Drink Prices

hmmm maybe i can help u.......and we can't buy whisky in local supermarket.... better u check  at kemchick kemang or ranch market......

Britboy wrote:

Why are the prices for drinks here so high in bars? I found that they charge twice the price that I pay in England.

Which bar or pub in Surabaya charges reasonably, like 30 - 40K for a pint of beer?

BTW, can you get whisky in a supermarket?

What is the name of the local whisky or any other drink?

Tax - more so for imported - and the bars know you can afford it so slap nice prices on you. Business is business.
No idea about bar prices because I don't imbibe the stuff any more.
I've seen whisky in supermarkets but have no clue as to the price.

WARNING - REALLY BIG WARNING.
Don't buy local products from street vendors.
It's illegally brewed and generally has methanol, bleach and other nasty stuff in it.
Lots die after drinking it, many suffer serious health problems such as major liver damage or blindness.

Two local lads died after drinking this stuff.
They were part of a gang who liked to go down to the lake for a party of an evening.
Two will never party again.

Mas Fred is right with the tax. You will pay more in the bars than stores. 30-40k is about right for a beer in a bar here, but lower class bars it can be cheaper.
Spirits start from 80k with mixer but may be watered down or fake.
Buying whisky here can be done. 800k for a bottle of Jack Daniels. 350k for wine. But be wary of those who can sell you it cheap as I have known people who bought cheap scotch to discover it was tea.
Again take Mas Freds advice and stay far from the local stuff. Mansion house sells whisky,gin and vodka but all are nasty and whilst they will do the job, its not worth the health risk.

Don't forget alcohol is not part of Indonesian culture so the price you pay relects that.

A barperson told me 'Predathor' is a kind of local whisky.
Was he right? Where can I get a bottle of this stuff if this is not poison?

Hi Britboy,

The majority of Law makers are Non drinkers for religious reasons
so high prices.

The majority of law makers Smoke
So LOW prices

Get the Idea !!

Please heed Mas Fred   Warning we have lost many local people plus several Tourists here in Bali Quite recently. There are rumors that some Dodgy Night spots are including this home brew into mixed cocktails.

Britboy wrote:

    Why are the prices for drinks here so high in bars? I found that they charge twice the price that I pay in England.

    Which bar or pub in Surabaya charges reasonably, like 30 - 40K for a pint of beer?

    BTW, can you get whisky in a supermarket?

    What is the name of the local whisky or any other drink?



The price so high is because Indonesia has big number of moeslim and also has FPI. And kinda agree with aussiehj.

In what part of surabaya do you stay? If you stay in west of surabaya, LIDO bars Jl. Darmo Park, 15 Palm Bars in Citraland are quite cheap.
Yes you can buy whiskey in supermarket check in Sinar Supermarket, either Sinar Bintoro at Jl. Bintoro or Sinar Darmo next to RS.Mitra Keluarga, all are in West of Surabaya.

About local stuff, dude are you that cheap? I would say NO, DON'T.

Thats true mas fred, if would like to be secure only buy anything (food or drink) in supermarket or directly from the official brand supplier

Have you try Lido?they are located at darmo park next to shangrila hotel,
15 Palms at citraland also aonther options,
The prize for alcohol is a bit high in here it is because Indonesia consider a moslem country which a bit strict for that

It’s really a shame that re-cycled bottles of Mansion House products have given it such a bad reputation.  Legally sold and “asli” (authentic) Mansion House products aren’t any more dangerous (lethal additives) than any other legally produced (in Indonesia) high test beverages (such as Bali Moon’s excellent vodka, Bali 9).  The only problem with Mansion House is the quality of their products, which are barely acceptable unless used in mixed cocktails.   

It should be understood that glass bottles are rarely discarded here…on the contrary, they are re-cycled beyond imagination, easily spotted in endless warungs but now filled with petrol, coconut oil, and only God knows, what all else.   

Arak also gets a bad reputation, but in Amed, Bali, which is rightfully regarded as one of the best areas for high quality arak, it is an excellent and safe product without lethal additives.  But, unless one knows the source of their arak, it can be a watered down version of Russian roulette. 

There is often a lot of confusion and misinformation that floats about whenever a tamu (guest) or even sometimes a local dies after drinking way, way too much.  In other words, was it a case of alcholol poisoning…which can happen with any top brand of world renown labels, or was it by lethal additives induced by bootleggers to upgrade the “octane” of their sold wares?

I used to drink Mansion house whiskey, oooh it hurt in the morning and when I switched to the Vodka and placing it in the freezer, it froze solid. I stopped soon after that.

When my teachers go off for their first adventures in Bali and Lombok I always remind them to be wary of the local rocket fuel because some of it might just be that and be sensible with unfamiliar alcoholic brews, but then I also tell them the same about drinking in the city, mainly from experiences and the memories that are missing as a result.

Luke, when was the last time you put a bottle of Mansion House vodka in the freezer?  I have one in my freezer now, and often have a few in our freezer for making mixed drinks, but never of course for a martini.  I've never had one freeze up on me, ever.   

Do you think the standards of Mansion House vodka available here in Bali are perhaps different from Jakarta?  I don’t know…I’m simply asking.

Luke, disappearing memories often have nothing to do with the quality or purity of the beverage…rather it’s all about the amount consumed.

As far as I know, and I’ve checked this out pretty well, there is NO documented case of an alcohol consumption related death being attributed to lethal additives in any bottle of any Mansion House product. If I'm wrong about that, I'd love to know more.

Roy, it was a few years back and it was 'real' Mansion house Vodka. Perhaps they have improved it I don't know. The stuff I used to get was made in Tangerang I used to buy it from the side of the road.
The less alcohol related deaths anywhere regardless of what is the cause has to be good news thats for sure.

"The less alcohol related deaths anywhere regardless of what is the cause has to be good news thats for sure."

That's for sure indeed! I totally agree.

I just hate seeing Mansion House getting an undeserved reputation which is only due to its glass bottles being used over and over again until they are broken.

Dear Britboy,
Well, if you go to bars without any local friend, the bar will charge you more than you should pay. (you know, it's kind of indonesian worst habit ever).

the bar that charges you reasonably, like eclectic (in sutos. You probably already knew that), omnivoro (in cw) and some cafe in a mall. Oh ya, some family karaoke places too

whiskey?
well, there are some supermarket in surabaya that actually sell beer. But still, you can't drink that whiskey in their area. The security will warn you.
It is suck, but hey, it's Indoensia.

This post urgently needs an update. So, to begin with: alcohol is expensive because taxes are very high, particularly on alcoholic beverages with an alcohol content of more than 5%. In addition to that there are very high import taxes. As far as 'local' whisky goes I strongly advise against it: the label may be real, the content may not - and there have been several cases of deaths caused by methanol poisoning.
Alcohol in Mini Markets is since recently completely banned, as far as supermarkets go the situation is still unclear (currently I don't know of any supermarket that is selling beer - at least not openly). No supermarket is selling liquor any more.
The reply further down stating that you will be overcharged if you are not in present of a 'local friend' is nonsense. Although you certainly will be overcharged in many businesses it does not apply to bars and restaurants and to me this sounds more like the 'local friend' is expecting you to pay his bill for his 'kindness' to 'protect' you. Bull!
There are several organizations you may want to get in contact with should you stay in Surabaya (or anywhere in Indonesia for that matter) for more than just a day or two: the local branch of the Hash House Harriers, Internations, EWAS, the Surabaya Expats Football Club (aka SExpats). You will meet expatriates who are living in the area for many years and they surely are able to make you Indonesia experience more pleasant.

The last post was from 2013, so why reply? I am sure everyone has moved on by now.

Manfred it is a good comment to update everyone on this situation. For our family we do not drink alcohol so we do not need to worry about the price of alcoholic beverages. We do not smoke cigarettes either, so we consider it as not wasting money. But I do appreciate that many other expats cannot live without alcohol.