Mekhong Thai Spirit 70cl

Product Description

Mekhong is named after the Mekhong River, which marks Thailand's eastern border with Laos after a border conflict between Thailand & France erupted. The patriotic sentiment which arose in Thailand as a result of this conflict greatly benefited the fortunes of this new spirit. Although often referred to as a ' Thai Whiskey', it is in fact a type of flavoured rum, made from 95% molasses & 5% rice using a 6-8 week fermentation process. The rice is added to the molasses & both are fermented together before being double distilled in a pot still with the final distillation at around 69% alc./vol.. This base spirit is blended with indigenous herbs & spices & sweetened with honey. There is no ageing process & Mekhong's rich brown colour is mainly due to the addition of caramel. Mekhong was Thailand's first locally produced brown spirit & has since become the country's national spirit. Prior to its launch in 1941 only foreign spirits were available in Thail&, with whiskey dominating the local market, so it is perhaps not surprising that when Mekhong was first launched it was known as ' Thai whiskey'. It was an instant success, almost totally dominating the domestic brown spirits market until well into the 1980s, when other similar spirits such as Hong Thong & Sang Som were introduced. Today Mekhong is the second best-selling brown spirit in Thail&, with annual sales of 18 million litres.