The history of Sang Som and Sang Thip

[dictater]

Im trying to piece together what happened to Sang Thip. I was here when it was readily available and remember all of the stories about how it was spiked with meth etc.. and I remember when it disappeared and heard the rumors about it being banned because of meth/ formaldehyde etc.... rumors I said. I also remember hearing the story that it had to do with two brothers who split up and competed with each other? Anyway if anyone knows the story or even pieces please let me know. And yes I know I'm going to have to wade through a lot of typical TV crap but can we keep it to a minimum I'm not concerned about what anybody thinks of either as a drink or if you think its whiskey rather than rum, I'm doing this as a piece of genuine research so let try and get to the facts. Thanks in advance.

[AJBangkok]

Read up on this guy. He owned them all plus Mekong whisky. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charoen_Sirivadhanabhakdi

 

The story goes he effectively broke Singha’s beer monopoly in the early 90’s by allegedly Withholding sales of sangthip, sangsom, and Mekong to retailers in the provinces unless they also bought carlsberg from him as he formed a JV with Carlsberg to poduce beer. Once he learned how to produce beer from carlsberg he started to brew beer Chang by himself and the rest is history.

[elgenon]

I have fond memories of my exploits while drinking Mekong. Was sad when it was no longer available. Sangsom it is.

[Toosetinmyways]

2 hours ago, elgenon said:

I have fond memories of my exploits while drinking Mekong. Was sad when it was no longer available. Sangsom it is.

From the back recess of the memory. In 2000 all Thai spirits were distilled by a goverment monopoly with mollasses. To improve quality, business was to be sold to the free market. Of course this being Thailand one bidder got the lot. The Thai goverment went to court as they said they owned the trade marked names. For sure there was a big case involving the name Mekong as it was exported. Perhaps that was why Sang Thip disappeared

[natway09]

Is it not an auction to produce Thai Rum every 10 years ?

[toofarnorth]

Just about my favourite brew.  SangSom Premium , the off licence up here has bottles of 18 yo SS P. 170B. SangSom Similan is a bit cheaper at 160B but again , 18yo.

[TPUBON]

5 hours ago, elgenon said:

I have fond memories of my exploits while drinking Mekong. Was sad when it was no longer available. Sangsom it is.

Mekong is available. I bought some a couple of days ago at Tesco in Mukdahan. Also seen it in Villa Market it Udon Thani. I have fond memories also from 1969 - 1970

[dddave]

8 hours ago, AJBangkok said:

Read up on this guy. He owned them all plus Mekong whisky. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charoen_Sirivadhanabhakdi

 

The story goes he effectively broke Singha’s beer monopoly in the early 90’s by allegedly Withholding sales of sangthip, sangsom, and Mekong to retailers in the provinces unless they also bought carlsberg from him as he formed a JV with Carlsberg to poduce beer. Once he learned how to produce beer from carlsberg he started to brew beer Chang by himself and the rest is history.

He also deeply undercut Singha pricing.  Early 2000s, I had an interest in a bar notable for it's "All the Beer Chang you can drink: 100 baht" happy hour.

We could do that because we were buying Chang for B11/ bottle.

[HiSoLowSoNoSo]

I used to get red rashes from drinking Mekong (never get that from whiskey or brand name rums), toxic stuff in my opinion.

[LomSak27]

3 hours ago, Toosetinmyways said:

From the back recess of the memory. In 2000 all Thai spirits were distilled by a goverment monopoly with mollasses. To improve quality, business was to be sold to the free market. Of course this being Thailand one bidder got the lot. The Thai goverment went to court as they said they owned the trade marked names. For sure there was a big case involving the name Mekong as it was exported. Perhaps that was why Sang Thip disappeared

So that is what happened to Mekong.   

 

When I worked here in the 80's Mekong was the drink, although sangsom was available. And What was the other beer? Beer Kloster, they had that Kloster beer  Garden next to Siam Center when the rains ended.

 

Charoen must have had some MAJOR HIGH LEVEL connections. It was always said that beer was so high in price because of the relationship between distillers and the thai government tax revenuers. They did not want beer cheap as it was claimed would cut into the sales of distilled beverage a traditional Thai favorite and tax cash cow.

A great conspiracy theory but one that no one seemed to doubt was true; Thai or farang

[PerkinsCuthbert]

Ah yes, Divine Light, Mekong's poor relation. Never could abide Thai liquor myself, but wasn't it the old formula Sing in the squat bottle that was rumoured to be laced with formaldehyde? Perhaps they all were back then, but for doing the rounds of Patpong, an initial Sing had a bite that set one up nicely for what was to come. 

Those days are long gone, but I sit now with a new formula large Sing, and rather regret that it doesn't hit the same spot as it did back then. Still, I don't get the commensurate hangovers these days either.

[Rawairat]

Mekong was supposedly good as a cutting compound and having drunk the old Mekong setups, small bottle of Mekong with ice , lime and a mixer for B70 I believe it. Wasn’t the original Chang around 7% to break in to Singahs market, it had a variable alcohol percentage. Up country the serious drinkers stuck with Laokao for a real mans hangover.

[MyFriend You]

10 hours ago, elgenon said:

I have fond memories of my exploits while drinking Mekong. Was sad when it was no longer available. Sangsom it is.

But isn't Sangsom more of a rum than  whiskey??  I have a friend, his hobby is distilling his own Vodka, he told me the way Sangsom if made, it's more of a rum than Whiskey............I can't count the gallons of Mekong I drank in the seventies and eighties.  Hundreds maybe, I couldnlt get drunk on it.

[Denim]

7 hours ago, TunnelRat69 said:

But isn't Sangsom more of a rum than  whiskey??  I have a friend, his hobby is distilling his own Vodka, he told me the way Sangsom if made, it's more of a rum than Whiskey............I can't count the gallons of Mekong I drank in the seventies and eighties.  Hundreds maybe, I couldnlt get drunk on it.

Yes, they are all rums , as is Hong Tong.

 

You can now get fake scotch whisky made with blended malt. This was not around in the old days. Got a Thai acquaintance in Bangkok who fills Johnny Walker red  bottles with it to sell in his pub to his high so customers. Not Been caught out yet.

[AlQaholic]

There is no Whiskey manufactured in Asia, they are all Rum, from molasses.

[HidyHo]

5 minutes ago, AlQaholic said:

There is no Whiskey manufactured in Asia, they are all Rum, from molasses.

 

sigh ...  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_whisky and there is at least one Taiwanese one.

[HaleySabai]

20 hours ago, HiSoLowSoNoSo said:

I used to get red rashes from drinking Mekong (never get that from whiskey or brand name rums), toxic stuff in my opinion.

I recall a story of a guy who took a shine to Mekong and wanted to import it into Canada. He had samples tested with the FCIA and the conclusion was "not fit for human consumption"...too much lead and whatever else.

The guys business plan was surely shot down.

.....A visiting friend and I drank 3-bottles of the stuff with soda on New Years Eve....nasty hangover, but a shot of what little was left(hair of the dog) put things right real quick! 

[unblocktheplanet]

Not too long ago, Mekong was unavailable for a year or so. When it came back with a modern label in English, it was 250% more expensive. Like the stuff but it's become too pricey.

[moe666]

32 minutes ago, unblocktheplanet said:

Not too long ago, Mekong was unavailable for a year or so. When it came back with a modern label in English, it was 250% more expensive. Like the stuff but it's become too pricey.

All down to Taxes

[sangtip2]

On 1/13/2019 at 6:58 PM, TPUBON said:

Mekong is available. I bought some a couple of days ago at Tesco in Mukdahan. Also seen it in Villa Market it Udon Thani. I have fond memories also from 1969 - 1970

Does anybody know where I could buy a bottle of Mekong or Sang Thip today?