A sumptuous enclave of colonial elegance, this Chiang Mai retreat transports guests back to a nostalgic era rich with teak wood panelling, plush leather Chesterfield sofas and deep maroon velvet club chairs
The historic, softly-lit atmosphere of Jack Bain’s Bar at 137 Pillars House would be familiar to the man himself; it’s a meticulous re-creation of the very bar where this Victorian pioneer relaxed with drink in hand after long days of service to the Borneo Company, the Kingdom of Thailand and the British Empire.
A colourful Scottish character reputed to be reminiscent of Indiana Jones, his legend lives on in this bar named after him.
It’s become the place to go in Chiang Mai for crafted colonial and Asian inspired cocktails, premium whiskeys, sabered Champagne and bespoke spirits, which can all be enjoyed in evocative, intimate surroundings that hark back to the golden age of cocktails and gentlemen’s clubs.
Jack Bain was one of the last inhabitants of the historical teak homestead around which 137 Pillars House was created many years later. The homestead dates back to the late 1800s, when it was the headquarters of the Borneo Company.
Jack followed in his father William’s footsteps and joined the company as manager, raising his family on the grounds where the hotel now stands.
His youngest daughter who still lives in the area kindly shared anecdotes and memories of her beloved father, which are incorporated into the copper-topped bar’s enticing menu of classic, contemporary, traditional and signature cocktails, designed in the form of his personal diary.
Formerly a lounge and library area of the hotel, Jack Bain’s Bar is now an elegant, chic cocktail lounge where guests and visitors can mingle, relax, read, play backgammon or catch up and share their exploits and adventures of the day with other guests and visitors from around the globe.
The house speciality is the Aged Teak Signature Cocktail - an exotic concoction of Monkey Shoulder Blended Single Malt Whiskey, Martini Rosso Red Vermouth and fresh grapefruit juice, presented under an elegant glass dome filled with freshly charred cinnamon sticks that create a wispy, fragrant smoke.
There are lush tropical gardens to be glimpsed through traditional slat windows while relaxing beneath lazily-turning ceiling fans, and to complete the colonial ambience, exquisite cocktails and cigars can be enjoyed Al Fresco on the bar’s surrounding terraces.
For more browse: 137pillarschiangmai.com
