THE GIN PASSPORT ATLAS - DISTILLERY STORY- PINNED ON THE MAP - ASIA
IRON BALLS GIN, Bangkok, Thailand
An actual visit! I finally made it to Iron Balls Bar & Distillery in Bangkok in late 2025 and had the pleasure of being shown around by the bar manager.
The bar is wonderfully eccentric with empty bottles hanging from the ceiling, the tasting rooms are full of character and, although the distillery is no longer there and is now a DJ booth, I was able to get a fascinating glimpse into its history.
The gin is now described as being made in Southeast Asia, although quite where the current production takes place remains something of a mystery. I did try to dig a little into it, but even the bar manager was unable to tell me! Rumours are perhaps a neighbouring country, but I can find nothing to confirm this.
I was shown around the various tasting rooms and, most interestingly, the collection of distillates produced during the development of the gin. Seeing all those experiments was a great reminder that the bottle on the shelf is only the final chapter of a much longer story.
Iron Balls was created by Australian designer and bar owner Ashley Sutton, who had already made his mark on Bangkok's bar scene. In 2015, he decided to take things a step further and put a distillery inside his new bar. It was a bold move, particularly given Thailand's complicated licensing regulations.
Getting the distillery established was far from straightforward. Iron Balls was reportedly the first new distillery licence granted in Thailand for 31 years, and there was plenty of negotiation and experimentation before the spirits eventually made it to market.
Ashley and his team went through hundreds of recipes and countless experimental distillations before settling on the final Iron Balls Gin.
Pineapple and coconut form the basis of the spirit, with juniper, lemongrass, coriander, ginger and citrus adding the botanical character. Fresh pineapple is also used during distillation, giving it a wonderfully tropical personality.
The tropical fruit and Asian botanicals give the gin a genuine sense of place, while the juniper keeps it firmly in gin territory. At 40% ABV, it's fruity, fresh and gently spicy, with pineapple and citrus followed by lemongrass, ginger and a softer juniper finish. It's an easy drinker and works beautifully in cocktails, although I rather enjoyed getting to know it on its own.
The name might make you smile and the bottle certainly grabs your attention, but there is a serious amount of work behind this gin. After seeing all those early distillates for myself, I have even more respect for what eventually made it into the bottle.
The bar is still trading and Ashley appears to remain closely associated with the Iron Balls brand, although his whereabouts at the time were unknown - out at sea the most probable answer!
Perhaps the most intriguing part for me is that I actually visited the place where it all began — yet the whereabouts of the current still remains a mystery. Now that's one distillery story I wasn't expecting!
"A little Bangkok Rebellion, Bottled"
Atlas note:
Ashley Sutton is best known for his wonderfully theatrical bars and restaurants across Asia, including The Iron Fairies, Ophelia and J. Boroski, as well as projects such as Maggie Choo’s and Sing Sing Theater. An Australian former iron-ore miner turned designer, he has built his reputation on creating immersive spaces that feel more like stepping into another world than simply going for a drink.
Show me a bottle
and I'll tell you a story.
