Q&A: Uno Jang, the industry’s favourite bartender
Crowned the Altos Bartenders’ Bartender at The World’s 50 Best Bars 2025, Jigger & Pony’s creative director reveals plans for new venues in Singapore and names a Korean dessert bar as his latest inspiration.
What was your first experience in Singapore, and what made you stay?
“I was born and grew up in Korea. When I decided to come to Singapore it wasn’t planned; my friends and I were travelling to certain cities in Asia, and we came to Singapore after being in Shanghai. At the beginning we didn’t have visas so we were staying in a hostel. It was fun, but you can only do that when you’re young. Backpackers would go there to stay for three or four days and move on, but we were all there for almost a month. We were planning to go to Southeast Asia to travel, but we wanted a new challenge, so we got a house – four rooms, eight guys, all Korean.”
How did you get your start in bartending?
“I gained experience in (the now defunct) Orgo for two years. One of the Japanese senior bartenders taught me how to mix the drinks. Very basic techniques but really useful – very authentic Japanese techniques. Two years later I got the opportunity to join Jigger and Pony.”
Your role has gone from principal bartender to creative director. How has Jigger & Pony evolved under your watch?
“When I joined Jigger & Pony it was the biggest cocktail bar I’d seen in my life. Now I realise that Jigger & Pony was young. It was growing up. I didn’t realise when I was a junior, but now I can see that we’ve grown together. You only notice it when you look back.”
What does being crowned the Altos Bartenders’ Bartender mean to you?
“I’m really honoured. Many bartenders have a goal to win this kind of award – it’s like an end goal. I thought that as well, but I realised a few weeks after I got the award that it’s actually given me more motivation. I want to influence the younger generations to go higher than me.”
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What’s next for you and for Jigger & Pony?
“I’m working on a few projects right now, but we’re still in the brainstorming process. I’ve been thinking about them for a long time, like four or five years, and finally it’s coming up. So I’m really, really happy. Singapore is going to be so fun next year.”
You must travel a lot for your work. What bars have inspired you recently?
“When I travel I try to go to other bars as much as I can. Of course they’re amazing, and I get inspiration from bars, but most of the time I get inspiration from other things. One location I really want to mention is JL Dessert Bar in Seoul. It’s owned by a Korean pastry chef called Justin. He serves a four-course meal of dessert, from amuse bouche, really small bites, to homemade gelato and seasonal things. One of the best dishes that I had was a caprese salad.”
What are your favourite flavour combinations at the moment?
“I quite like young Champagne, a little bit higher in acidity and very fizzy, with something with very heavy notes, like sourdough bread. One of the cocktails we have in Jigger & Pony is a Champagne Ramos Gin Fizz, a gin-based cocktail with soda, cream, egg white, lemon. We make it in layers, and in the middle layer is sourdough bread. We put wine and gin together so you’ve got more bready and funky fermented flavours. I love adding the flavours of a young Champagne with something creamy and bready.”
What’s your favourite classic cocktail?
“Irish coffee is one of my favourite cocktails, as well as an Espresso Martini. Coffee is a unique ingredient, and how you extract it will give you different flavours. For an Espresso Martini it has to be straight from an espresso machine. Irish coffee has to be poured over freshly. That’s my go-to drink.”
What’s one unpopular opinion you have about bartending? Something other people love that you can’t stand?
“I’m very open minded, actually – I just don’t like an unbalanced cocktail. Every ingredient could be a good cocktail ingredient, it just has to be measured out in a great way. I have so many ingredients I like. It just has to be edible.”
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