Summer Daze Bueng Kan The Legend of Naga Map of Nong Khai Isaan Tom Yum Collins LIGHT FLAVOURS Aperitif Loei From Isaan, with love Cha Yen Udon Thani Nakhon Phanom Waters of Nong Han Not for all the tea in Isaan Sakhon Nakhon Nongbua Lamphu Join us as we take a road less travelled through the heart of Thai Isaan. Green Heart Kalasin The Mother Water HEAVY FLAVOURS From the sensory kaleidoscope Mr Chai Mukdahan Digestive of the Buriram Bazaar to the lazy Khon Kaen banks of the Mekong in Nong Khai, we tell tales of wanderlust through a collection of handcrafted A Sight For Sore Eyes Beak to Tail cocktails, inspired by the sights, Sugar And Spice Late Night Tales Maha Sarakham Roi Et smells and flavours from this Chaiyaphum Amnat Charoen forgotten corner of the Land of Smiles. Gunpowder Plot Yasothon Let our map guide you through the evening, easing you on to the road The Isaan Express with a selection of aperitif cocktails Ubon Ratchathani before exploring the rich variety of Muddle Me Silk the provinces and moving into the Surin night with our digestifs. Or choose Morning Dew Garuda’s Flight a different path and discover untold Sisaket stories of your own..... Nakhon Ratchasima Buriram Bazaar Buriram From Isaan, with love Udon Thani We took the train North from Bangkok and straight into the sleepy heart of Isaan. My heartbeat slowed as we left the city and I breathed deeply, infatuated by the fragrances and the slower pace of life. sticky rice vodka Isaan vermouth whites citrus pomelo perfume 59 QAR Nongbua Not for all the tea in Isaan Lamphu I have drunk much tea in my time, maybe a thousand cups, but I have never tasted anything quite like the pandan tea we drank here. Fresh, nutty, grassy and green, it was like drinking in the forest itself. lime leaf gin pandan tea rosella citrus coconut foam 59 QAR Tom Yum Collins Loei The elderly mae baan prescribed a bowl of tom yum soup to ward off the chill I picked up in the mountains, a remedy that has worked for centuries; the sour, spicy blast of chilli and lemongrass was just the pick me up I needed. Thai chilli tequila tom yum pickled plum citrus soda 59 QAR Sakhon Waters of Nong Han Nakhon The boat slipped its moorings and drifted out into the dark, still lake; the mist parting slowly to reveal a watercolour of pastel pink painting the surface, as thousands of Nong Han lotus flowers welcomed the day, petals yearning for the newly risen sun. gin lychee lemonade dragon fruit rosella 59 QAR Mukdahan The Mother Water Mukdahan Skipping the centre of Mukdahan, we headed straight to the Mekong riverfront for our first encounter with the ‘Mother Water’. We sat drinking Thai spirit with nothing but the lazy river and buzz of a long-tailed fishing boat for company. Mekong whiskey passion fruit vanilla mint soda 69 QAR Gunpowder Plot Yasothon The festival rockets let out a whistle as they flew up into the pregnant sky; a celebration of fertility and call for rain; the boisterous crowd scattering as gravity and homemade aerodynamics conspired to bring them straight back down again. soursop vodka sesame honey citrus gunpowder aquafaba 59 QAR Maha A Sight For Sore Eyes Sarakham We finally sat down for breakfast, eyelids weighted with sleep. We were brought local bread and homemade kumquat jam; the taste may have been heightened by 11 hours of breathing in diesel fumes from a badly maintained bus, but it was delicious. vodka kumquats lemongrass sweet basil citrus soda 59 QAR Nakhon Morning Dew Ratchasima The morning dew welcomed us from our slumber, coating the botanical gardens in a gossamer shimmer. Sweet aromas hung in the still morning air, helping to heal the pains from the previous night. gin snake fruit citrus champagne honeydew air 59 QAR Buriram Bazaar Buriram The atmosphere was electric. Exhausted from a hot, dusty day’s travel we felt invigorated by the kaleidoscope of colour, sound and smell. Every stall tempted us with new delicacy but it was enough for now just to walk through the market soaking up the experience. vanilla vodka mango coconut pineapple citrus 59 QAR Muddle Me Silk Surin We sat and watched the mudmee weavers work their magic for hours. A traditional silk weaving village steeped in history, Baan Tha Sawang is a collection of wooden open aired buildings displaying silks of every colour you could imagine. dragon fruit orange blossom mango citrus 39 QAR Garuda’s Flight Sisaket The tuk tuk driver insisted we eat with him at his favourite restaurant; tucked away in the back streets of Sisaket we ate Som Tam and listened to fables of Garuda, a great mythical eagle and the symbol of sovereignty in Thailand. lychee grapefruit citrus passionfruit vanilla 39 QAR Ubon The Isaan Express Ratchathani We took the sleeper train to Ubon Ratchathani, a cloud of oily tobacco smoke filled the cabin as we were rocked rhythmically through the moonlight towards the Cambodian border, and our next adventure. blended whiskey green peppercorn ginger wine citrus 69 QAR Amnat Sugar And Spice Charoen A bouquet of citrus pierced through the musky air towards our table as the chef prepared the spiced pomelo salad I had been craving all day. I will never forget the first time I tasted its bitter sweetness, I have become quite obsessed. ginger cognac pomelo citrus pomelo salad 69 QAR Beak to Tail Roi Et With only a few baht left in our pockets, we moved on to Phanom Phrai, earning our keep on a local farm. We lived off the village rice and ducks and were humbled to see how nothing was wasted; they truly live by beak to tail eating. duck fat bourbon palm sugar soy bitters duck fat popcorn 59 QAR Late Night Tales Chaiyaphum Follow the red dirt track that winds up through the pomelo and jackfruit trees; nestled at the top is Mor Hin Khao, the Stonehenge of Thailand. We shared campfire stories amongst those ancient stones, with only the stars as our blanket. jackfruit Campari pomelo citrus toasted marshmallow 59 QAR Mr Chai Khon Kaen We were charmed by Mr Chai, the seven-fingered snake handler from ‘cobra village’. His love for his snakes was obvious, his pride in his 21 snake bites infectious, his refusal to use anti-venom baffling. We quietly maintained a respectful distance. Mekong whiskey bamboo orgeat Cointreau sriracha salt hot basil 59 QAR The Legend of Naga Nong Khai Appearing as soft points of pink light, the Naga fireballs rise silently from the Mekong provoking gasps of awe from the thousands lining the banks of the river. The full moon adds to the ambience bathing the scene in an otherworldly glow. gin Thai shrub pineapple palm sugar citrus 59 QAR Nakhon Cha Yen Phanom The village of That Phanom is an immensely spiritual place. We shared cups of sweet iced Thai tea in contemplative silence with the monks. My companion turned to me with a wide grin; ‘this really is the Land of Smiles’, she said. dark rum Thai tea clove black bean vanilla milk 59 QAR Green Heart Kalasin As we reached Kalasin, it feels like it hasn’t rained in months; the green heart of Thailand is cast in a distinct dust-red hue. Pausing for a rest we witnessed one village parading a statue of Ong Dam to encourage the rain. We desperately hope it works. green apple ginger citrus mint honey 39 QAR Summer Daze Bueng Kan Nestled in the far North-East, Bueng Kan feels like much of Thailand has passed it by. Chased by the midday sun, we were too hot to pass by so we bought fresh watermelons and coconuts from the roadside vendors and drank their juice in the shade of a palm tree. mint citrus watermelon coconut water clove 39 QAR .