Tep Bar

In Thailand, ya dong is the kind of drink you usually sip out of a plastic shot glass on a clandestine street corner, a throat-scorching, herb-infused rice moonshine sold from back-alley stalls and makeshift bar carts. Traditionally steeped with roots, barks, and medicinal herbs said to calm the nerves or boost performance between the sheets (depending on the mix), it’s long been considered the drink of choice for tuk-tuk drivers and late-night gamblers.

Tep Bar, hidden down a side alley of Chinatown’s hip Soi Nana bar enclave, gives ya dong a far more elegant stage. Housed in a restored shophouse with moody lighting and traditional Thai gold décor, the bar is best known for its artisanal takes on the moonshine. Instead of the usual cloudy jars and dubious provenance, Tep’s infusions are house-made and blended into clever cocktails, or served straight in tasting flights with tongue-in-cheek names such as Pussy Whipped, Seven Eleven, and Lion King.

The rest of the drinks menu digs deep into the world of Thai spirits. You’ll find drinks mixed with Mekhong, a molasses-based local rum with a spiced finish; sato, a sweet fermented rice wine; and lao khao, a clear, potent white spirit still beloved in rural parts of the country. Ask the bartenders about their rotating stash of limited-run bottles, and they might surprise you with a small-batch Thai gin or wild infusion that isn’t listed on the menu.

To soak it all up, kap klaem, or Thai drinking food options include grilled sai krok kwan (sour, Isan-style sausage) and deep-fried moo sarong pork dumplings—all paired beautifully with the nightly traditional Thai music performances.