I got an interesting invite this week — Heineken’s First Sip House on Keong Saik Road. Three floors of beertails, bar bites and afterwork vibes, running 7 to 16 May 2026. Free entry, complimentary pint on arrival, and a few experiences scattered across the building. I brought a friend along to loosen up for a night of catching up.
Getting There: Keong Saik Road, Evening Vibes
The address is 36 Keong Saik Road, a five-minute walk from Outram Park MRT (Mass Rapid Transit) — exit through the Pearl’s Hill end and you’re basically there. The street itself does half the work; shophouses lit up in that early-evening way, the smell of dinner from every other unit, the slow shift from suit crowd to bar crowd. A pop-up here makes sense.
The crew at the door were friendly and ready to serve. They scanned the booking, slipped a Star Tap bracelet on my wrist, and pointed me upstairs. I’ll be upfront — this is a slick operation, but the staff didn’t make it feel slick. It felt like walking into an actually-good bar that just happened to be branded.
Star Tap — The Cheers-to-Currency Bit
The bracelet is the gimmick that ties the whole house together. Tap your wrist to someone else’s, your bracelet changes colour, you climb the live Afterwork Stars leaderboard, and you collect rewards along the way. It’s the kind of thing that sounds gimmicky on paper and is genuinely fun once you’re three taps in. Strangers actually start strangers-no-more, which is the whole point.
(Heineken has been quietly building up to this — they did a CBD office-elevator afterwork stunt back in April that was the campaign’s opener. The pop-up is the upgrade.)
First Sip Bar — Pure Malt in Every Sip, Pure Malt in Every Bite
This is where mixologist June Baek (Hup San Social Club) and chef Justin Hammond (Club Street Laundry) have done the heavy lifting — four pairings of bar bite + beertail, all built around Heineken’s Pure Malt. The kitchen leaves each dish artfully unfinished — the final pour, the last garnish, the tabasco, the wasabi — and you finish it yourself. Nice touch.
The four pairings on the menu:
- Punched Out — Tangy tuna tartare with Pure Malt powder on warm crostini, paired with a Soju Bomb of Heineken Original and Omija berry.
- The Recharge — Mushroom parfait with a Pure Malt balsamic caramel you finish yourself, paired with a Heineken Silver Spritz of grapefruit, ginger and thyme.
- The Discovery — Malted peanut butter soba with cured egg yolk and shichi-mi tōgarashi, paired with a Malt Sour of Heineken Silver and silky malt foam.
- The Payoff — 48-hour slow-cooked beef short rib tacos with a 3-day malted mole, paired with a Heineken Michelada you finish your way (tabasco, wasabi, or sambal).
The bar bites were not only tasty but a piece of art. I wish I could get a second serving. Genuinely.
Confessions of a Reluctant Influencer
There were influencers everywhere. For a moment, I thought I was a mini celebrity. Dream on.
I tried to get some Instagram-able shots by copying some of these influencers, but my tight muscles proved a challenge to even turn my head into a sexy pose. At least I tried.
Art Jam — Your Afterwork, Your Manifesto
If you’d rather make something than scroll something, Art Jam gives you a graffiti-painted base and a table full of cutting, layering and printing supplies. No rules, no pressure. Just a Heineken in one hand and scissors in the other. I’m not an artist (this game begs to differ), but I came away with a piece I was secretly proud of.
Pourfection Lounge — The Craft of the Perfect Pour
This is where you pour your own glass of Heineken over and over again. What? So I get to keep pouring? Well, practice makes perfect. Unless you aspire to be a world-class bartender, this is probably the best place to practise. Being the competitive me, I just had to get it right.
Five steps to Star Quality. Memorise. There is a test.
The drill: Rinse, Pour, Skim, Check, Serve. Sounds easy on the wall. Less easy when a Draught Master is watching the foam line. Get it right and the all-new StarMark Glass is yours to take home — a precision-engineered glass with a star base designed to lift the aroma, carbonation and taste of every first sip. Exclusive to this event, while stocks last.
The Rooftop — Tiny Houses, Big City
The place was greenly decorated, three levels of neon, and packed with Heineken lovers. The rooftop area was insanely cute with little shophouses below that look like Monopoly houses from the top.
Tickets and Pricing
General Admission is FREE for guests aged 18 and above, and includes one pint of Heineken (Original, Silver, or 0.0). To experience the full Pure Malt Beertail and Bites pairing set, the upgrade ticket is:
- Early bird (until 6 May 2026): $18
- Regular price (7 – 16 May 2026): $21
All tickets, including the free general admission, must be booked in advance via Klook. Slots go fast — especially on Friday and Saturday.
Worth Visiting?
Yes — and worth bringing a friend. The bar bites are genuinely well thought out, the Pourfection lesson is more fun than it has any right to be, and the StarMark Glass is a nice take-home. The Star Tap mechanic actually gets you talking to people, which is rarer than it should be at a brand event.
It’s a ten-day window — 7 to 16 May 2026 — so book early.
Official Details
Heineken First Sip House
Address: 36 Keong Saik Road, Singapore
Dates: 7 – 16 May 2026
Tickets: Klook — Heineken First Sip House
Age requirement: 18 and above
And as always — if you drink, I will personally report you if you drive. Peace out.
Have you been to First Sip House? Drop your favourite pairing in the comments.
