Thailand: Chiang Mai Part 3… Single malts, classy Gins and a blue oyster bar
Zoe in yellow, definitely offers more than a changers Beer
Hello Meanderthals, welcome to today’s Blog, what can I say, when you’re on holidays one has to have a few bevies right. So I’ll briefly chat about the finer places to have a cold one in Chiang Mai. Naturally there are quite a few shady establishments but I’ve managed to steer clear of them except for one establishment called Little Amsterdam Café and Bar but there’s a story behind that one which will be revealed in detail in upcoming blogs just because it’s blog worthy.
Ok I’ll keep it short and sweet but suffice to say you can get a Cold Beer just about anywhere in Chiang Mai. In fact, if you are eating anything at any established restaurant the first thing, they ask you is what beer do you want. This is probably partly because many an Australian Farang has blazed a trail before us requesting one and of course the tropical climate almost dictates one consumes said beers.
Zoe in yellow Beer Garden and eatery area
Beer pong anyone? I did say this place caters for all
Moreover, I’ll go out on a limb here, I’d go so far as to say there is more Chang Beer consumed here than soft drinks like coke. Because as I write this, I cannot honestly recall seeing anyone drinking coke here, maybe Thais are health conscious but mind you the Thai tea is probably just as bad as coke when we analyse sugar content.
Now on the flip side of the Chang Beer coin if you want something a little stronger than one really has to go searching for anything of quality. I know because when you travel with Red, he’s a self-confessed Gin snob and only the best will do for him. Mind you I don’t mind a good quality single malt either but when you’re in Thailand you have to be Sabai Sabai (chilled/flexible) when it comes to your preferred poison or go out of your way to find it. Having said that Thais do have their own product they call whiskey. But to call it whiskey is a more an insult than the truth. It is truly God-awful moonshine swill that will pickle you in a heartbeat. If you really want to punish your liver and destroy any remaining brain cells you have then have a night on the turps with Thai whiskey. Look at the picture below. They say a picture paints a thousand words - caption this picture in the comments.
Thai Whiskey sampling whilst on tour
Single Malt on the rock’s verses Thai whiskey, Let’s just say the Thais moonshiners have a little way to go before they produce a palatable product.
Ok as far as establishments go if you want a place that fits all tastes then you must go and visit ‘Zoe in Yellow’. It’s a happening place and caters for all tastes with four separate bars and an eatery. If you want to boogie, then there’s two dance floors. One is a bar with no clearly defined walls just a bar and roof, the other is in an enclosed aircon building that plays doof doof shit that’s loosely called music. I’m getting a little long in the tooth for clubbing, so we opted for the outside ambience and the beat of the music assaulting our kidneys from afar. At one point we wandered into the classed-up bar, sat down and found a drink to our liking. Red even found a Gin to suit his “refined palate”. We took our first sip, relaxed a little and as I looked around, I saw two fine gentlemen doing their best to imitate a broke back mountain scene but without the tent. I looked at Red and he looked at me and instantly we realised that this establishment probably wasn’t for two single straight refined gentlemen like ourselves. Without words a silent acknowledgment passed between us and we skolled our classy drinks that should have been sipped slowly and beat a hasty retreat to somewhere more suitable.
I think the expression on RED’s face says it all, he’s just noticed the broke back mountain moment unfolding at the table Beside us. even his Gin has turned blue in recognition of the blue oyster bar we’d stumbled into.
A drunken pose in the bar now known as the blue oyster bar
Have you ever been caged out of a toilet > You have to pay to enter the turntable so you can go for a pee at the bars around Zoe in yellow. so be warned, carry some loose change in your pocket.
pretty funky walkway into a bar if i do say so myself
THC roof top bar entrance
Ok now it’s time to mention the other types of bars which loosely fall into the realm of Bars. That is because the primary purpose is to enable them to be 420/710 friendly (Cannabis bars), they provide a place for one to have a smoke which is now legal in Thailand for medicinal use. Medicinal use is a loose term here but it’s a development that’s only recently become decriminalised in Thailand and as a result these bars are everywhere, but they also cater for the non-smoker as well with cannabis infused cocktails and sweet treats. So, if a cannabis infused Cuba libre floats your boat then so be it.
The little Amsterdam Café and Bar and THC rooftop bars appear to be popular; the latter however is more of a smoke house whereas the little Amsterdam café and bar serves up those mean cannabis infused cocktails. I visited these establishments partly because I wanted an informed idea of these bars and partly because I was in need of some pain relief post a motorcycle accident where I fell off a mountain and sustained injuries (more on that saga later). Being a health care professional, I know there is only so much Panadol and Ibuprofen one can take before it’s detrimental to the body so I thought what the heck when in Rome do as the romans do it can’t hurt and I tell you what after a marijuana margarita and a cannabis Cuba libre I was pain free and a happy camper, so that shit really does work and now I know why big pharma doesn’t like it. PS the Brownies work just fine as well.
Apology at the quality of the photo but I was a little bit “pain free” after some cocktails
So in summary, between the multitude of bars that cater to everybody’s tastes and the cannabis bars Chiang Mai is a proactive and happening place without the seediness of Bangers. Yes, there are streets of Girly bars in Changas but it’s not everywhere as I found in Bangers so you can really cut loose in this place or you can just unwind. The choice is yours.
