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InterContinental Singapore launches Champagne drive-through
The Singapore hotel’s general manager tells Nimmi Malhotra why luxury and convenience should go hand in hand — and explains why he’s not worried about customers popping bottles of Champagne behind the wheel.
InterContinental Singapore positions itself as the ‘Home of Champagne’. It offers one of the largest hotel Champagne collections of any hotel with over 200 bottles, and is home to an official caveau for the Embassy of the Confrérie du Sabre d’Or.
Now the luxury hotel is offering a novel way to buy Champagne. Visitors and guests drive into the hotel’s cobbled courtyard, order a bottle of Champagne from a curated menu and wait a few minutes for the butler to bring their selection in a two-tier gift box complete with two flutes or caviar.
According to general manager Andreas Kraemer, the festive drive-through is “the logical next step” in pushing the hotel’s Champagne credentials further.
The menu lists more than 30 Champagnes, curated in collaboration with sommeliers of Park 90, a Singapore-based wine club that maintains an outpost at the hotel.
Kraemer says that the offerings are not limited to commercial Champagnes. “It’s actually the smaller Champagne houses because our guests are coming to try new things,” he says. The list includes Frederic Savart, JL Vergnon, Dhondt-Grellet, Chartogne-Taillet and more, a testament to Singapore’s growing Champagne-savvy clientele.
This is the first alcohol drive-through concept in Singapore, and it differs from the traditional fast food drive-through concept.
“Often, convenience doesn’t correlate with luxury,” Kraemer says. “The Champagne Express Lane has not been developed with instant consumption in mind – that’s where our bars and restaurants come into play. Instead, drivers can pick up a bottle on their way home, to an event, or can conveniently pick one up as a gift, without the hassle.”
Kraemer says the team considered the drink-driving implications of a wine drive-through concept. It has procured the necessary licenses to sell alcohol on the premises, and the drink responsibly message is reiterated on the website, signage and menu.
At the same time, he also believes the packaging and price point are likely to deter his high-end clientele. “If you want to knock back a bottle, you go to a 7-Eleven. Honestly, if you’re paying S$200 to S$300 for a bottle of Champagne, I don’t think you’ll enjoy that in the car,” he says.
Kraemer believes that Singapore, a market which “prioritises all things luxury, embracing innovation and a sense of adventure when it comes to experiencing something new”, is the right place for the drive-through concept.
“The Champagne Express Lane is a testament to this, offering a bold and inventive twist on luxury that reflects the spirit of our discerning audience. It’s one of those experiences you never knew you needed until you see it,” he says. “Let’s keep exploring the possibilities of experiences.”
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