The Legend of Naga Nong Khai. From Isaan, with love Udon Thani. Not for all the tea in Isaan Nongbua Lamphu. Mr Chai Khon Kaen

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2 The Legend of Naga Nong Khai Summer Daze Bueng Kan Map of Isaan Join us as we take a road less travelled through the heart of Thai Isaan. From the sensory kaleidoscope of the Buriram Bazaar to the lazy banks of the Mekong in Nong Khai, we tell tales of wanderlust through a collection of handcrafted cocktails, inspired by the sights, smells and flavours from this forgotten corner of the Land of Smiles. Tom Yum Collins Loei Not for all the tea in Isaan Nongbua Lamphu Late Night Tales Chaiyaphum Mr Chai Khon Kaen From Isaan, with love Udon Thani A Sight For Sore Eyes Maha Sarakham Waters of Nong Han Sakhon Nakhon Green Heart Kalasin Beak to Tail Roi Et Cha Yen Nakhon Phanom The Mother Water Mukdahan Gunpowder Plot Yasothon Sugar And Spice Amnat Charoen LIGHT FLAVOURS Aperitif HEAVY FLAVOURS Digestive Let our map guide you through the evening, easing you on to the road with a selection of aperitif cocktails before exploring the rich variety of the provinces and moving into the night with our digestifs. Or choose a different path and discover untold stories of your own... Morning Dew Nakhon Ratchasima Buriram Bazaar Buriram Muddle Me Silk Surin Garuda s Flight Sisaket The Isaan Express Ubon Ratchathani

3 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 pomelo perfume

4 Not for all the tea in Isaan Nongbua 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 coconut foam

5 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 soda

6 Waters of Nong Han Sakhon 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

7 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

8 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 gunpowder aquafaba

9 A Sight For Sore Eyes Maha 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 soda

10 Morning Dew Nakhon 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 champagne honeydew air

11 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

12 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 39 QAR

13 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 passionfruit vanilla 39 QAR

14 The Isaan Express Ubon 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 69 QAR

15 Sugar And Spice Amnat Charoen A bouquet of 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 pomelo salad 69 QAR

16 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

17 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 toasted marshmallow

18 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

19 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

20 Cha Yen Nakhon 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

21 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 mint honey 39 QAR

22 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 watermelon coconut water clove 39 QAR

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