NEWS: Singapore have now started serving Singapore Slings in economy.
Wine, beer, spirits and cocktails, are all free. All wine is poured for you from large bottles kept on the trolley. All beer is opened before you get it, and all cocktails are mixed in the galley and brought to you complete at your seat. Cabin crew on SQ are quite insistant on this rule, and will not serve closed cans.

But yes, I did say cocktails - even economy gets a small list to choose from. In business you'll get a separate wine and cocktail list, and you can have endless delights with the selection, and you'll find many many ex-pats on the flights regularly sampling them. The drink trolley however just has one red & white, plus champers, so any special orders (like, a selection) have to come from the galley.

Raffles drinks service in Business

In economy the drinks and cocktails list is in the menu you get at the start of the flight. The drinks trolley is always loaded up with just one bottle of white and red - however the menu will always list one red and two whites, but will list them as by locality, not type. This unusual ommission can be rectified by asking the crew, however if you do this, and ask for the "wine that isn't on the trolley" then you'll probably have a long wait for a glass of the stuff.

The airline spends about £15 per passenger for food and beverages in economy, £30 in business class and £40 in first class. This is at least 10% higher than industry averages, to make passengers feel happier - its worth asking the cabin crew which wine they recomend, as most are trained to spot a good one.

Drink trolleys freely circulate even the economy cabin during the first few hours of the flight, but if you aren't in the isle seats, getting the trolley to stop can be a different matter. However Singapore is one of the few airlines where the cabin crew don't mind if you press the crew call button.

Hardy's Chardonnay

Economy Class drinks on Singapore Airlines

There is normally a choice of two white wines, and one red. The white wines are commonly listed by country, not by type (eg: German white, or French white). It pays to ask the crew what the selection and the grape variety is, and insist that they open a bottle of what you want, not the generic stuff that is on the trolley.

It is sad to report that Singapore, alas, can not ever brew a decent cup of tea. Even in First. Black, Earl Grey, and English Breakfast all must brew at briefly an inital 212°F to get the full flavour, before the milk is added. This is very difficult in aircraft, where the boiling point of water is very high: in the low pressure of an airline cabin (it simulates about 8000feet) is 197°F. Sadly, other airlines like BA have mastered this most obscure of tricks... so if you want a decent cup of tea, avoid Singapore.

French Red

White - Hardy's Colombard Chardonnay

Little can be said about this. Its pleasant, easily quaffable, and makes the 35,000 feet wizz by. 12.5%.

Red - French Chateaux Nurf

Dry, almost bitter, with little in the way of initial taste. The after-taste will make your eyes water. 10.5%.

Singapore Airlines Economy Class Cocktails

Gin Fizz

Really just a gin and tonic, but with added lemon juice, this is a good refreshing one to start the journey with.

Screwdriver

A bad choice - the crew make it very strong and you'll soon loose consciousness.

Bloody Mary Mix as it comes in the can

Bloody Mary

"Singapore Airline's Bloody Mary mix has been famous since the 70s. Its one all the regulars ask for."

Kirtley - A Singapore Veteran

The Bloody Mary mix comes in a small tin, and the vodka is added by the crew. I love this. It's one of my favourites on the plane.

Manhattan

Just a normal Manhattan, but in a plastic glass with a swizzle stick.

Singapore Sling

Gin, benedictine, cointreau, brandy, grenadine, lime and pineapple... it is just like the Business Class version, except it comes... in a bottle! This is now loaded as standed on the economy trolley.

Business (Raffles) class drinks on Singapore Airlines

There is normally a choice of two white wines, two reds, champagne, and port.

Champagne - Piper Heidsieck rare cuvee reservee

A very very good champers, this deserves to be sipped and tasted. It comes from the chalk downland of Reims and is a delightfully complex quaff. On the ground its pretty pricey, so in the air you can have great fun on a 14 hour flight by watching as your glass is continually filled up each time you put it down. Regular travellers are known by the crew as 2 or 3 bottlers.

Raffles Wine

White - Tyrrells reserve stevens semillon

Crisp and fresh from the Hunter valley, its got a fascinating character.

White - Mosel-saar-ruwer riesling

Served on all the Lufthansa codeshares, I'm not a fan of this one, but I know many people are. Its pretty sweet and is almost a desert wine.

Port - Taylor's late

Order cheese and biscuits in business and your wine glass is magically replaced with a port glass. I know little about port, but this is a good one.

Singapore Airlines Business Class Cocktails

Singapore Sling

All of the economy cocktails are available, along with

Singapore Sling

A must try, just so you can say you've had it on a plane. With gin, benedictine, cointreau, brandy, grenadine, lime and pineapple, its a wonder you can get this lot at 35,000 feet. Its even more of a wonder if after a few you can stand up.

Silver Kris Sling

Silver Kris Sling

A Singapore Airlines special, I love this, with gin, cointreau, orange, and champagne. Wow.

Singapore Airlines - Beer (all classes)

Beer is available in all classes. In economy a plastic glass is used, whereas Business and First get their repective logoed glass glasses.

Tiger Beer

Tiger Beer on Singapore

The standard offering

Beer on some Singapore flights comes in just one variety, but its a good Singapore one - Tiger Beer, in a 275ml tin. It is one of the few beers you can drink on a plane and not get a serious hangover from.

5%

Victoria Bitter on Singapore

VB (Victoria Bitter)

Okker Australian tinnies

The Victoria Bitter is foul, with a terrible aftertaste, and should only be used as de-icing fluid. Pretty strong though. Yuk.

4.9%

Fosters Lager on Singapore

Fosters

The cliched Ozzie

Singapore run a lot of pommies to Oz, and Aussies to the UK... and the pommies all ask for what they think is the classic Aussie lager... Fosters. And yet in Oz, few drink the stuff. There is a reason for that - just think about it. Then drink some.

4.2%