Tuak in Singapore: Where to Try Sarawak Rice Wine (2026)
15 October 2026 · By the Eventful team
You can drink tuak, Sarawak's rice wine, at KANTIN on level 5 of Jewel Changi Airport: $10 a shot or $25 for three, listed on the menu as Sarawak Rice Wine. It also goes into the Cloud Forest cocktail ($24, rum and tuak), and the Borneo Sling ($26) uses Borneo rice wine. You must be 18 or older.
Tuak is rice wine from Sarawak, made by fermenting glutinous rice with a starter called ragi. It is a Dayak tradition, and it is everywhere at Gawai Dayak, the harvest festival on 1 June, when guests in a longhouse get offered a glass.
Strength and sweetness change from brew to brew and with how long it has aged, so do not assume. Ask the bar what this batch is like, then start with one shot.
In Singapore, the place pouring it next to a full Sarawak menu is KANTIN at Jewel, which lists it in a "Beer and tuak" section of its menu.
How much tuak costs at KANTIN
One shot: $10. Three shots: $25. The three-shot order is the obvious move for a table, one each and nobody has to commit to a bottle.
Not sure you like rice wine? Go through a cocktail first. The Cloud Forest ($24) mixes rum and tuak with forest botanicals. The Borneo Sling ($26) is gin, citrus and Borneo rice wine. Both are on KANTIN's "jungle cocktails" list, next to the Borneo Elixir, a negroni with jungle herbs.
What to eat with it
Rice wine wants smoke and salt. Pair it with the Gula Apong Chicken Satay ($14 for three), the Kambing Asap ($22) or Sotong Bakar ($20) off the smokehouse grill.
Just drinks and snacks? Keropok Lekor ($12) and Prawn Crackers ($10) are on the bar snacks list. For the full food side, read our list of 8 Sarawak dishes to know.
Before you go
KANTIN is open 11am to 10pm daily at #05-206/207 Jewel, last seating 9:30pm. It is not halal, so tuak night is not the plan for a halal group. You must be 18 or older to drink in Singapore, so bring ID.
There are tables outside on the terrace under the Jewel canopy, which is where we would sit for a round of shots. Book free on Eventful Tables, up to 8 people. No discount here, menu prices at every timing.Photo: KANTIN
Good to know
· Order the three shots for $25 instead of one at a time. Same drink, $5 less for the table.
· Drinking before a flight? Book early, Jewel is before immigration and KANTIN's last seating is 9:30pm.
· Eat while you drink. The satay is right there.
FAQs
Where can I drink tuak in Singapore?
KANTIN at #05-206/207 Jewel Changi Airport serves Sarawak rice wine at $10 a shot or $25 for three. It is open 11am to 10pm daily.
Is tuak strong?
It depends on the brew and how long it was aged, so strength varies. Ask the bar about the current batch and start with one shot.
What is tuak made of?
Tuak is made by fermenting glutinous rice with a starter called ragi. It is a traditional drink of Sarawak's Dayak communities.
Is tuak the same as sake?
No. Both are rice-based, but they come from different traditions and use different starters. Sake uses koji, tuak uses ragi.
Can I buy a bottle of tuak at KANTIN?
KANTIN's menu lists tuak by the shot, one for $10 or three for $25, plus tuak in the Cloud Forest cocktail. Bottles are not on the menu.
