Kimpton Maa-Lai Bangkok, which is already home to Bar.Yard—BK Magazine’s “Best Rooftop Bar” for 2023 and 2024—has now launched Ruby’s, an intimate 16-seater cocktail bar themed around gemology. 

 

The new bar concept is adjacent to Ms.Jigger, the hotel’s well-known Italian restaurant and bar named after a fictional “well-heeled” Thai traveler with a soft spot for Italy. The menu at Ruby’s tells the prequel of Ms.Jigger through 14 cocktails and two mocktails, each inspired by gemstones associated with the character’s tragic love life.

 

 

The stories are a nice touch while lingering at the dark wood bar, where one can imagine (or mistake themselves for) the fictional character sitting at the bar coping with a broken heart—sipping on a special drink made just for them. 

 

The bar itself is sleek and cozy with an air of simplicity and sophistication: dark wood panels, high shelves beautifully displaying bottles and glasses, white mid-century lamps and bar stools. 

 

The 14 cocktails each take a specific gemstone as inspiration—representing the stones through a variety of ingredients, smells, and alcohol bases. 

 

 

For instance, the “Diamond” leans heavily on clear and white colors to represent its stone: tequila blanco as a base, and creamy Hokkaido yogurt liqueur, organic yogurt and pear to cut through the alcohol’s intensity. Topping it all off is a piece of crafted diamond-shaped ice that pokes above the liquid like a stone set in a piece of jewelry. 

 

 

Another standout is the “Emerald”, which leverages a bold green color to represent jealousy. It also takes a bold turn flavor-wise: starting with a gin base, artisanal mezcal, melon, mango sticky rice and durian coconut foam. Don’t worry, durian haters, those flavors are subtle and not so pungent that it covers the entire palate. The drink itself, however, packs a nice punch. 

 

 

The “Blue Sapphire” is our best guess for Ruby’s most Instagrammed cocktail from the bar’s inaugural line-up. It also might be the most complex to make, using cold-infusions, sous-vide, cream siphon, and clarification techniques to prepare all the elements of the drinks. The ingredients list is no less complex (vodka, elderflower, pear, Cocchi Americano, butterfly pea, pear sake, verjus, and blue spirulina) and give the drink a dark blue, nearly black color, meant to be a metaphorical representation of sadness. Lastly, it comes served with a giant smoke bubble atop a tall pony style glass, creating a silhouette that billows over the drink itself—and is a joy to pop. 

 

 

The venue’s namesake drink, the “Ruby”, lands at the table with a blistering red color representing a “papercut, a broken heart, two lips that kissed.” Gin provides a biting base to the drink, while jasmine, strawberry, pomegranate mellow out the sting and add some red color. Hibiscus, citric acid, and soda create a refreshing tinge that makes the drink easy to down. 

 

Nearly every facet of the bar is soaked in the narrative of a tragic love story, tales of volatile and passionate emotions, and sometimes devious intentions. While most cocktail bars in Bangkok try their hand at storytelling, few of them push the narratives this immersively—making it difficult to not get swept up in the tale. 

 

“Ruby’s, much like the gem, is seductive, surprising and immersive, tempting guests to linger longer to explore all its mysteries and inspirations,’ says Stanislav Andruskevic, Kimpton Maa-Lai Bangkok's bars and beverage manager.

 

 

The bar also offers delicate bites to liven up the experience, all curated by Chef Davide Calo, an Italian chef and head chef of Ms.Jigger from San Cesario di Lecce—a town in the Apulia region of southeastern Italy. If you are looking for a full sit-down meal, you will still want to head to Ms.Jigger next door, but the light bites at Ruby’s are more than worth your snacking attention. You’ll find Fine de Claire oysters, fresh red prawn tartare, seared foie gras with wild mushrooms and ricotta, and grilled wagyu beef on a fluffy brioche topped with truffle—all of them going very well with the themed drinks and overall vibe of the place. 

 

 

Ruby’s at Kimpton Maa-Lai Bangkok opens Aug 19, and is located just adjacent to Ms.Jigger on the hotel’s ground floor. Keep in mind, there are only 16 seats here, so reservations are highly recommended—especially if the hype in food media circles translates to appeal from drinkers across the city. 

 

Book at seat at the bar via Ruby's website.