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Is it de ja vu? Was it another balls-to-the-wall night out on the town? Was it, was it, was it? Yes, it was – a full-blown “Groovy Night in Bangkok” with none other than the magical, mythical lionbeast itself: Singha beer.
If you’re like me, you are often crippled by FOMO, or the Fear of Missing Out. So, let’s attack this head on and just say that if you’re reading this, you did, in fact, miss out. You failed.
The latest pub crawl, y’all (sorry, can’t help it), was held in a more “contained” environment than we’re used to. Singha has staged past events on Khao San Road and Soi 11, whereas the July 11th throw-down was held in the shiny new Groove complex at Central World, a new hotspot that brings together a variety of world-renowned restaurants, gastro bars and patisseries in one place. It’s one of those places that does what it’s supposed to – nay, it excels.
So, I’ve said it before, that I hate beer pong. But somehow, some way, my way-past-college body finds itself thoroughly enjoying bouts of pong at these pub crawls. And this one was the best yet. It was as if, in the common area of Groove, they had set up an ode to the sport. Groovy indeed, with a live band playing great music (note: you also had the option of slothing it on bean bags if your “pong elbow” got a little sore. Beer pong made classy.
You know what made it even classier, uh, well, better? The fact that 1881 Water Library was dishing out signature beer-based cocktails: the Singha Mojito and the Singha Sangria. Phenomenal.
Hyde and Seek Peek a Boo. Silly name for a bar-restaurant, methinks, but these folks take their drinks and dishes more seriously than I take life. And for that, I salute them. And I know to salute them because they were the next stop on our Groove itinerary, where they served up a drinker’s delight of finger foods like duck nachos and mini pizzas and free Singha Michelada shooters. They also held a “freezing lucky draw”, which, was f*** freezing (equal parts fun), and involved dunking into a vat of ice-cold water to claim your prize.
Onward, lions and lionesses of the night. With the crawl in full swing, we sauntered over to Gold Mine where the excitement got kicked up a notch. Gold Mine really is a gold mine. OK, not really, but figuratively, it’s a gold mine… or, let’s say a fun mine. It’s a fun mine (I’m not drunk, I assure you). DJ Dookie, aka Lady Soma, served up some tasty, tasty beats as hot, hot, and golden, golden models roamed the dance floor. Oh, and tasty, tasty food, like the mini orange chicken muntao burger and grilled pork hawaiian skewer. Oh, Oh! And dapper gents entirely made of gold (OK, a little buzzed) mixed with the crowd and made ample opportunity for photo gold. Gold, gold, gold – do you know what else is gold (-en)? Beer. Yep, they had plenty of that too.
And, the nightcap. Back to 1881 Water Library where the treats got only more indulgent. I’m essentially a child in an adult’s body, so the idea of being fed is always attractive to me. The idea of being fed beer by an attractive bartender, via a tower of ice, is simply off-the-charts for me. But that’s what we got, and oh was it dreamy.
As tempted as I am to get lost in a slurp-by-slurp account of the beer-ice tower-feeding indulgences, I will spare you, and move on to what was arguably the most enjoyable aspect: DJ Octo on the decks. For those of you who don’t know, DJ Octo is a Bangkok legend who can most often be found entertaining the night-peeps of well-known hotspots like Smalls and Maggie Choo’s.
Oh, they also served up some noteworthy snacks. I liked the salmon tartar. It was really delicious (this isn’t a food review, so just trust me. For real).
So, in summary, what did you miss? Everything. And what do you gain by paying attention to Coconuts Bangkok and making sure you are prompt and present for the next Singha Pub Crawl? Everything.
