Thai Whiskey is cheap and popular with the working Joes of Thailand, expats and visitors to the Land of Smiles. You can buy a bottle of Thai Whiskey for $2-$3 US at any 7-11 store, or most other convenience stores in Thailand. It has the clean amber look of a semi-expensive American whiskey, and the two most popular brands are Mekhong Whiskey and Sang Som Whiskey.
Only thing is, it is not really whiskey. It will still give you a hangover like a whiskey, but it is actually a rum, with unique Thai ingredients. It is a bit sweet, but very drinkable. Thai whiskey is made from 95% sugar cane and molasses and 5% rice, and brewed with an undisclosed herbal mixture. Mekhong has 35% alcohol and 40% in Sang Som, so they can also serve to disinfect a wound or wash out a stain (there are probably many other uses, like as fuel in an old car, that I am still not totally aware of yet). It goes well straight over ice, or mixed with Coke or a fruit juice, or for a bit of a strange combination, Mekhong with Red Bull. If you go to any of the infamous Full Moon Parties held down in the Southern Thai islands, you are likely to see a bucket of a Thai Whiskey mixture that everyone shares. Continue reading