What to DRINK, where to PARTY

WHEN IT COMES to nightlife, Bangkok seems to have it all – big name DJs manning decks every weekend at different venues around town, celebrity mixologists gracing swanky bars, parties themed to match every persuasion and occasion, and new bars regularly opening in just about every part of town. The entertainment moguls, both big and small, are not resting on their laurels however, and 2017 promises to be even more fun for night owls thanks to better cocktails, a bigger selection of craft beers, a broader variety of parties and, yes, the opening of more cool new bars.
Chennarong Bhumichitr, senior brand ambassador of Diageo Moet Hennessy (Thailand), is enthusiastic about the 12 months ahead, telling XP that we’ll all soon be sipping “healthy cocktails” that are fresh, delicious and low in alcohol content
“New trends that start overseas always find their way to Thailand’s drinking scene,” Chennarong says. “Low ACV (alcohol content volume) cocktails will be the next big thing as drinkers, especially the ladies, are becoming more health-conscious. These cocktails are healthy because they are also low in sugar. Pimm’s and lemonade, which originated in the UK, is likely to be one of the most popular summer drinks for everyone here as it’s so refreshing and healthy. And just as restaurants are foraging for herbs and natural flavourings, mixologists are foraging for drink ingredients as part of the growing “Farm-to-Bar” movement. This has led to farm-to-bar cocktails that use organic and fresh ingredients. I expect to see more variety in premium mixers from the likes of Fever-Tree and Fentimans including Victorian Lemonade, Ginger Beer and Rose Lemonade.”
Gin, Chennarong predicts, will continue to be the “in” spirit and whiskies, regardless of their provenance, are also likely to enjoy a global resurgence.
“Globally single malt whisky continues to gain ground. What is changing is that consumers are no longer divided over the type of whisky they like, whether it hails from Scotland, the US or Japan. They are overcoming these divisions and, as a result, trying blended innovations like the recently launched Johnnie Walker Blenders’ Batch Red Rye Finish. It’s a great success in the US. People like blends from different oak casks and the Red Rye Finish offers them just that. As Thailand is a whisky-drinking nation, blends from different oak casks will potentially catch on.”
In terms of consumer behaviour, Chennarong comments that besides healthier choices and freshness, patrons also look for visual appeal to indulge their “snap-sniff-sip” response to drink.
“A lot of people now drink to appreciate the taste rather than to get drunk so beverage companies are taking consumers’ healthier lifestyles into account when creating a new product. With the power of social media, looks are starting to come into the equation too. Restaurants take presentation seriously, as do beverage companies and bars and this attention to detail has given birth to “snap-sniff-sip” behaviour. People love taking pictures of their food and drink before the ritual begins. Bar operators are capitalising on the trend by making sure drinking is part of fashion! That’s why fashion brands have come up with their own signature drinks. We will see more of these collaborations between fashion and beverage companies next year.”
Winner of Diageo Reserve World Class Thailand Finals 2014 and co-owner of Backstage Cocktail Bar, Ronnaporn “Nueng” Kanvichaporn, adds that drinkers today are much more knowledgeable about the cocktail culture and have developed their own tastes.
“A few years back bartenders led the trend and introduced new mixes to the customers, but it’s not really like that anymore,” Nueng says.
“They know a lot about spirits and how different spirits affect their cocktails. They have developed the styles they like and come to the bar and order what’s on their mind right away. In previous years we’ve seen a lot of fancy, over-the-top garnishes but recently we’ve come back to basic and minimal look that is both expressive and elegant.

Ronnaporn “Nueng” Kanvichaporn

“Bangkok, like many major cities in Southeast Asia where the cocktail culture thrives, is very cosmopolitan and enjoys a good flow of foreign visitors and expats who bring with them international taste and preference. Also bartenders now have more skills, knowledge and know how. Many bartenders have trained professionally and regularly enter bartending competitions at the international level, and this has raised the standard both in terms of service and quality,” the award-winning bartender adds.
Punters who currently hop from one bar to another, checking out the signature or seasonal cocktails, should have more choices in 2017, as several more small cocktail bars are slated to open. Thonglor, Sathorn and China Town will probably remain the most popular spots.
Likewise, locally made craft beer, which has seen major growth this year, will continue to grow, with more producers and more consumers joining the market.

Local and imported craft beers will continue to rise in popularity as consumers become more discerning
“India Pale Ale, American Pale Ale, Witbier and Weissbier will likely be the most popular categories of craft beer among Thai drinkers,” predicts Sukij Thipatima, head brewer and founding partner of Phuket-based Full Moon Brewwork. “You could say that these are entry categories for craft beer beginner drinkers, as they have uniquely pleasant characters. I’m sure that in a year or two, these consumers will develop their taste to appreciate more styles including 100-per-cent crafted malt lager.
“Undoubtedly, there will be more craft beer fans in Thailand and more brands will be launched to cater to this demand. We’ll see more creative brews both from local producers and imported brands. I’m positive 2017 will be an exciting year for craft beer scene in Thailand,” Sukij continues.
Full Moon Brewwork is one of the country’s earliest craft beer brewers and the maker of the award-winning Chalawan Pale Ale and Chatri IPA.
But while there will be more compact cocktail bars and small craft beer joints opening up during the 12 months ahead, we are unlikely to see many new large-scale dancing clubs. Levels and Sugar Club on Sukhumvit Soi 11 are filling the void left by the closure of Bed Supperclub two years ago and Ce La Vi on Sathorn is also doing well. These days entrepreneurs prefer to opt for franchise brands, which allows them to operate smaller venues in various locations rather than investing all their cash in one large venue.
Besides, do people still go clubbing?
Young people in their 20s and early 30s certainly don’t go clubbing the way the previous generations did. They don’t need to go out to listen to music when they can listen to whatever they want on YouTube and various other applications at home. “Meeting” new people can be done easily via social media and dating applications. Gone are the days when you dressed to impress and honed your interpersonal skills at nightclubs.
“Weekends used to be the busiest time for us, but now it’s only Friday,” says Denis Hemakom, general manager at Ce La Vi.
“Other clubs are experiencing the same pattern. On Friday people go out clubbing with friends, and Saturday is for dating. They go on dates at quieter places, to have dinner, drinks and talk. They don’t need to go out as often to meet new people anymore, though they seem to still enjoy the big parties, DJ gigs or festival.”
Apart from 90s-themed parties, which have been very popular among nostalgic gen X members during the past year, the LGBT parties organised by G Spot Entertainment inevitably draw the night owls. Over the last two years, the group has established Bangkok’s only and most successful Sunday gay night at Maggie Choo’s on Silom Road, with aspiring drag performer Pangina Heals leading the troupe.
“We will continue the gay night at Maggie Choo’s in 2017,” G Spot’s Kreangsak “Ken” Leing confirms. “We’ll have theme nights occasionally and once in a while our drag artists will sing live – no lip-synching. We’ll also give the opportunity to amateur drag performers to |perform in our parties to look for new talent and shake things up a bit.”
According to Ken, the gay scene in Bangkok should be even more exciting next year with the advent of “RuPual’s Drag Race” Thailand edition.

Pangina Heals will headline in various parties next year
“A lot of people complain that they have to work on Monday, so we’ll have theme party at Vertigo Too on Sathorn Road every first Saturday of the month. It’s going to be fun and wild for everyone with different themes and performances every month. We’ll also be organising regular lesbian night parties with burlesque-style shows and we intend bringing back the pool party we used to hold at Double Tree by Hilton to a different venue.
“Our parties are not exclusive to LGBT people either. All punters are welcome. I think people now just look for a fun and exciting bash and they want something more than a DJ standing at a deck and some dancers. They want |something more creative. A lot of straight people come to our party because they like the fun we |offer, That’s why we’ve become very successful during the past two years.”
For updates, go to www.Facebook.com/GSpot.Ent/.