Thai rum Sang Som is designed to surprise tourists. Moderately strong rum with a mild taste is much cheaper than similar drinks in Russia and Europe. Sang Som has only one drawback: it is not easy to buy it outside of Thailand. Thai Beverage Plc Corporation annually produces about 70 million liters of this drink, but the total export volume to 20 countries is only 700 thousand liters.
Historical reference. The Thai government is doing everything so that tourism brings the country as much profit as possible. Back in the 40s of the XX century, a program was adopted for the gradual replacement of imported alcoholic beverages with Thai ones in the country’s market.
The creator of Sang Som rum is the outstanding blender Khan Chan Kanchanalak, who worked at the Sungsom Distillery in Nakhon Pathom. Sang Som means “Moonlight” in Thai, which is very suitable for this drink with a charming aroma of oriental herbs.
Rum is made from molasses. The distillate is aged in oak barrels for 3-8 years, carefully filtered, and then extracts of herbs and spices are added. The drink does not contain chemical flavors and flavor enhancers. Despite the fact that the strength of the rum is 40%, thanks to its mild taste, it can be drunk undiluted. When consumed in moderate doses, the drink does not cause a hangover.
The most popular product from the Sang Som line is Sang Som Gold Medallion rum. The drink received the title of “Gold Medalist” after it won gold medals three times at prestigious international competitions: two years in a row in Madrid (1982-1983) and in 1983 in Düsseldorf. In 2006, in Barcelona, Gold Medallion, reaffirmed its status.
According to CNN, Sang Som is one of the ten most popular Asian spirits.
Rum has been exported abroad in small batches, and then only since 2003, when Sangsom Co Ltd became part of Thai Beverage Plc. But in Thailand this drink is very popular. Due to the peculiarities of Thai spelling, rum is called both Sangsom and Sang Som. Tourists from Russia even nicknamed him “San Sanych”.
“Sang Som” is sold in bottles with a capacity of 0,7 liters and 0,3 liters. The 300 ml bottle has the shape of a flat eggplant. The indigenous people of Thailand do not drink rum undiluted, but rum cocktails are very popular here. The shops sell special buckets with a small bottle of rum, a can of soda and crushed ice.
Cocktail “Sunrise over Siam”
Mix in a shaker:
- 60 ml Sang Som Gold Medallion or Superior rum;
- 20 ml of lime juice;
- 10 ml amaretto Disaronno;
- 40 ml of guava juice;
- 15 ml of passion fruit syrup;
- crushed ice.
Types of Sang Som Rum
4 varieties of Sang Som rum are produced with a strength of 40%:
- Sang Som Gold Medallion – rum golden-honey color, 3 years old. The taste combines coconut, citrus and coffee notes;
- Sang Som Superior is a 5-year-old rum with a slightly more intense aroma than Medallion;
- Sang Som Similan – 8-year-old rum;
- Sang Som Premium – 8-year-old rum, with an extract of 100 medicinal herbs.
