Sipping Tiger brings botanical pours to Phuket
The InterContinental Phuket Resort by IHG has debuted Sipping Tiger, an intimate cocktail bar rooted in Thai wilderness and techniques.
Led by head of beverages Alif Abru and bar manager Kunawut ‘Kim’ Wongruen, the bar’s philosophy centres on local botanicals, sustainable practices, and an ‘instinctive’ approach to craft.
Developed in close collaboration with Bangkok’s Kasetsart University and Chulalongkorn University, Sipping Tiger is the first cocktail bar to formalise a Memorandum of Understanding with the former, combining locally sourced botanicals with academic expertise.
Furthering their commitment to responsible sourcing, the team has also partnered with Katian Farm, as well as other local growers, alongside WWF Thailand, to pave the way for long-term ecosystem stewardship.
“Zero-waste isn’t a trend for us, it’s our way of appreciating what Thailand gives us,” said Wongruen. “When you work closely with local botanicals, you realise how much flavour, texture, and character already exists in each ingredient. Our role is simply to handle them with care, transform rather than discard, and let the produce shine through every drink. In doing so, we hope guests experience Sipping Tiger not just as a bar, but as a memory of Phuket or Thailand that stays with them.”
Presenting a lineup of 10 cocktails, the menu is designed to pace the night, moving from light refreshers to richer, more contemplative serves, detailed with tasting notes and illustrations to guide guests.
Highlights include Calamansi Riposato, an aperitivo-style cocktail that shakes cinnamon and peach sherbet, bianco vermouth, and vodka into a spiced and fruity serve. The cocktail is poised as the ideal first drink of an evening, with flavours of calamansi and tangerine evolving as the ice float on top melts.
The Rum Cartel, a localised mash of homegrown chocolate mint, cucumber, passion fruit honey and Campari, is a herbaceous and refreshing serve that has been crafted with Mojito fans in mind, while Smoke & Summer is said to offer a smokier yet equally refreshing take on a mezcal-based Paloma, layering fermented local pineapple agave, grapefruit soda, and pink lime salt to bring forth a tropicality that echoes Phuket’s sun and sea.
The menu also offers a dedicated non-alcoholic selection of cocktails, which continues Sipping Tiger’s produce-forward philosophy.
Highlights include Watermelon Splash, made with fresh watermelon juice and anise jasmine syrup topped with tonic, while Skinny Mango reimagines the classic Thai dessert of mango sticky rice in a glass, blending mango with kaffir lime, coconut, and lime for a bright, tropical offering.
Nature meets modernity
Sipping Tiger is described as an invitation into a modern den. Rooted in wilderness and craft, the space is conceived as a ‘refined convergence’ of nature and modernity.
With windows that open onto lush greenery, warm woods, woven textures, and tactile finishes throughout, the bar has been designed to evoke the feeling of being nestled within a forest.
The bar counter is framed by a rattan backdrop and dimmed woven pendant lights, all designed for closeness and exchange, and for guests to watch mixologists in action.
Beyond the bar, leather-upholstered sofas are paired with patterned cushions and smooth marbled tables, against potted plants that seek to blur the boundaries between interior and garden. These design decisions have been chosen to create a ‘pared-back yet richly tactile atmosphere’ for groups to ‘unwind without ceremony’.
Tucked away from the main room is The Den, which offers an intimate and private 12-seater space with its own illuminated bar counter and sculptural chandelier overhead. This area showcases a curated collection of fine spirits and an ‘intimate vibe’ made for private celebrations and discreet gatherings.
Rounding off the experience is the Botanical Room – a purpose-built sitting space decked with indoor herbs.
Cultivated on racks, guests will find produce utilised across cocktails, ranging from local basil and coriander, lemon verbena, dill, thyme, a variety of mints and more.
In tandem with the hotel’s on-site garden, the room functions as a working extension of the bar, where ingredients move directly from rack to glass.
Sipping Tiger is open daily at InterContinental Phuket Resort by IHG, from 5pm to 1am, and seats 69 guests.
Elsewhere in Southeast Asia, Bali’s Potato Head debuted a new cocktail menu last year, which includes a ‘root-to-flower’ philosophy, making it zero-waste and adhering to the bar’s sustainability ethos.
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