What Happened To Mekong?

[nisakiman]

I've got both Mekong and Sang Som in the drinks cabinet - they've been there for about 10 years and are both still 75% full.

It's something I've noticed in my travels, that local booze consumed locally goes down a treat, but take it back to your home country and it rapidly loses its appeal. Here in Greece I like to drink Ouzo, but when I lived in UK I never touched the stuff - tasted foul. Likewise French Pastis, Italian Grappa etc etc.

It would be a shame really if they re-brand Mekong. One of it's attractions was the indecipherable label and low price!

[xen]

I also remember in the middle to late eighties when there were all these Sole distributorships being offered so if you paid some fantastic amount of money you could import Mekong back to your home country. I met 3 or 4 people who had these exclusive deals. I can also remember in the early ninties some fool in Sydney trying to sell bottles of Mekong to both Thais and Aussies for 80 AUD. I think he would still have a stockpile .even now at those prices.

[Johpa]

Needless to say I have been a friend of Mother Kong for decades. When I first arrived in Thailand it was the drink of choice of the upper classes with the rural folks content to drink now long forgotten libations more commonly referred to as lao khao with names like Silver Eagle and Golden Deer. Today, for some unfathomable reason, the upper classes prefer to drink rock gut blended scotches that I can't stomach. In one of the more upscale Thai eateries in Chiang Mai the proprietor had to send someone down the street to get me a bottle of Mae Khong, and years ago at some new age Chiang Mai disco they went across the street to buy me a bottle but then insisted that they pour it into an empty bottle of their cheap imported Scotch so as not to offend the imagined sensibilities of their other customers. I don't see too much difference between Mae Khong and Sang Som when mixed into some soda or coke. Either will do me fine.

[elkangorito]

Sang Som is exportable. Mehkong is not.

I wonder why?

[Beetlejuice]

Mekong is going to be rebranded and relaunched in a bid to take it upmarket. ( This from someone who works for the distributor.)

I guess similar to Regency brandy, with the TV ads white skinned goddesses sipping it as the Thai army defeats the Burmese. It'll be a chick's drink within a year.

I used to love Mekong whiskey. In the old days I used to take a few bottles back to the States with me. Cost then around 80 to 100 baht for a large bottle. Definately the elite whiskey of Thailand, well, that`s my opinion.

So it seems now if what some posters are saying is accuate, the company is going to try and upmarket the stuff. This will probably mean that the actual whiskey will stay exactly the same, only with a poshed up label on the bottle, packed in an impressive looking box and will change 5 to 6 times the going rate for it.

Have no idea what sort of storage life this whiskey has, but it maybe a good idea to buy a few boxes before they stick more bahts on and stock up while the going is good?

Edited October 18, 2010 by Beetlejuice

[LaoPo]

I used to drink Mekong, ice and coke and get some wicked hangovers.

Now I drink Sang Som, soda and ice and no more hangovers.

That's because your body is used to the intake of alcohol

LaoPo

[LaoPo]

Sang Som is exportable. Mehkong is not.

I wonder why?

...?

Mekhong is widely available in several European countries.

LaoPo

[krading]

Took the adult members of the family out last night to have a look at the Coyote Girls.

On the way I managed to get hold of the second last bottle of Mekong still available in Pak Chong. He wouldn't sell me the other one, wants to keep it for himself. Bastard.

All gone now, back to the SangSom.

I'm wondering if LaoPo ever got a reply to his email.

[LaoPo]

Took the adult members of the family out last night to have a look at the Coyote Girls.

On the way I managed to get hold of the second last bottle of Mekong still available in Pak Chong. He wouldn't sell me the other one, wants to keep it for himself. Bastard.

All gone now, back to the SangSom.

I'm wondering if LaoPo ever got a reply to his email.

Thanks!

No, I never got a reply............; but I'm puzzled as why Mekhong/Mekong isn't available anymore in Thailand but is in the west

http://www.mekhong.com/

http://www.thailandu...750ml-p-52.html

https://www.weinquel...key_7889_e.html ...............in Germany

Is there any news that I missed maybe?

LaoPo

[WinnieTheKhwai]

Mekong is going to be rebranded and relaunched in a bid to take it upmarket. ( This from someone who works for the distributor.)

I guess similar to Regency brandy, with the TV ads white skinned goddesses sipping it as the Thai army defeats the Burmese. It'll be a chick's drink within a year.

You do a great job painting a horror scenario.

I have to be honest, I never was too much of a fan of Maekhong, in the old days doing comparative taste testing versus (then) Sang Thip, with the latter clearly tasting better, in addition to having a 5% higher alcohol content.

However to see it just disppear.. Makes me sad. I'll buy a couple bottles I think, for old times sake.

Edited February 16, 2011 by WinnieTheKhwai

[jayjayjayjay]

Mekong is going to be rebranded and relaunched in a bid to take it upmarket. ( This from someone who works for the distributor.)

I guess similar to Regency brandy, with the TV ads white skinned goddesses sipping it as the Thai army defeats the Burmese. It'll be a chick's drink within a year.

You do a great job painting a horror scenario.

I have to be honest, I never was too much of a fan of Maekhong, in the old days doing comparative taste testing versus (then) Sang Thip, with the latter clearly tasting better, in addition to having a 5% higher alcohol content.

However to see it just disppear.. Makes me sad. I'll buy a couple bottles I think, for old times sake.

They might be gearing up to make it across the border. New tax laws came into place recently. All the distilleries are decidedly old now. It is my guess they will be using AFTA rules to make it in Flipper land and import. Thailand has a lot of restrictions due to placement of factories under every improving EPA type rules. It is not surprising that a large company like Thai bev would move production off shore on a large scale before another is able to hit the market with a product half the price. The reality of globalisation hits Thailand!! Johnnie Walker is bottled in Flipper land.