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This is my first guest blog post for The Canggu Community Guide!
by Guest Blogger, official Gu Guide cocktail correspondent, (and Cheap Drink Lover), Josh Gray-Emmer.
Canggu, Where Every Hour is Happy Hour!!! (Disclaimer: Only At Grass Terrace)
As many of you know, I can be a cheap bastard, thank the lord that Canggu (the neighborhood in Bali that I call home) has some of the best happy hours on the Island. I spent the last two weeks traveling around and getting smashed, and now, my wealth of knowledge is all yours.. Cheers!!
Old Mans On The Beach // 5pm-6pm EVERYday (yes! used to just be weekdays, now all days!) // two for one drinks
The is the grand-daddy of sunset happy hours. It’s tourist central (read hottie surfers and scantily clad Aussie girls). People from all over the island make the trek here for the raucous atmosphere and basic booze. Don’t expect fancy, save that for Tugu. Here you’ll see the bros ordering Bintangs by the handful before they ring the bell (doesn’t matter if you’re order is in – when the bell rings, if your money isn’t in the register, you’re fucked). Shots are carefully measured, so you’ll need at least four to get that buzz on. Order quick, that hour is running out!!!
Deus Ex Machina // 5pm-7pm Everyday // two for one drinks
Welcome to hipster heaven. If you’re not wearing an exxy cotton t-shirt from Deus, you didn’t really visit Bali now did you? Thank baby Jesus that they serve cocktails with straws, or half the bearded bros in this place wouldn’t be able to get the drinks in their mouths. But don’t let any of that scare you away, a Deus happy hour is a must, it’s still one of the classics. Surprise surprise, it’ll about the wine here – they have more than just the yellow and pink Plaga (Bali’s wine of choice) and with wine prices in Bali – this is where and when you wanna be drinking it – at half off. Careful not to order the pre-made cocktails in a bottle, those are the only thing that’s not on special, and they won’t tell you until it’s time to pay.
Lacalita // 5pm-7pm Monday-Thursday // two for one classic margaritas and mojitos // Sunday 8am to 7pm // two for one bloody marys
This is the most expensive place on our happy hour list (90K margs and 85K mos) but it’s still worth a stop on your drunk drive down Batu Bolong to Old Mans. The glasses are tall and the drinks are stiff. I suggest sitting out front so you can judge the tourists as they walk towards the beach – the people watching here is LEGIT. Order the fish tacos if you’re feeling hungry, trust me they would make any Cali surfer drool. This is authentic imported tequila at it’s best, get some!
Grass Terrace // ALL FUCKING DAY!! WHAT WHAT!?!?! two for one wine, cocktails and whiskey
PLUS Crazy Hour 6pm-7pm Wed-Sun 10K Bintangs on draft.
Probably the chillest, least pretentious, and coziest of the bunch, this classic Canggu bar and restaurant invites you to find a couch, curl up, order a hookah, and hide your alcoholism behind clouds of sweet smelling shisha smoke. If you’re a beer drinker, it’s criminal not to be here during Crazy Hour.
Sate Bali on Echo Beach // 3pm to 11pm Everyday // Two for One Beers and Cocktails
This is the longest happy hour in the bunch (besides Grass Terrace’s all day madness). Located right on the small cliff overlooking the Echo Beach surf break, it’s the perfect place to kick back with a bucket of Bintangs or a gaggle of cocktails, while you watch the strut their stuff. The fish might make you sick, but I hear vodka (or whatever that was) is an antiseptic, so just drink more than you eat and you should be fine right?? Regardless of that nonsense, the sunset makes up for all of it. Stop asking questions and enjoy the hotties.
Monggo // 5pm-7pm Everyday // two for one on Bintang, select cocktails, and wine
Regulars at the bar every day? Check. Motorbikes on display in the centre of the restaurant? Check. Squishy passionfruit in your drink? Check, Check, Check. The rumored home of the best nasi goreng in town, this Echo Beach adjacent bar has all the trappings of a classic Canggu watering hole. Get lost in the back where no one will see you getting tipsy, or pull up a stool at the bar and meet the locals telling stories of back when Canggu was just rice fields. Pick your poison.
Gypsy // 4pm-6pm Everyday // two for one drinks
This might be my favorite of the bunch. They’re brand spanking new, and working hard to impress the local crowd. No Bintang bros here, it’s just a select list of super delicious craft cocktails already priced below the neighborhood average, and even tastier for a cheap-ass like me when they’re two-for-one. I HIGHLY recommend the Watermelon Gin Fizz or the Long Island Iced Tea. Unlike most of the spots in Canggu, they pour with a heavy hand – the kind that makes my heart soar, and my liver scream. It’s the best.
The Playground // 3pm-5pm Tuesday to Friday // buy one get one free on Bintang and wine
The newest watering hole to the Canggu scene (for a week at least), has one of the best sunset views around, so we’re ecstatic that happy hour is sunset hour too! Enjoy some of the best local art from the neighborhood (take it home to decorate your new pimp villa), while watching the flaming ball of life dip into the ocean. The vibe is modern yet chill and you can still have a conversation with that hot bea you met on the beach while listening local DJs spinning house tunes. 150K to paint on a canvas – the more you drink the better your art looks, we promise.
Black Shores // 6pm-7pm 70K for all craft cocktails, All night discounted Surfers Menu
At this new addition to Canggu, South African owner Harmen has you covered when it comes to the perfect craft cocktail, and you’re guaranteed to get the very best selection of imported spirits and bitters. The ideal way to order here is to tell him what your favorite spirit is, and let him craft you something special from scratch. I also recommend the Manhattan, or the Old Fashioned, you really can’t go wrong drinking Humphrey Bogart and Ernest Hemingway’s favorite libations, and Harmen can produce versions the Golden Age Hollywood stars would lust after. If you’re on a backpacker’s budget, ask for the Surfers Menu, same high quality sprits, at half the price you would pay in Seminyak (plus you don’t have to fight the coke-heads for space at the bar).
Cinta // 5pm-7pm everyday // two for one draught beers (55k for a pint means it’s happy hour but not cheap hour)
It’s all about the rice field views in this vaulted ceiling, joglo style venue on the Berawa side of Canggu. Chug some full pints in the open air as you watch the sun set over the sparkling flooded terraces. It’s pretty packed for their happy hour so cozy up to a stranger on the cushioned bench seats circling the venue and make friends as you get your drink on. Large portions and reasonable prices make it the perfect place to grab a bite while downing your beers. Be sure to grab a ride back to Canggu proper, cause you’re gonna leave this place drunk.
Tusu // 5pm-7pm everyday // two for one Bintangs
The books on the wall are for looking, not reading (like you read books anyway). This new Canggu hotspot (decked out by the same crew as La Plancha/Favela/Laguna) is destined to become a classic with the cool crowd (just check out their Instagram if you don’t believe me – @TusuBali). Grab some happy hour half-off chicken wings, take a seat on one of the vintage leather couches under the crystal chandlers and snap some shots for your own Instagram account before the hipsters beat you to it.