Step Into the Beat of POP CITY X PONY: A Celebration of Japanese Craft, Culture, and Cocktail Artistry

The POP CITY X PONY Team

Media Spotlights

Following its highly anticipated announcement last month, Jigger & Pony Group, the team behind award-winning Jigger & Pony (No. 3, Asia’s 50 Best Bars 2025; No. 9, The World’s 50 Best Bars 2025), as well as acclaimed concepts Gibson, Live Twice, and Cosmo Pony in Jakarta, unveils the complete experience of POP CITY X PONY, a bold, new cocktail-first concept in collaboration with The House of Suntory. 

Anchored by the group’s signature convivial hospitality, POP CITY brings Japanese craft and cosmopolitan rhythm together in a space where every detail hums with emotion. Inspired by the music, fashion, and creative subcultures that define modern Japan, the menu moves between POP: spirited, expressive, and full of life; and CITY: urban, stylish, and effortlessly elegant. 

Each creation reveals new layers with every sip, balancing dynamism and poise, energy and ease. Every cocktail is interwoven with familiar Japanese ingredients such as yuzu, hojicha, and dashi. They reflect the essence of POP CITY, which strives to be a place that invites guests to express themselves freely, discover new experiences, and feel inspired by the beauty of Japanese craft.

“Each drink is like a track or an outfit that tells a story,” says Aki Eguchi, Bar Programme Director, Jigger & Pony Group. “The drinks in “POP” move with energy and feeling, full of spontaneity and spark, while those in “CITY” show structure, texture, and quiet refinement. Together, they express the duality of POP CITY—where creativity meets emotion, and every sip shows us a little more about who we are.”

From left to right: Strawberry Love Punch, Nu-Paper Plane, HØJ1CHA €SPR€$$Ø

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The POP selection channels Japan’s vibrant musical energy, with each cocktail drawing from different genres and artist personalities. Some highlights include:

• Strawberry Love Punch (SGD $26) builds a smooth melody of Roku Gin with strawberry, basil, and sherry, evoking the dreamy nostalgia of Mariya Takeuchi’s Plastic Love. 

• Nu-Paper Plane (SGD $25) reimagines the modern classic with the spice of Sansho pepper and Maker’s Mark Bourbon—a smooth yet electric remix that nods to Tokyo’s Nu-Jazz scene.

• HØJ1CHA €SPR€$$Ø MART1N1 (SGD $25), inspired by Japanese techno artist ¥ØU$UK€ ¥UK1MAT$U, unites Haku Vodka, hojicha, coffee, and mezcal in a dark, propulsive beat that lingers long after the glass is empty.

  
  

From left to right: Pop City Sour, Mikan French 75, Sakura Bamboo

The CITY list mirrors the language of Japanese design, where form meets restraint and detail reveals depth. Some highlights include:

• Pop City Sour (SGD $26) is a portrait of the bar itself, layering Hibiki Harmony Whisky, sour plum, and purple shiso-infused Cocchi Americano in the easy sophistication of the Shibuya City Boy aesthetic.

• Mikan French 75 (SGD $26) brightens the classic structure with Roku Gin, mikan, and housemade sparkling sake; its lively effervescence echoes the confident hybridisation of Sacai designs.

• Sakura Bamboo (SGD $24) pairs Roku Sakura Gin and bamboo-leaf infused Haku Vodka with sakura vermouth, a delicate study of cocktail craft that reflects Mame Kurogouchi’s storytelling through fabric and form.

From left to right: Shiitake Mushroom Negroni, Fuji Apple & Oyster Leaf Fizz

Beyond its core menu, POP CITY introduces Seasons in Motion, an ever-evolving series of cocktails inspired by Japan’s 24 solar terms. Complementing the signature drinks, two seasonal cocktails are released each month—bold, experimental expressions that spotlight the bar team’s creative voice. This rotating menu draws inspiration from Japan’s traditional lunisolar calendar that divides the year into 24 poetic segments marked by the sun’s movement. Each edition captures the fleeting beauty of change through seasonal produce and quiet craftsmanship, celebrating nature’s rhythm and impermanence. The debut features the Fuji Apple & Oyster Leaf Fizz (SGD $26) for the heavy snow season and Shiitake Mushroom Negroni (SGD $26) for the winter solstice season.

“The beauty of Seasons in Motion is that it’s always evolving,” says Sylvia Chong, Bar Manager of POP CITY X PONY. “Every month, we have the freedom to experiment and respond to the moment, be it in the produce we find, or even the mood of our guests. It’s about creating spaces to express, discover, and feel inspired through flavour and connection. Every cocktail carries that same spirit — alive, changing, and full of heart.”

As day softens into dusk, POP CITY invites guests to unwind with its Happy Hour, available daily from 5.30pm to 8pm. Thoughtfully priced between SGD $15 and SGD $17, the menu offers a lineup of 4 cocktails such as the refreshing Shibuya-Hi with Roku Gin, fig, coconut and hinoki bitters and the Hibiki Harmony Whisky-based Yuzu Whisky Sour. Happy Hour will also feature wines at SGD $14 and Suntory Premium Malt on tap at SGD $12, for those seeking a sparkling start to the night.

The same creative sensibility that defines the cocktails also guides the design of the space—a reflection of Jigger & Pony Group’s decade-long journey in shaping cocktail culture in Asia. Conceived as both an emotional choreography and a cultural living room, POP CITY brings together craft, creativity, and community through four distinctive zones, each echoing a different pace of modern city life. 

Guests begin their journey through a discreet fire-escape staircase where light, scent, and sound shift with every step, a cinematic prelude that heightens anticipation for what awaits above. While rooted in a cohesive design narrative driven by craft traditions and contemporary culture, POP CITY unfolds as an emotionally modular concept. A living, breathing space defined by rhythm and movement, each zone carries its own tone and tempo, crafted around storytelling, interaction, and personality.

POP CITY: Byōbu Bar 

The Byōbu Bar — Named after the traditional Japanese folding screen, the bar features a hand-painted, embroidered byōbu as its backdrop that pays homage to Japan’s 24 seasons, setting the tone for every guest who enters. Each bar seat offers a unique perspective as the byōbu catches light and movement at different angles—a quiet play of shimmer, detail, and nuance that mirrors the artistry behind every cocktail. The byōbu is stitched and gold-foiled by hand, a piece of living art that anchors the bar as both a canvas and a stage.

POP CITY: Tasting Commons

Tasting Commons — Open and convivial, the Tasting Commons celebrates the spirit of gathering. Adorned with vintage Japanese vinyl in a tribute to the late 1980s, its centrepiece, a display countertop lined with Hibiki and other whiskies, doubles as a standing area where guests are welcome to linger and enjoy their drinks. On selected nights, POP CITY transforms this very counter into a DJ stage, bringing the space to life with music and movement. This zone also sees real mid-century furniture by Danish future architect H. Brockmann-Petersen, evoking the intimacy of analogue sound and the tactile pleasure of good craft.

POP CITY: Bar Mixtape

Bar Mixtape — This intimate nook captures the charm of Tokyo’s pocket-sized bars, where a few seats and just a single bartender, can create entire worlds of connection. It’s designed for intimate groups or focused listening sessions, surrounded by shelves lined with whiskies and CDs. Guests are invited to enjoy music on the limited players available at the bar, savouring their drinks in rhythm with the soundscape. The space also doubles as a whisky experience room—a quiet retreat where discovery unfolds one sip at a time.

POP CITY: After Hours Salon

After Hours Salon — A refined yet relaxed setting for conversation and nightcaps, the After Hours Salon offers a quieter corner of the evening, whether after work, post-dinner, or simply when guests need space to unwind. Designed for flexibility, it accommodates both intimate groups and larger parties through modular tables that shift to suit the moment. From walls to ceiling, the space embodies Japanese design sensibilities, made modern. Zaisu-inspired seating grounds the area with calm and comfort, kimono fabric-inspired textile banquettes add vibrancy to the soft palette, and custom ichimatsu wall coverings glimmer gently under soft lighting. Together, these elements create a warm, inviting atmosphere.

Adding on to the experience, the POP CITY team brings the spaces to life through colour, music and movement. The uniforms appear in bold yellow and purple, inspired by the effortlessly cool city boys and city girls of Japan, and reflecting the vibrancy that defines POP CITY. Curated music programming, and thoughtful service rituals, including quick menu guides and celebratory touches like greeting cards, further imbue the venue with personality and warmth.

Past the pours, POP CITY turns comfort into craft with a line-up of Japanese-inspired light bites to complement the signature cocktails. The one-of-a-kind Mochi Cheese Nuggets with Miso Curry Sauce ($12) deliver a golden crunch that gives way to a molten nostalgia, layered with the familiar warmth of hearty Japanese curry. Meanwhile, the Uni and Corn Croquette with Sea Urchin Butter Sauce ($20) brings a burst of umami and indulgence. Each dish moves between texture and taste, simplicity and surprise, to create a feeling that leaves guests wanting for more with every visit.

POP CITY represents a defining chapter in Jigger & Pony Group’s journey, a place where creativity, craft, and community converge in harmony. It is both a testament of how far the group has come and a glimpse into what lies ahead, where each detail, drink, and moment continues to embody the spirit of convivial hospitality that lies at its heart.

Reservations are now available before POP CITY opens on Friday, 5 December 2025. Make your bookings here: www.popcityxpony.com.

*All prices are subject to a 10% service charge and prevailing GST.

All photo credits are given to POP CITY.