The Bar Awards is Returning to Bangkok with a Five-Day Cocktail Festival This February
PUBLISHED February 1st, 2018 02:00 pm | UPDATED May 18th, 2020 04:24 pm
In 2017, The Bar Awards launched its four-city cocktail festival and award ceremony tour in Bangkok, with the other three cities being Hong Kong, Singapore, and Kuala Lumpur. The 2018 edition will also be kicking off in the Thai capital, but the organisers have doubled the fun with 30 parties, guest shifts, and events, featuring more than 14 international bars and barfolk! We’re always up for a well-crafted tipple (or five) at City Nomads, and if you’re going to be in Bangkok 21-25 February 2018, here are the highlights:
Wednesday, 21 February
The Bar Awards Cocktail Festival opens with a party at Bangkok cocktail institution, Rabbit Hole in hipster Thonglor, where eight international guest bartenders – including The Bar Awards 2017 winners Vijay Mudaliar of Native Singapore, CK Kho of Coley in Kuala Lumpur, and Agung Prabowo of The Old Man in Hong Kong – let you drink the best cocktails in Asia in one venue. The party starts at 6pm, and best to head down early because we heard that early birds get free food!
Thursday, 22 February
Body art and cocktails collide with Giffard’s Spirit of Art campaign, where 11 tattooed bartenders in Bangkok share their stories and how the art of tattoos and the art of creating cocktails is not so different. Four of the bartenders will be at Eat Me from 7pm to serve up cocktails in a bid to raise funds for Sati, a charity that helps to improve healthcare and education in rural Thailand. In fact, 100% of proceeds will go to the organisation. There will also be a small showing of unique tattoo photography and possibly some free (and real) tattoos up for inking – who’s in?
Friday, 23 February
Guest shifts by visiting bartenders are a dime a dozen these days, so The Bar Awards are upping the ante by having nine international bars take over Bang Rak. The perfect Friday night route starts with a cocktail and dinner at Tep Bar as they host Native. Fellow Singaporean bar Vasco will be across the road at Teens of Thailand for a post-dinner tipple or head to Asia Today for a cocktail by The Old Man, Agung Prabowo. Close the Soi Nana chapter at Ba Hao in style with CK from Coley.
Still have the stamina? Head over to Tropic City for more Jungle Bird or catch KL’s 2017 Rising Star Jason Julian at another BK institution Bamboo Bar at Mandarin Oriental. Singapore’s Manhattan will also be at the newly opened The 88 while Employees Only Hong Kong will be doing their thang at Bunker. To finish the most epic bar hop ever (till the next Bar Awards stop in Hong Kong), pop by the newly renovated Vesper for a guest shift by Singapore’s Nutmeg & Clove.
Saturday, 24 February
From 12pm to 8pm, Flow House (A-Square, Sukhumvit 26) is hosting The Bar Awards’ Cocktail Carnival, featuring 12 of Asia’s best bartenders, dunk tanks, a magician, balloon artists, and DJs. And why not try your surfing skills out on Flow House’s inner-city surf machine? Priced at THB 500, tickets to the Cocktail Carnival come with THB 300 worth of coupons consumers can use for drinks, food, and surfing. Early birds, there’s a limited number of THB 250 tickets (with the same THB 300 value) up for grabs, as long as you enter Flow House before 2pm.
Those looking for a more intimate cocktail experience can opt for the Ultimate Bar Tour (THB 1500, includes one cocktails at each bar and food) hosted by The Bar Awards’ editor Tron Young. Expect to indulge in the city’s best cocktails, get insider knowledge of the Bangkok bar scene, and best of all, meet the owners and movers and shakers of these establishments. After all, who doesn’t love VIP treatment?
Get your tickets to Cocktail Carnival and the Ultimate Bar Tour here.
Sunday, 25 February
The Bar Awards Party (where all of the winners will be announced) might be an exclusive F&B industry-only event, but everyone is welcomed at the official After Party held at Smalls, Bangkok’s well-loved late-night hangout! It’s at this point where we gently remind you to take Monday off.
Closing Party: Wednesday, 28 February
Before The Bar Awards heads to Hong Kong next, the Perrier Wrap Up Party at Tropic City will see Francesco Morretti of Sarkies Bar (The Strand in Yangon) shaking cocktails at this relaxed and chilled out session.
The Bar Awards Bangkok is happening from 21 to 25 February 2018. For more details on ticketing, please click here.
Top Image: Il Fumo, nominated for Best Restaurant Bar and Best Wine Bar, Bangkok 2018.
