Jigger & Pony’s Indra Kantono is thinking beyond the cocktail bar

The Jigger & Pony co-founder reflects on mentorship, expansion into Jakarta and why the future of Singapore’s cocktail scene may lie beyond drinks alone.

Jigger & Pony co-founder Indra Kantono has spent 14 years building bars, developing talent and helping shape Singapore’s cocktail scene. (Photos: Jigger & Pony; Art: CNA/Jasper Loh)

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Indra Kantono is having an incredible year. In July, he was named Best International Bar Mentor at the Spirited Awards, followed days later by the Roku Industry Icon Award at Asia’s 50 Best Bars.

His flagship bar, Jigger & Pony, ranked No 9 on Asia’s 50 Best Bars 2026 ; Cosmo Pony, the group’s first venture in Jakarta, came in at No 15; and its newest bar, BOP, debuted at No 52 on the extended list.

“I have a million and one things to be grateful for,” he said, softly acknowledging what he considers his greatest blessing this year: the baby girl he and his wife, Guoyi Gan, welcomed in July.

Jigger & Pony remains the flagship of the group Indra Kantono and Guoyi Gan founded in 2012. (Photo: Jigger & Pony)

The couple founded Jigger & Pony in 2012 and have since expanded the business to eight venues employing 120 people across Singapore and Jakarta. It’s a rare achievement for two people who had never shaken a drink before 2010.

Kantono and Gan in the lead-up to Jigger & Pony’s opening in 2012. (Photo: Jigger & Pony)

BOARDROOM TO BARSTOOLS

Born in Indonesia and raised in Singapore, Kantono attended Anglo-Chinese School and Raffles Junior College before moving to New York, where he arrived thinking good grades were enough. They weren’t. “I’ve never met people who show up in classrooms in suits,” he recalled. “In the morning, they would go do their unpaid internships. I was scoring good grades, but holy cow, I was not half as driven as these guys.” He learnt that “being book smart is nowhere near half of the equation”.

His parents are entrepreneurs: his father is in the timber business in Kalimantan, while his mother and aunt run bakeries. “I always wanted to do business,” he said, “but never had the guts to do it.” The security of well-paying professional jobs – first at Bain & Company, followed by a private equity firm – and the cultural weight of “good, steady” careers made the leap that much harder.

He attributes the courage to make that leap almost entirely to his wife, Gan. When they met, she was flying with Singapore Airlines, thriving on human interaction but unwilling to be bound to a desk. They began talking seriously about starting something together.

Indra Kantono and Uno Jang at Tales of the Cocktail in New Orleans. (Photo: Jigger & Pony)

She wanted a bar. He wanted to run a boutique hotel. Hotels were capital-intensive and out of reach. Restaurants were ruled out: “Cooking felt a lot harder than making drinks.” The bar concept prevailed.

They prepared in parallel. Indra pored over magazines and bar lists, while Gan, still flying with Singapore Airlines, scouted places such as Employees Only in New York on her international trips and hand-carried spirits and mixers home. Both taught themselves the classics through books and YouTube videos.

At Ishinohana in Shibuya, Tokyo, Japanese bartending changed how the couple saw the craft. “You think bartending is like rock and roll, and then you see the Japanese style. The movements are so precise. It’s almost like watching ballet,” Kantono said. At the now-shuttered Le Cabrera in Madrid, Diego Cabrera’s bar left an equally strong impression. “We realised hospitality isn’t about the drink,” he said. “It’s not about the alcohol. It’s about this camaraderie, social human connection.”

By 2010, with S$400,000 (US$315,300) in combined savings, they were ready to take the plunge into Singapore’s nascent cocktail bar scene.

MENTORSHIP AS A SYSTEM, NOT A COFFEE

Jigger & Pony Group opened Cosmo Pony in Jakarta in partnership with Union Group, taking its Singapore-born hospitality philosophy overseas. (Photo: Jigger & Pony)

Could Kantono have imagined this level of success? He let the question settle before answering: “We come from nowhere, no cocktail bars, to a cocktail capital in a span of 10 years. Who could have imagined that?” He paused. “And to be a part of that every step of the way. There’s no way I could have seen this coming. It’s just incredible.”

Kantono’s impact on the Singapore bar industry is perhaps best summed up by Asia’s 50 Best Bars, which wrote: “Rather than seeing a bar as a place defined only by products, Kantono treats hospitality as an organisation-wide discipline.” The citation notes that his influence extends beyond his venues through mentorship, talks and advocacy for a more sustainable industry.

Indra Kantono credits his wife and Jigger & Pony co-founder Guoyi Gan with giving him the courage to leave a secure career and start a business. (Photo: Jigger & Pony)

That influence was also recognised at the 2026 Spirited Awards, where Kantono was named Best International Bar Mentor by the Tales of the Cocktail Foundation.

“My approach to mentorship is quite different,” he said. “Many people view mentorship as the romantic ideal, a one-to-one relationship. I give you a pearl of wisdom and boom, you’re promoted the next day. What I try to do is create a culture. Because if I manage to create a culture, then it’s a many-to-many relationship.”

Anyone who joins the group enters a structure built around the Pony Academy’s learning platform and senior buddy system, designed so that the Jigger & Pony way is absorbed almost by proximity. “I hope that by virtue of working with us, there is a Jigger and Pony way that influences how they approach this profession.”

At BOP, Jigger & Pony Group translates Korean drinking culture for Singapore rather than trying to recreate Seoul. (Photo: Jigger & Pony)

One of Kantono’s guiding ideas is “global fluency” – his answer to the tension between being worldly and rooted. “It is our mantra: Globally sophisticated. Authentically local.”

The philosophy extends to Jakarta, where the group opened Cosmo Pony in partnership with Union Group. “We are bringing a piece of Singapore – the ethos, the mindset, the way – to Jakarta. That’s hopefully the beginning, and we are going to grow to more destinations in the future.”

His newest project, Bartenders of Pony, or BOP , may be the clearest expression of this idea. Billed as one of the world’s first Korean-inspired cocktail bars outside South Korea, it draws deeply on Korean culture through the memories and palate of head bartender Uno Jang, a South Korean who has called Singapore home for more than a decade.

“We’re not trying to recreate Seoul in Singapore,” said Kantono. “We’re trying to translate Korean drinking culture to Singapore.” The result feels distinctly Korean in mood and flavour, while retaining Jigger & Pony’s approach to craft and hospitality.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by BOP - Bartenders of Pony Singapore (@bop_bartendersofpony)

A post shared by BOP - Bartenders of Pony Singapore (@bop_bartendersofpony)

On Singapore’s cocktail scene, Kantono is not making any bold predictions. He believes the market is mature and healthy, increasingly comparable with those of London and New York.

The future, he believes, lies in stretching the traditional definition of a cocktail bar. “Cocktail bars are going to go beyond just being a cocktail bar as traditionally defined. Now, it’s about taking that elsewhere.”

That could mean food. “We are using the cocktail bar model to expand and include a big food element,” he said. BOP’s food programme, he added, has drawn strong feedback as an alternative to traditional restaurants as rising prices narrow their appeal.

Or it could mean an entirely different theme. He points to Singapore’s Offtrack for weaving music into its bar experience, Hong Kong’s Bar Leone for bringing in sports, and Bangkok for its hybrid concepts.

Fourteen years into the journey, the former consultant is as animated by aesthetics and atmosphere as he is by numbers. He helps drive the interior design direction, music and intangible “vibe” of each venue. “Now I am in the business of taste. The business of cultural zeitgeist.”

Yet for Kantono, it ultimately comes back to people. “Alcohol is just one part of my job,” he said. “The people connection – that’s what’s worth protecting.”

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Jigger & Pony 的联合创始人反思了导师制度、向雅加达扩张以及新加坡鸡尾酒行业的未来可能不仅仅在于饮品本身。

Jigger & Pony 联合创始人 Indra Kantono 14 年来一直致力于酒吧建设、人才培养，并助力塑造新加坡的鸡尾酒文化。（图​​片：Jigger & Pony；艺术：CNA/Jasper Loh）

这段音频由人工智能工具生成。

Indra Kantono今年可谓硕果累累。7月，他荣获Spirited Awards最佳国际酒吧导师奖，几天后又在亚洲50佳酒吧评选中斩获Roku行业偶像奖。

他的旗舰酒吧 Jigger & Pony 在 2026 年亚洲 50 佳酒吧榜单中排名第 9；该集团在雅加达的第一家酒吧 Cosmo Pony 排名第 15；其最新酒吧 BOP 在扩展榜单中首次亮相，排名第 52。

“我有无数值得感恩的事情，”他轻声说道，表达了他对今年最大的祝福的感激之情：他和妻子甘国义在7月份迎来了他们的女儿。

Jigger & Pony 仍然是 Indra Kantono 和 Guoyi Gan 于 2012 年创立的集团的旗舰品牌。（图片：Jigger & Pony）

这对夫妇于2012年创立了Jigger & Pony酒吧，此后将业务拓展至新加坡和雅加达的八家分店，雇佣了120名员工。对于两个在2010年之前从未调过酒的人来说，这无疑是一项难得的成就。

Kantono 和 Gan 在 2012 年 Jigger & Pony 开业前夕。（图片：Jigger & Pony）

从会议室到吧台

坎托诺出生于印度尼西亚，在新加坡长大，先后就读于英华中学和莱佛士初级学院，之后移居纽约。他当时以为成绩好就足够了，但事实并非如此。“我从没见过有人穿着西装出现在教室里，”他回忆道，“他们早上就去参加无薪实习。我的成绩确实不错，但天哪，我的动力远不及他们。”他这才明白，“书本知识固然重要，但还远远不够”。

他的父母都是企业家：父亲在加里曼丹经营木材生意，母亲和姑姑则经营面包店。“我一直想做生意，”他说，“但始终没有勇气付诸行动。”高薪专业工作的稳定性——先是在贝恩咨询公司，后来又在一家私募股权公司——以及“稳定、体面”职业的文化压力，都让他更难做出改变。

他将自己敢于迈出这一步的勇气几乎完全归功于妻子甘。两人相识时，甘在新加坡航空公司担任飞行员，她热爱与人交流，但又不愿被束缚在办公桌前。他们开始认真地探讨共同创业的想法。

Indra Kantono 和 Uno Jang 在新奥尔良的鸡尾酒故事中。 （照片：吉尔格和小马）

她想开酒吧，他想经营精品酒店。酒店投资成本高昂，遥不可及。餐厅也被排除在外：“做饭比调酒难多了。”最终，酒吧方案胜出。

她们同时进行准备。Indra仔细研读杂志和酒吧酒单，而Gan当时还在搭乘新加坡航空公司的航班，她利用国际航班探访纽约的Employees Only等酒吧，并随身携带酒水和调酒配料回家。两人都通过书籍和YouTube视频自学了经典鸡尾酒调制方法。

在东京涩谷的石之花酒吧，日式调酒彻底改变了这对夫妇对这门技艺的看法。“你以为调酒就像摇滚乐一样，但当你看到日式调酒，你会发现他们的动作如此精准，简直就像在欣赏芭蕾舞一样。” Kantono说道。在如今已歇业的马德里Le Cabrera酒吧，Diego Cabrera的酒吧也给他们留下了同样深刻的印象。“我们意识到，待客之道并非仅仅关乎酒水，”他说道，“它无关乎酒精，而是关乎这种情谊，关乎人与人之间的社交联系。”

到 2010 年，他们两人积攒了 40 万新元（31.53 万美元）的存款，准备投身新加坡新兴的鸡尾酒吧行业。

导师制是一种体系，而非一杯咖啡

Jigger & Pony集团与Union集团合作，在雅加达开设了Cosmo Pony餐厅，将其源自新加坡的待客理念带到了海外。（图片：Jigger & Pony）

坎托诺能想象到自己取得如此成就吗？他沉思片刻后回答道：“我们从一个默默无闻、没有一家鸡尾酒吧的地方，在短短十年内就成为了鸡尾酒之都。谁能想到呢？”他顿了顿，“而且能够参与其中，见证这一切，我做梦都想不到。这简直太不可思议了。”

Kantono对新加坡酒吧行业的影响或许可以从《亚洲50佳酒吧》的评价中得到最好的概括：“Kantono并不把酒吧仅仅视为一个由产品定义的场所，而是将待客之道视为一种贯穿整个组织的准则。” 评语还指出，他的影响力不仅限于自己的酒吧，还体现在指导、演讲以及倡导更可持续的行业发展等方面。

Indra Kantono 将他放弃稳定职业、创业的勇气归功于他的妻子兼 Jigger & Pony 联合创始人 Guoyi Gan。（图片：Jigger & Pony）

在 2026 年 Spirited Awards 颁奖典礼上，Kantono 的影响力也得到了认可，他被 Tales of the Cocktail Foundation 评为最佳国际酒吧导师。

“我的指导方式截然不同，”他说。“许多人把指导看作一种浪漫的理想状态，一种一对一的关系。我给你一句至理名言，然后砰的一声，你第二天就升职了。而我努力做的是营造一种文化。因为如果我成功营造出这种文化，那么它就变成了一种多对多的关系。”

任何加入这个团队的人都会融入一个以小马学院学习平台和资深导师制度为核心的体系，其设计理念是让成员们在近距离接触中就能自然而然地吸收“Jigger & Pony”的理念。“我希望通过与我们共事，他们能够将‘Jigger & Pony’的理念融入到他们对待这个职业的态度中。”

在BOP，Jigger & Pony集团致力于将韩国饮酒文化移植到新加坡，而不是试图重现首尔的饮酒文化。（图​​片：Jigger & Pony）

Kantono 的指导理念之一是“全球通才”——这是他对兼具国际视野和本土特色之间矛盾的解答。“这是我们的座右铭：拥有全球视野，同时保持本土特色。”

这一理念也延伸到了雅加达，该集团与联合集团合作开设了 Cosmo Pony 餐厅。“我们将新加坡的精髓——精神、思维方式和经营模式——带到了雅加达。这或许只是一个开始，未来我们将拓展到更多目的地。”

他的最新项目“小马酒吧”（Bartenders of Pony，简称BOP）或许是对这一理念最清晰的诠释。这家酒吧号称是韩国境外首批以韩国文化为灵感的鸡尾酒吧之一，其主调酒师张宇野（Uno Jang）是一位在新加坡生活了十多年的韩国人，他从自己的记忆和味蕾中汲取了丰富的韩国文化精髓。

“我们并非试图在新加坡重现首尔，”坎托诺说道，“而是试图将韩国的饮酒文化带到新加坡。”最终呈现的酒品在氛围和风味上都带有鲜明的韩国特色，同时又保留了Jigger & Pony对精湛工艺和热情待客的理念。

在 Instagram 上查看此帖子 由 BOP - Bartenders of Pony Singapore (@bop_bartendersofpony) 分享的帖子

由 BOP - Bartenders of Pony Singapore (@bop_bartendersofpony) 分享的帖子

对于新加坡的鸡尾酒市场，坎托诺并没有做出任何大胆的预测。他认为新加坡的鸡尾酒市场已经成熟且健康发展，越来越能与伦敦和纽约的市场相媲美。

他认为，未来在于拓展鸡尾酒吧的传统定义。“鸡尾酒吧将不再局限于传统意义上的鸡尾酒吧。现在，关键在于将它带到其他领域。”

这可能意味着餐饮。“我们正在借鉴鸡尾酒吧的模式进行扩张，并融入大量餐饮元素，”他说道。他还补充说，随着价格上涨导致传统餐厅吸引力下降，BOP的餐饮项目作为传统餐厅的替代选择，获得了积极的反馈。

或者，它也可能代表完全不同的主题。他举例说，新加坡的Offtrack将音乐融入酒吧体验，香港的Bar Leone引入体育元素，而曼谷则以其混合概念而闻名。

十四年的从业经历，让这位前顾问对美学和氛围的热情丝毫不亚于他对数字的掌控。他参与制定每个场所的室内设计方向、音乐以及难以言喻的“氛围”。“现在我从事的是品味的生意，是文化思潮的生意。”

然而，对坎托诺来说，一切最终都归结于人。“酒精只是我工作的一部分，”他说。“人与人之间的联系——这才是真正值得保护的。”

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