Jack Bain’s Bar will reopen this month, bringing an ambience of the British colonial gentleman’s club to a hidden corner of the 28th floor at 137 Pillars Suites & Residences Bangkok, with a leather and teak interior and a space that delivers astonishing views across the cityscape.
Cocktails created by head bartender Thavon Wongyai form a signature listing that ranges from colonial era classics such as Old Fashioned and Whisky Sour, through to home-crafted Thai-inspired cocktails using premium locally produced and imported spirits.
Jack Bain’s Favourite is inspired by the man himself, a lover of whisky. Ingredients are Glenmorangie whisky and Martini vermouth, topped with kaffir leaf and orange jelly infused with whisky.
137 Pillars House was originally the headquarters of a British teak trading concession named Borneo Trading Company, and this has inspired the cocktail, Borneo. A blend of Regency Thai whisky and Martini vermouth infused with the forestry aroma of smoked cinnamon and Borneo camphor, with a twinkle from the cinnamon swizzle stick covered in gold particles.
Baan Dum was the name of 137 Pillars House in the old timber trading days, the name meaning Black House. Ingredients include Issan Thai rum and triple sec with a contrasting dash of lime, and to add a distinctively Thai aroma roasted ground rice is used to garnish the glass.
Light bar meals are on the menu, again combining the kind of food that can be discovered in British clubland with dishes inspired by Thai classics.
There is a Jack Bain’s Bar at sister property 137 Pillars House in Chiang Mai, and the concept has been transported to 137 Pillars Bangkok, where it’s inspired by the style that characterised the gentlemen’s clubs and helped to define the colonial era throughout the British Empire. Designed by Santhaya & Associates, Jack Bain’s Bar in Bangkok is tucked away discreetly and has the classic club look of dark wood panelling, rich upholstery, plush leather chairs, and subdued lighting. Club chairs made from leather and overstuffed cushions provide informal seating for drinking and conversation, along with Chesterfield sofas, for settling back with a glass or two.
