Thailand – “Chon gâew”
Notable Drink: Beer
Thailand has hot food, hot beaches, and hot nightlife, all of which are sure to raise your temperature. One of the most popular ways to cool down is with Thai beer. Singha and Chang are the biggest names in Thai beer, and it’s hard to say which is more popular: Chang is popular with tourists and served in many restaurants, while Singha is more popular in bars and well-known outside Thailand. They’re both refreshing lagers, perfect for cooling down while eating spicy food or sitting on sunny beaches. Both are made with European hops, in traditional European methods, but the flavors are singularly Thai—inspired by native flora, spices, and sweetness.
If you're ever in Thailand, be sure to follow these social drinking norms:
Be a hospitable drinking companion.
Before making the first drinks, it’s polite to put ice in everyone else’s glasses. As the night goes on, Thais often refill each other’s glasses as they get low. If you go to refill your own glass, offer to refill everyone else’s, too. And, of course, before every drink be sure to Cheers! your glasses together with a “chon gâew!” which literally means “hit glass.”
Pair your drinks with food.
It’s rare to drink in Thailand without pairing it with food. In fact, eating throughout the night is almost expected, as it helps avoid drunken behavior – which is frowned upon in Thai culture.
Order for the table.
When going out in groups, Thais typically order a whole bottle of spirits, with ice & mixers, so they can make and share drinks at the table rather than go up to a busy bar again and again. You might also find groups with “bucket drinks” (plastic sand buckets filled with booze) or beer towers in the middle to share.
Bangkok's Secret Bar Scene
Some don’t appear on GPS. Not many know they’re there. In the loud, pulsating city of Bangkok, more bartenders are opening secret bars to escape the noise. For true cocktail lovers, these hidden gems offer an intimate experience between you, your drink, your bartender, and a handful of other adventurous patrons. You just have to follow the clues and get there first. Think you can get in?
Mai Thai: A Thailand twist on a classic cocktail
Ingredients
- 2 Thai chile peppers
- ¾ oz Grand Marnier
- 2 oz Banks 5-Island rum
- ¾ oz lime juice
- ¾ oz pineapple juice
- ½ oz Thai coconut milk
- Ice
- Fresh pineapple slice
Instructions
- Add the Grand Marnier and 1 of Thai chile peppers into a shaker and lightly muddle.
- Add the rum, lime juice, pineapple juice, coconut milk, and ice to the shaker and mix for 20 seconds. Strain into a glass filled with ice. Garnish with a fresh pineapple slice.
- “Chon gâew!"