You only have one reason to come to PrumPlum, a small bar in Soi Sri Bumphen (yep, not far from Wong’s). You come here for the city’s largest collection of umeshu, a Japanese plum liqueur that was traditionally homemade. “It’s more or less like a sato [a local Thai liquor that’s usually made at home],” say co-owner Anawin Chiamprasert, who developed his passion for umeshu while spending a few months in Japan a few years back. A Japanese colleague would take him out to drink after work and, for most of the time, umeshu would be their poison of choice. Anawin learned that there are more umeshu selections than he had ever tried in Bangkok. He later shared his discovery with his friend, Passkorn Saengraksakiat, and the two have turned their passion into a business.
“I’m not yet an umeshu expert, and I would love to learn and know more everyday, so we opened this bar where like-minded individuals can come and share their love for the drink,” says Anawin. The two guys have named their first venture inspired by those poignant moments when it lightly rains (“prum” in Thai), which they think is the perfect time to savor a glass of umeshu.
Highlights include Hi Zou Umeshu (B150/shot, B280/glass with ice, B1,900/bottle), a limited-edition variant from the Komasa No liquor brand, and Daishichi Kimoto (B240/shot, B450/glass with ice, B3,400/bottle), which is brewed from premium sake. Umeshu, apparently, is not a seasonal drink and can be enjoyed the whole-year long (plus, it’s more affordable than sake). The owners agree that umeshu is best taken when it’s chilled.
Don’t know much about this flavorful spirit but don’t know where to start? The hip young owners are always behind the bar to give a brief 101