The buzz: The Rama 9 area has welcomed a new bar for serious cocktail drinkers, run mainly by Nitikorn “Tao” Thanataweekool and Kanisorn “Top” Pookavanuch, bartenders from Vice Versa and the Drinks Academy family. The American-themed bar deals in bourbon-based cocktails and BBQ in casual yet masculine setting. 

The decor: The long, narrow black box looks more like a cafe than a bar with its standard industrial decor: white-washed bricks, vintage bulbs, custom-made wood furniture and piping. The central bar shows of the extensive range of booze. 

The music: Familiar Britpop/rock and electro pop.  

The crowd: In-the-know Rama 9 locals plus the bartenders’ loyal fans (yes, they're that good).

The food: Even though it’s not Thai, the dishes here are pretty spicy. The BBQ menu is made with a signature sauce that mixes bourbon with dried chili; try the pork ribs (B350) or pulled pork burger (B200). Other comforting fare include spicy hot wings (B125), hot dogs (smoked pork or veal, B190), Mexican pulled pork nachos (B180) and pastas.      

The drinks: Bourbon is the main player here, with plenty of rare-find bottles. This is reflected in signature cocktails like the mild Texas (B285), which mixes rum, vanilla, butter-scotch, amaretto and ginger ale in a beer glass covered with a leather patch for a cowboy touch. Moulin Rouge (B250) is a sweet berry drink that blends bourbon, raspberry, blueberry, chocolate, cassis and orange-candy in goblet covered with white fur, while the almost-spirit-forward D-Day (B250) packs a punch considering it mixes bourbon with Irish whiskey, La Quintinye rouge vermouth, amaro, aperol and honey in a flask. We recommend the lesser-known classic Boulevardeir (bourbon, sweet vermouth and Campari, B280), too. They also serve Beerlao (B140) and Budweiser (B160), as well as occasional local brews like Chiang Mai Beer.              

Why you should care: This is more than a welcoming neighborhood bar; the rare selection of bourbon (that’s mostly hand-carried into the country) makes it worth the drive. Vasachol Quadri