According to Vida, it’s time to reflect, rejuvenate and renew as they look to the next life of Cat Bite Club: “The win comes with equal parts recognition of our team’s hard work and dedication and a responsibility to fulfill the prophecy this award bestows.
“We now have even more confidence in the bar’s identity, our service standards and eclectic offerings, so winning the Campari One To Watch Award just motivates us to continue refining, upgrading and striving to push boundaries – something I think is the true hallmark of a successful bar.”
Miss this year's ceremony? Watch the highlights:
The 16th edition of The World’s 50 Best Bars, sponsored by Perrier, was announced on Tuesday 22 October 2024 in Madrid. Stay up to date with the latest news and announcements by following us on Instagram, Facebook, X and YouTube.
