Bangkok's best bottle shops

Beer: not just for immediate satisfaction anymore.

Jul 20, 2023

Beer fridges? Hair of the Dog has them. / Image courtesy of Hair of the Dog

We live in an era of convenience.

Don’t want to leave home to get your hands on the city’s limited supply of Toppling Goliath or Humble Sea, a hyped-up collaboration beer, a Samata sour that just dropped? Or more to the point of this whole exercise, do you want to try those beers but just maybe not tonight? Well, my friends, you’re in luck.

Bottle shops have become a fixture across Bangkok, typically offering the freshest selection from several importers in one place—and at a reduced price if you buy them to drink somewhere other than the shop.

Although the concept predates the pandemic, it really took off when we could only drink at home. Some bars that never previously sold beers for takeaway suddenly changed tack and started doing the same.

Now, bottle shops and bars with great take-home selections are abundant. Hence, this roundup of the best of them.

Before I get in too deep, let me say just one thing: I’ve written or commissioned more roundups in my life than any person ever should. They are a very particular bane.

Sometimes, you drive yourself mad trying to name-drop every single venue you can think of in a city. Other times, you whip the masses into a frothy-mouthed furor because you’ve forgotten someone’s favorite place (or you didn’t think it was very good and left it out—different reasoning, same result).

That’s not what I’m doing here. This roundup is not comprehensive. There are simply too many places with beer fridges that could pass as bottle shops to name in one newsletter. Some, to be frank, don’t have great selections.

Instead, I’ve selected places that focus more on the beers in the fridge than the ones on tap, as well as venues that have such an impressive selection of beers for takeaway that they can’t be overlooked.

BEER FORCE—the kind of name that demands it’s written in all caps.

Beer Force

Phra Khanong has seen several craft beer vendors come and go over the years. This one has come but not yet gone, which is joyous news for anyone who hangs out in the neighborhood.

The shop sits at the base of the Sky Walk building, the beer fridges shining like a beacon through floor-to-ceiling windows. It has a huge selection, but it’s probably best known for its Singaporean beers—the shop’s first branch is based in Singapore.

Beers from Brewlander, plus the contract beers that brands like Samata make at their facilities in Singapore, are the most affordable options. Other imports tend to be priced rather high. But there are a lot of them. If you don’t mind spending a bit more for the Deschutes and Founders of the world, you’ll be pleased with the selection.

If you’re in the area, Beer Force is a good place to start your night before descending into the murky depths of W District, where you’ll probably pummel your liver with tower after tower of Singha.

Best for: Singapore-made beers and a welcome hit of flavor before you go ham on cheap beer.

Craft Room

What is a Sathorn salaryman to do after clocking out? Head to this small bar and bottle shop, of course. Standing out among the gas stations, auto shops, and banks between the Sathorn-Naradhiwas intersection and Lumpini Park, this glass-framed bar offers six taps and 80-plus beers in the fridge.

Long before it was normal to find Thai beer, this place had it—and not always the legal kind. When I was still shilling for the man in Sathorn, I would routinely visit here to get cans from Thai brands Water On Mars, Polder, and Two Ten. Pretty much all the beers they sell now have the little red label across the lip, signaling their legality. But don’t let that deter you: this is still a great place to try Thai-made beer, as well as fresh cuts from the likes of Humble Sea, Founders, or To Øl. (And you might find the occasional Water On Mars or Polder beer on tap.)

Naturally, you get a discount for takeaway—10 percent off, in this case. But you may want to drink in the store, because the Japanese curry rice they serve is excellent. Oh, and one key item of note: the toilet is at the gas station next door.

Best for: A variety of Thai-made beers and selections from big boys like Founders paired with great food.

The author and friends discussing very serious things at Duke of Beerington. / Image courtesy of Duke of Beerington

Duke of Beerington

This bar-bottle shop with the unforgettable name changed the game when it opened in 2019. Duke, as we’ll coin it in shorthand, was among the first places—if not the first—to emphasize what was in the fridge, offering an ever-changing selection of the most interesting imports from every major supplier.

The shop hides in plain sight in Thonglor, sandwiched between Japanese bars and restaurants at the bottom of a serviced apartment just off Sukhumvit Road. There are three beers on tap and a few easy-to-navigate fridges. They’re always stocked with something new, not to mention a wide variety of styles. But you don’t come here just for the beers on tap or the enviable fridge—you do it for the service.

Bar owner Um knows his stuff, and he won’t sugarcoat it if a beer won’t blow you away. On more than one occasion, Um has kindly redirected my attention to something more likely to pique my palate—say, a barleywine from De Molen. That helps explain why this tiny space is almost always packed, and why Um is constantly answering messages from customers or packing beers for delivery.

Duke’s prices are about as competitive as you’ll find. Cans and bottles are also about THB30-50 cheaper for takeaway. Plus, as referenced above: Um will deliver if you contact the shop on social media. I cannot stress how wonderful that service is.

If I sound biased, it’s because I am. This is my regular, my neighborhood watering hole, and I love it.

Best for: A wide selection of fresh imports and beer styles at competitive prices, no-bullshit honesty, and impeccable service.

Beer enjoyed at Finger Heart mmmm a few months back? Yeah, something like that.

Finger Heart Bottle Shop

South Korean national Bradley Kim opened this shop in Silom in late 2022 to learn more about the beer market through conversations with customers and brewers. “I also wanted to supply a lot of cheap but high-quality craft beer to expand [this segment] of the market,” he says. This vision is very welcome.

At Finger Heart, your attention immediately gravitates to the fridges, which are generally separated by beer style rather than brand. But there are also five beer taps and two others that pour kombucha (you can get free samples of them all, for the record). In the future, these will likely pour mead and cider, too.

Kim emphasizes variety. While you’ll find flown-in-fresh IPAs, you’ll also get lots of stouts, sours, and funky beers. “I think it is one of my duties to encourage consumers to try more diverse beers without hesitation,” he explains. Some of those might soon be his soon. Kim intends to open a brewery, and he currently makes everything from hazy IPAs to smoothie sours and pastry stouts.

Finger Heart is what we in the business call “intimate.” With just a few high-top tables inside, the shop is made for single drinkers, couples, and small parties. If you’re flying solo or with a partner, you can entertain yourself with copies of Craft Beer and Brewing magazine or games like Uno.

Best for: A wide variety of beers at low, low prices and unique (read: home-brewed) beers on tap.

Image courtesy of Hair of the Dog

Hair of the Dog

So often, discussions about the best beer bars in Bangkok involve Hair of the Dog. While it started with a third-floor space in Mahatun Plaza (which still exists!), the second and larger bar in Phrom Phong tends to be more accessible. It also has an impressive refrigerator setup complementing the 13 beers on tap.

I’m not entirely sure how many bottles and cans they keep in the fridges, but it’s safe to say a lot. Ballpark: well north of 100. Owners Dao, Mike, and Pete have exacting taste, so the options are generally excellent. As good, red-blooded Canadians, Mike and Pete also keep it stocked with stouts. In fact, I’d wager the bar has the best stout selection in Bangkok.

A not-secret-at-all “secret”: on the top shelf of one of the fridges, you’ll find single cans—the last from their respective shipments—marked down 20 percent. This is where to look for the deals, friends.

The bar’s morgue/asylum theme and heavy soundtrack can be polarizing, but you can’t beat the beer knowledge, service, and attention to detail here. (Also, the TVs playing 80s movies like Back to The Future? Excellent.)

Best for: Stouts, stouts, and more stouts, but also really fresh IPAs and that sweet 20-percent-off shelf.

A tasty brew procured from the Tasting Room.

Mikkeller Tasting Room

You can be forgiven for failing to look past Mikkeller’s 30 taps—some of which now pour wine. But the bar has one of the most impressive selections of bottled and canned beers in the city waiting to be perused in the tasting room (and one fridge by the bar, for that matter).

Inside a handsomely decorated and delightfully cold shack, you’ll find rare bottles and cans ranging from barrel-aged stouts and barleywines to magnums of wild or farmhouse ales. This is where you go if you want something really unique, much of which is brought to Bangkok by Hoppiness Distribution (a.k.a. Hopsession), the import arm of owners Jakob Rasmussen and Rutima Vaewvichit.

In the fridge by the bar, you’ll find tall boys more suitable for sharing or having solo. Yes, again, it’s cheaper to buy beers to drink at home rather than on-site, but you can also grab something to share inside, or better yet, in the garden when the bean bags are out.

Best for: Rare beers you won’t find elsewhere, plus a welcome reprieve from Bangkok’s sweltering nights.

Thon Hops

This is arguably the most interesting made-to-order food stall and minimart in Thailand. From the outside, you wouldn’t expect this place to stock craft beer. Then again, life is full of surprises.

Thon Hops opens early, offers delivery, and has a great selection. Recently, for example, they got beers from One Drop, which you would expect to find at Hair of the Dog or Mikkeller but not a mom-and-pop shop in Thonburi. It’s also quite affordably priced, probably owing to the lack of overhead.

Best for: Gaprao moo sap khai dao with an Ārpus IPA.

Well Shop

Honestly? Basically everything I’ve written for Thon Hops applies to Well Shop, except they don’t serve made-to-order food.

Part-minimart, part-beer shop, this humble space sells craft beer at rock bottom prices, but in the old town, near Wat Saket, rather than across the river. You can also have beer delivered.

Best for: Super affordable beer, especially if you want to get some roadies in the old town.

Other bars with cool fridge selections

Arcadia Barcade

The arcade games and weed might steal the attention, but this indie spot in Phra Khanong also keeps a fridge full of interesting beers and kratom soda. By “interesting,” I mean underground brews from Hop Hog, a homebrewer with a penchant for sour beers and experimental flavors.

The Fat Cow

The Lad Phrao craft beer stalwart attracts a loyal following with its juicy burgers and Thai beers on tap and in the fridge. Since expanding during the pandemic, the Fat Cow has become a far roomier venue, too. It’s also a good place to visit if you want to find beers that may not be, um, excise-approved.

Highland Cafe

Thailand’s leading marijuana advocates are also big fans of Thai craft beer. Come for the weed, stay for the beer, if you’re cool with mixing sauces.