So I don't normally go to these kinds of places because I am aware of the fact that it is going to be considerably more expensive than I am accustomed to paying for booze. I am more of a "whatever lager is cheapest" type guy, but I had a friend visiting who likes this sort of stuff so I figured I would splash out some cash and do something special.
Beer Lab
The first thing I noticed about this joint is that it was very busy despite the fact that it was 830pm on a Tuesday. I would imagine that it is standing-room-only on the weekends. They have plenty of staff, all of which spoke a great deal of English and were very friendly. I gotta say, the menu was a bit overwhelming for someone who doesn't know what most of these words mean.
This was just one page of it, there was about 14 more. It is extremely impressive to me that they have options aplenty, but for me it was pretty much a random decision. I knew I didn't want port and that was about it. I eventually made my decision because there was an IPA that was made in Scotland and had a cool name.
Brewdog Punk
I have had IPA's in the past and they didn't exactly do it for me because of the strong, lingering aftertaste. I was real happy this was not the case with Brewdog Punk. It had a fruity aroma to it and it was very smooth. I think it might be one of the best brewed beverages I have ever had so I tip my hat to ya Scotland, well done.
Now if it just weren't for the fact that a pint of this stuff costs nearly $10
They had a list of snacks that you could order but it was quite obvious that Beer Lab's primary focus was on having a wide selection of mostly international beers and ciders. When I saw that they had tacos on the menu I had to try them.
The tacos were "meh" because the seasoning on the meat was all wrong and there wasn't near enough meat inside the shell. I give them a thumbs up for trying but I think if you are going to Beer Lab it might be a good idea to go with a full stomach rather than expecting to eat here as well.
Overall impression or tl;dr
Beer Lab is certainly fancier than most other bars in Chiang Mai and their prices are reflected to accommodate that. With just 2 pints and a plate of rather mediocre tacos our bill came to nearly $50 for the two of us. This, for me, is far more money than I like to spend at a bar. However, if having a wide selection of craft beers available is important to you, this might be the best that all of Chiang Mai has to offer. Just expect to pay nearly $10USD for any pint that you order. The staff and the ambiance is done really well here and it seems to attract a very fashionable and upper-class portion of society. You're gonna have to spend some money to hang out here.
location including GPS coords
ตำบล สุเทพ อำเภอเมืองเชียงใหม่ เชียงใหม่ 50200
+66 97 997 4566 (they answer the phone)