So we talked cocktails and perfumes with Aum and Taln of Messengerservice Bar

With drinks this good and hospitality this warm, the troubled feeling of having to travel all the way to Phattanakan just seems to disappear. Please give a warm welcome to Aum and Taln, owners of Messengerservice Bar.

Messengerservice is one of those bars that stay with you. It occupies a little room in the back of your mind and occasionally shows its presence when you hear the question, “do you have a few favourite bars in Bangkok?” With brick-coloured walls and rows upon rows of ingredient bottles adorning them, it’s as if the place lets you slip right into a relaxed state, as you have a chat with the people behind the bar, catching a glimpse of the drinks you might like.

Those people behind the bar, on not uncommon occasions, will be owners Aum and Taln. Inspired by perfume, they showcase how both artforms can collide beautifully. Add a dash of their hospitality, and you’ll find yourself having more cocktails than you first anticipated.

That’s why we pushed through the front curtains, sat in front of the bar in very photogenic lighting, and asked what made Messengerservice the way it is today. Here’s how it went.

[Hero and featured image credit: Messengerservice Bar]

So we talked cocktails and perfumes with Aum and Taln of Messengerservice

Tell us, how did Messengerservice come to be?

“Both of us were interior designers then opened a hostel together in Phattanakan, so we had zero experience behind the bar before Messengerservice. It’s located quite near the airport, and that is actually why we started a bar together. Guests of the hostels were asking for alcoholic beverages, so we started to research and experiment what would satisfy our customers’ needs—firstly beers, then wines, then cocktails.”

“We had to Google each order and learnt right then how to make each drink,” Taln laughs. “If we didn’t have something, we just quickly ran to Tesco’s to get it. As we welcomed a lot of people just arriving from the airport, we had time to train and refine our mixology as we regularly had to wait for those coming in on late night flights. As time went by, we started to learn more about the things we could do, and techniques we could add. We wanted an actual venue—somewhere that feels refined, yet relaxed like walking into a living room that reflects the seriousness we put into each glass. That’s how Messengerservice was born.”

Why choose to open a bar in Phattanakan?

“Our hostel is in Phattanakan, and our interior design office was also in Phattanakan, so it would be easier to manage if it were around here. When we found this space, we thought that it was time we properly open a bar.”

What was your thought process behind the “canvas to glass” signature menu?

Messengerservice has 36 signature menus, continuously changing, so there’s something new for frequent visitors. An abundance of their recipes are also clarified.

“When we think of a new entry, we think of it like making perfumes,” Aum answers. “There’s a top note, middle note, and base note. It’s how we ensure that what we envision in terms of scent and taste is translated well into the glass. Like, we want this ingredient to be the star, what other things can we use to complement that star ingredient?”

Taln adds, “We love to experiment with new ingredients and see how we can extract the flavours of those ingredients into liquid form. The next challenge is how to make the cocktail as clear as possible. It’s great aesthetic-wise as it adds to the element of surprise, and it also makes its shelf-life longer. At first we planned on half being clear drinks, the rest normal, but we experimented on how to adapt each ingredient and studied which technique works for each one. We learnt that we could make it work for us, and it did.”

What prompted the use of perfumes into mixology?

“We both love perfumes, so one day, we walked into a store and saw how each perfume has different ingredients that resemble their notes. The idea came to our heads: if these listed ingredients are used because they work well together, can we also use that logic for creating cocktails? We went back to experiment, and we were quite surprised with how well that works.”

In your opinion, what makes a good cocktail?

“Of course, there’s no definite description of what a good cocktail is. If you drink a cocktail and you enjoy it — be it sweet, savoury, refreshing, a classic — it’s a good cocktail. Our drinks menu is already strange and out of this world. There’s one that has kimchi and another with squid ink, so it’s safe to say that we can already cover the tastes of most people that enter the bar.”

“There’s one customer, however, that asked for a cocktail made from shrimp paste. We haven’t made that yet, but we’re not backing down from that challenge, either.”

What’s a bar you like to visit, if not your own?

Taln answers that it depends on the mood. “If I’m craving classics, I go straight to Vesper. The bar is always lively, and the vibes are great. If I’m in the mood for something more conceptual, it’s Ku Bar, as their concept is clear and reflective in each of their drinks. BKK Social Club is also amazing in terms of hospitality.”

You have now expanded to a second venue with Bar Us. What is your secret for opening a successful bar?

“None,” Taln laughs. “You just need to give it a hundred percent. Interior design has turned into a hobby for us, and we’re in this business, making drinks, experimenting with new ingredients—all of those things we’re doing full time. Whatever kind of establishment you’re planning on opening, give it a hundred percent of your time, a hundred percent of your efforts.”

“There’s no secret that works better than the products that stem from the passions of people. Some places don’t have the most perfect drinks, the most bespoke uniforms, but you feel their passion for the place, and you won’t be the only customer that will feel it.”

Messengerservice is located on 2299 Phatthanakan Rd, Suan Luang, Bangkok, open daily from 6pm-midnight on Sun-Thurs, and 6pm-1am on Fri-Sat.