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It may be one of a plethora of speakeasy bars that have sprouted up around Malaysia in recent years, but <a href="https://www.backdoorbodega.com/?DestinAsian">Backdoor Bodega</a> is lauded by local residents who have made it their regular haunt. Self-taught bartender and owner Koh Yung Shen calls it an overpriced pin shop for good reason: the only access is via a clothing store called The Swagger Saloon at Hin Bus Depot, and you need to buy a pricey lapel pin in order to claim a “free” drink. The most interesting of the cocktails, which range from long-standing favorites to the more avant-garde, are those that fuse local ingredients; something Koh, who had no bartender training before opening Backdoor Bodega, serendipitously invented because he did not want to be judged for making bad classics. The Ulam Mojito, normally prepared with rum and mint, switches out the latter for native Penang herbs like ulam raja, duan kaduk, and laksa leaf for some characteristic local flavor. Don’t expect to get a seat if you’re a walk-in customer; it’s a busy bar and reservations are essential. Visitors to Georgetown in September should check out <a href="https://www.penangcocktailweek.com/password?customer_posted=true#contact_form?destinasian">Penang Cocktail Week</a>, the brainchild of Shen, as he&#8217;s affectionately known to his peers, which attracts bartenders from across the globe. —Leisa Tyler and Alison Marshall
<a href="https://www.backdoorbodega.com/?DestinAsian" target="_blank" rel="noopener">backdoorbodega.com</a> 
<a href="https://goo.gl/maps/6qoMG2r9ea8zZD29A" target="_blank" rel="noopener">37, Jln. Gurdwara, George Town, Penang, Malaysia</a>

Backdoor Bodega: Worth Discovering