yangon drinks: cocktails

Gimlet from the Strand Hotel.

In my short but memorable time in Yangon in November 2015, I did not see any discernible cocktail bar scene. I'd like to say it was a robust scene as what we found in Japan in February 2015, but alas, I cannot. We did, however, find a few watering holes in the city. 

To be honest, I was a bit wary about cocktail drinking because I was unsure about the purity of the water used to make ice. For the most part, I drank a lot of Myanmar beers but, I did go for a cocktail (or three) at reputable establishments.

First, we visited the Strand Hotel. I am told that the hotel was once owned by the same folks who owned the iconic Raffles Hotel in Singapore and the E&O Hotel in Penang, Malaysia. As an aside, I felt a sense of closure now that I have drank at all three iconic hotel bars (the dreadful Singapore Sling at the Raffles and a refreshing Gin & Tonic at the E&O). 

The Stand Hotel bar.

Like the Raffles and E&O, the clientele at the Strand Hotel's bar were westerners, and particularly at the Strand, Americans. (Most westerners we saw around town were Europeans.) While various conversations by patrons produced a low buzz, the room was generally quiet. Inevitably, the prices were pretty steep at $7 per cocktail. But, the ice was filtered and the cocktails were solid. 

Pegu Club from the Strand Hotel.

Gin and Tonic from the Strand Bar.

We also checked out 50th Street Bar, which unsurprisingly, was located on 50th Street. This place was a stand alone bar/pub that had pool tables and other bar games. During our visit, television screens showed a delayed broadcast of the Rousey v. Holm MMA fight. The place was full of foreigners - both from the western and eastern hemispheres. Based on nothing in particular, I did not feel as confident about the water filtration at 50th Street Bar so I stuck with beer and spirits. I did try the local rum - Mandalay Rum - which was rough. It had no sweetness in the nose or taste. And, it was potent. It was a fun, lively bar, however.

50th Street Bar.

Mandalay Rum.

The ShangriLa Hotel Lounge provided a nice respite from the day time heat and humidity. The lounge was full of both western and eastern foreigners. The cocktail prices were about $5-$6. My mandarin sour (using Mandalay Rum) was a bit too sweet and Mr. SR's martini was "fine and surviveable."

ShangriLa Hotel Lounge.

Mandalay sour from ShangriLa Hotel.

Martini from ShangriLa Hotel.

Finally, we tried Union Bar & Grill, which was mostly a restaurant with nice table cloths but where the bar was at the center of the room. Our bartender, James, told us that he was trained by someone from Chicago and that the place was owned by a British national. The clientele appeared to be a lot of people who worked at the nearby British Chancery. We tried a ShangriLa cocktail, which had grand royal whisky (a local brand), triple sec, lemon juice, simple syrup and rose wine. It was way too sweet for my taste. But, the martini was pretty tasty. Our cocktails were not as pricey as those at the Strand but pricier than those at ShangriLa.

Union Bar with bartender, James.

ShangriLa cocktail at Union Bar.

Martini at Union Bar.

While I found Yangon's cocktail scene still in its infancy, I thought that the future looked promising.


What is your favorite cocktail when traveling?