Backdoor Bodega
Cocktail Bar · Penang · Chef Koh Yung Shen
A cult speakeasy hidden behind The Swagger Salon streetwear shop near Hin Bus Depot in George Town. Backdoor Bodega bills itself as an 'overpriced pin shop' — patrons purchase enamel lapel pins to receive complimentary cocktails. Once touted as 'the most elusive of George Town's speakeasies' by Lonely Planet.
37 Jalan Gurdwara, George Town, 10300 Penang, Malaysia, Penang
- #64 Asia's 50 Best Bars
- #53 World's 50 Best Bars 2024
Menu
Cocktails
- Kelapa Hotak 2016 (35) — BB Cocktail #001. Coconut fat-washed rum, pandan syrup, kaya (coconut egg jam), clarified with agar. Served over a single clear ice cube. 'Kelapa Hotak' is Penang Hokkien slang.
- Georgetown Gimlet (35) — Gin with belacan (fermented shrimp paste), tamarind, lemongrass, and ginger flower. A punchy, savoury gimlet inspired by Penang assam laksa.
- Mango Martini (38) — Gin flavoured with Pamplemousse Rose, mango, and grapefruit, with bits of sago adding texture.
- One-Two-Som (Tam) (35) — Papaya-infused rum, kaffir lime leaf, fresh lime juice, chilli. Thai-inspired sour-spicy profile from the Guide to Penang menu.
- Rasa Rasam (35) — Whiskey with tamarind, turmeric, cumin, and lime, clarified with milk. Inspired by Georgetown's Little India spice trails. Served with a papadom garnish.
- Eugene (38) — Dry gin, Cointreau, homemade mishti doi (Bengali yoghurt), yuzu purée, lime juice. A house classic recommended for first-timers.
- The Meg (35) — Nutmeg-infused rum, house-spiced rum, and lime. A Penang nutmeg daiquiri — an ode to the island as one of the few places in the world that drinks nutmeg in juice form.
- Rojak! (35) — Whisky, green mango, peanuts, shrimp paste, milk-washed. Garnished with fried cruller on a wooden spoon, referencing rojak sellers' spatulas.
- Ulam Mojito (35) — Ulam raja and daun kesum (Malaysian herbal salad leaves) with torch ginger and galangal replacing traditional mint. Distils Penang's herbal lexicon into an aromatic fizz.
- R.B.S. (35) — Ramly Burger Special — tequila, tomato, vinegar, chicken stock, scorched cheese, milk-clarified. Arrives wrapped in branded burger paper. A love letter to Penang's post-clubbing burger stalls.
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