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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 probably are, I’m going to say, because my worldview is limited to assuming that all humans – and great apes, for that matter – have the same anxieties, the same desires, the same hopes and dreams as 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.
But, by god, beat that fear back down its hellish hole and relax. I’m here to help encourage you, to embolden you, with tales as to exactly what shenanigans you let slip past you so that you get on with engaging in that most noble of human endeavors, adaptation to your environment, and ensuring that such oversight never happens again.
So, with the sweat of anxiety freshly wiped from your soul, let’s get down to what you could have done, with the implicit understanding that we will see you at the next Singha Pub Crawl (unless you truly are crippled by FOMO. If you do find yourself slumped in such a shaky heap, please contact Coconuts Bangkok, and we will engage one of our trusted Coconauts to light the proverbial fire for you).
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 (I say new… but denizens of Bangkok who keep up with commercial property developments downtown may argue that it is far from new. Whatever.) where party people simply turned up, paid the paltry 900 baht fee (700 baht if you were proactive and pre-ordered, but you’re not, because you didn’t even go) and launched straight into beer pong.
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 designed and flawlessly constructed a professional ode to the sport. 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. Truly, the idea of a cocktail made with beer disgusts me. I hate the idea almost as much as I hate the idea of beer pong. But, alas, my mortal grudges were assuaged by the sheer skill of the Water Library’s mixologists. Job well done, ladies and gents.
Hide 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. 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 the well-known hot spots like Smalls and Maggie Choo’s. The guy got his start as a classically-trained pianist before breaking into the contemporary scene as a session guitarist. Once he started DJing, the rest was history. His career took off and the award-winning artist has since performed alongside names like Skrillex, MajorLazer, and A-Trak.
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.
