Mekhong – The Spirit of Thailand, the first uniquely Thai spirit brand with nearly 80 years of portraying Thai charms, continues to invoke the unique Thai spirit through the Mekhong The Spirit Competition 2020 to find the best Thai cocktails to be served in a prestigious global event.
The competition, which will be held for the third consecutive year, will feature the theme “Thai Spirit REBORN”, with an aim to invoke ancient Thai charms and keep them alive through a creative process of finding and mixing the best ingredients to make the best Thai cocktails. The winning cocktails will be served at the Michelin Guide Star Revelation 2020.
Ms. Sansiri Yodmeungcharoen, Assistant Marketing Director of Thaibev Marketing Company Limited, said “Mekhong is very proud that the two previous competitions have put Thai cocktails on center stage and gain acceptance among Thai and international audiences. Using Mekhong, which has been part of the Thai culture for decades, as the backbone of the cocktail, mixed with outstanding locally-sourced ingredients, the result is a magnificent masterpiece that portrays the best of Thailand. We remain committed to continuing to promote and preserve Thai heritage and will host the Mekhong The Spirit Competition 2020 under the theme of Thai Spirit REBORN. Our goal is to bring to life historical events through the Thai-inspired cocktails created by mixologists across the kingdom. Their cocktails should tell stories of Thailand, from its rich history, literature, or way of life, so that they remain vibrant and alive in people’s memories. Every sip of the cocktails should bring people back and remind them of the glory of Thailand. In addition, the Mekhong The Spirit Competition opens doors for Thai mixologists to continue to enhance their skills and capabilities so that they can gain international recognition. As such, Mekhong has also provided training for mixologists who take part in the competition. Thai and international gurus shared theoretical and practical knowledge to increase Thai mixologists’ capabilities to be on par with their international counterparts. Bartender Training Course certificates were presented to the mixologists in August this year.
The competition, which will be held for the third consecutive year, will feature the theme “Thai Spirit REBORN”, with an aim to invoke ancient Thai charms and keep them alive through a creative process of finding and mixing the best ingredients to make the best Thai cocktails. The winning cocktails will be served at the Michelin Guide Star Revelation 2020.
Ms. Sansiri Yodmeungcharoen, Assistant Marketing Director of Thaibev Marketing Company Limited, said “Mekhong is very proud that the two previous competitions have put Thai cocktails on center stage and gain acceptance among Thai and international audiences. Using Mekhong, which has been part of the Thai culture for decades, as the backbone of the cocktail, mixed with outstanding locally-sourced ingredients, the result is a magnificent masterpiece that portrays the best of Thailand. We remain committed to continuing to promote and preserve Thai heritage and will host the Mekhong The Spirit Competition 2020 under the theme of Thai Spirit REBORN. Our goal is to bring to life historical events through the Thai-inspired cocktails created by mixologists across the kingdom. Their cocktails should tell stories of Thailand, from its rich history, literature, or way of life, so that they remain vibrant and alive in people’s memories. Every sip of the cocktails should bring people back and remind them of the glory of Thailand. In addition, the Mekhong The Spirit Competition opens doors for Thai mixologists to continue to enhance their skills and capabilities so that they can gain international recognition. As such, Mekhong has also provided training for mixologists who take part in the competition. Thai and international gurus shared theoretical and practical knowledge to increase Thai mixologists’ capabilities to be on par with their international counterparts. Bartender Training Course certificates were presented to the mixologists in August this year.
The Mekhong The Spirit Competition 2020 has attracted the attention of more than 100 mixologists who applied to take part. Out of these, only 20 have been shortlisted to compete to be the seven finalists. An esteemed panel of judges consists of those who are recognized in the local and international F&B scenes, such as Mr. Dechapongsa Kanchanalakshana, Mekhong Master Blender who created the original Mekhong blend; Mr. Aki Wang, mixologist from INDULGE Experimental Bistro, No.3 Asia’s 50 Best Bars 2019 & No.21 The World’s 50 Best Bar 2019; Chef Andy Yang, winner of a Michelin Star; and Mr. Jamie Rhind, Head Bartender at the Bamboo Bar, no. 8 in Asia’s 50 Best Bars 2019. The judges selected the best cocktails to be served in the Michelin Guide Star Revelation 2020 to convey the best of Thai stories to an international audience and the winner of this year’s competition is Saharat Kaewkong from #FindTheLockerRoom, who created “Kang”. Don’t let the cocktail’s simple one-syllable name fool you. All four judges were blown away by the stunning flavors. The cocktail was inspired by a now nearly obsolete traditional Thai dish with coconut milk, lotus stems, and mackerel. What was always left out of the dish was the fish bones — kang in Thai. The cocktail makes use of the seemingly useless mackerel bones mixed with Mekhong as the base of the cocktail, with an aromatic, sweet and sour flavor.
The spirit of Thailand will be invoked in the cocktails and will reverberate through generations. Mekhong will also host a celebration party to the competition’s winners and invite Thais to taste the winning cocktails in the near future.
The spirit of Thailand will be invoked in the cocktails and will reverberate through generations. Mekhong will also host a celebration party to the competition’s winners and invite Thais to taste the winning cocktails in the near future.
