1987 Lounge at Siam Kempinski Hotel Bangkok Charts a New Course in Bangkok's Cocktail Culture
- Editor-in-Chief
- Dec 24, 2025
- 4 min read
As Bangkok's cocktail culture continues to mature, hotel bars—once content to serve classics with polished restraint—are increasingly stepping into more expressive territory. Siam Kempinski Hotel Bangkok is the latest to do so, repositioning its elegant 1987 Lounge as a destination for thoughtful, ingredient-led cocktails rooted firmly in Thai terroir. The result is a new six-drink menu that signals a clear shift in direction: one that respects luxury while embracing storytelling, regional sourcing, and contemporary mixology.
Located within one of Bangkok's most prestigious luxury hotels, the Siam Kempinski has long been synonymous with refined hospitality. Nestled between the Siam shopping district and the city's cultural heart, the hotel blends European elegance with Thai sensibility, offering a resort-like calm in the middle of the capital. The 1987 Lounge—named after the year the Kempinski brand was founded in Thailand—has traditionally served as a relaxed space for afternoon tea, light refreshments, and evening drinks. With its new menu, however, the lounge steps confidently into Bangkok's evolving drinking landscape.
The menu is anchored in Thai ingredients sourced from specific provinces, with each cocktail designed to highlight regional produce while remaining approachable to a broad audience. Rather than overwhelming guests with technique-heavy creations, the drinks focus on balance, clarity, and familiarity—making them equally suitable for cocktail enthusiasts and hotel guests discovering Thai-inspired mixology for the first time.
The opening drink, River Kwai, sets the tone. This flip-style cocktail pays homage to the River Kwai, a lush and historically significant waterway in western Thailand. While the River Kwai itself doesn't flow directly through Ratchaburi province, its waters—via the Khwae Yai and Khwae Noi rivers merging into the Mae Klong—ultimately nourish the region. Ratchaburi mango, the drink's main ingredient, is infused into local gin, then combined with citrus, honey, lychee, and egg white. The result is a softly textured cocktail with tropical sweetness, gentle acidity, and a creamy mouthfeel that evokes both abundance and calm.
Pandan Garden follows with a flavour profile that feels instantly familiar to Thai palates. Pandan leaves, sourced from Samut Songkram, are used to infuse gin and create syrup, capturing the ingredient's unmistakable aroma and vibrant green hue. Citrus is added to lift the sweetness and provide structure. Pandan has long been a cornerstone of Thai desserts, valued for its fragrance as much as its flavour, and here it transitions seamlessly into cocktail form—comforting, aromatic, and elegantly restrained.
With Tropic Thunder, the menu takes a bolder turn. This clarified milk punch bridges two provinces through its key ingredients: passion fruit from Chanthaburi and cacao from Chumphon. The cacao is infused into rum, lending depth and subtle bitterness, before being blended with Aperol, passion fruit, and sugar. Clarification smooths the drink's texture while enhancing its flavour clarity. The result is a layered cocktail that balances brightness and richness, offering complexity without heaviness.
Autumn Dream introduces a more contemplative, seasonal character. Built on gin infused with chamomile, cinnamon, and Nakhon Sawan jujube, the drink weaves floral and spice notes together with golden honey from Chiang Rai, citrus, and pear. A garnish of candied sliced pear adds both visual appeal and textural contrast. Sweet and sour in profile, the cocktail feels nostalgic yet refined, reminiscent of orchard fruit and warm spices, making it particularly suited to slower evenings.
In Blind Bird, freshness takes centre stage. Pomelo and lemongrass—both sourced from Nakhon Pathom—are infused into pisco, paired with vermouth bianco, sugar, and rose lemonade tonic. The drink is light, aromatic, and gently floral, with pomelo's bitterness and lemongrass's citrusy lift creating a clean, refreshing finish. It's a cocktail that feels effortless yet precise, ideal for guests seeking something crisp and uplifting.
Rounding out the menu is Tiki Taka Sidecar, a Thai-inflected reinterpretation of the classic Sidecar. Cognac is infused with jackfruit and banana, with jackfruit sourced from Nonthaburi and Lampang, then mixed with Cointreau and citrus. The familiar structure of the Sidecar anchors the drink, while the tropical fruit infusions add warmth and personality. It's a fitting conclusion to the menu—recognisable, playful, and deeply rooted in local produce.
Taken together, the new cocktail menu at 1987 Lounge reflects a thoughtful evolution rather than a radical reinvention. It demonstrates how a luxury hotel bar can engage with contemporary cocktail culture while maintaining elegance and accessibility. By focusing on Thai ingredients, regional stories, and balanced flavours, Siam Kempinski Hotel Bangkok positions the 1987 Lounge not just as a place to drink, but as a place to understand how Thailand's terroir can be expressed in a glass.
In a city where cocktail bars continue to push boundaries, the 1987 Lounge offers something quietly confident: a reminder that refinement, when paired with intention and respect for ingredients, can be just as compelling as spectacle.
1987 Lounge at Siam Kempinski Hotel Bangkok
Hours: Daily, 08:00 - 00:00
Tel: +66 2162 9000
Location: Siam Kempinski Hotel Bangkok, 991, 9 Rama I Rd, Khwaeng Pathum Wan, Pathum Wan, Bangkok 10330
Credits
Article: Wariya Intreyonk
Photos: Wariya Intreyonk and courtesy
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