It wasn’t long ago that Phnom Penh would barely register a blip on the radar of global drinks travellers. Bartenders and spirits professionals looking to Southeast Asia for inspiration have long set their sights on Singapore or Hong Kong. But something extraordinary is quietly taking shape in Cambodia’s capital — and it’s being led not by flashy imports or copycat concepts, but by a wave of home-grown distillers and bartenders who are crafting spirits and cocktails that feel deeply rooted in place.
I landed in Phnom Penh with a rough itinerary and a thirst for something real — something expressive of the country’s flavours, energy, and ingenuity. What I found was a scene that’s both self-assured and experimental, from distilleries using native fruits and botanicals to bars that are as thoughtful as they are inventive.
My first stop was MAWSIM, an award-winning micro-distillery that doubles as a moody speakeasy. Founded in 2020 and named after the Arabic word for “season”, MAWSIM is the brainchild of Japanese distiller Ryuji Nukata. Ryuji wears two hats — master distiller and head bartender — and he’s crafted something truly singular with his gins. Using sugarcane spirit as a base, each small batch is vapour-infused with native Cambodian botanicals like makrut lime, green orange, mango, lemongrass and Cambodian pepper. The only thing not sourced locally is the Italian juniper.
The Spices and Herbs Gin is perfumed with Cambodian black cardamom and river mint, giving it an aromatic complexity that lingers long after the first sip. The Tropical Citrus Gin, meanwhile, bursts with floral citrus from makrut lime and finishes with whispery notes of mango and cumquat. Every distillation produces just 75 bottles — you can taste the attention to detail in every glass. MAWSIM’s accolades on the global stage (including top medals at the World Gin Awards) are well-deserved, but what stood out most to me was how clearly their spirits spoke of Cambodia. No mimicry, no dilution — just bold, precise craftsmanship.
Next, I visited Seekers Spirits, Cambodia’s largest craft distillery by volume and a cornerstone of Phnom Penh’s modern drinks identity. Nestled behind an airy cellar door, Seekers has spent over a decade carving out a distinct place in the region’s spirits map. Their first gin was released in 2018, but the operation has evolved into something far more ambitious: a producer of complex amaros, vermouths and coffee liqueurs that celebrate Mekong-sourced ingredients. When I arrived, I was welcomed with a Khmer Sour Soup cocktail made with their gin, pineapple, basil, lemongrass, chilli, and rice paddy herbs — a zesty and herbaceous drink that instantly set the tone.
Their Mekong Dry Gin was a standout — vibrant with lime and guava, soft on the palate, and rounded by local botanicals like pandan and makrut lime leaf. But it was their vermouth and aperitif that surprised me most. The vermouth uses Vietnamese Cabernet, steeped with Cambodian cacao, cinnamon, orange peel, and bittered not with wormwood, but its cousin mugwort. It’s beautifully aromatic and unexpectedly nuanced. The aperitif, meanwhile, had notes of hibiscus, cassia bark and bergamot — fragrant and softly bitter, with a gently lingering mouthfeel.
Perhaps most fascinating was Seekers’ Mekong Coffee Liqueur — a deep, intense spirit made by macerating single-origin beans from plantations across Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam. It’s rich without being heavy, and perfectly expressive of the region’s coffee culture.
Of course, no spirits scene exists in isolation, and Phnom Penh’s bars are more than keeping pace. Bassac Lane remains the city’s bustling, beating heart — a network of narrow alleyways packed with compact, creative cocktail bars. But it was at Sora Bar, perched on the rooftop of the Rosewood Hotel, where I experienced one of the most surprising and considered drinks menus I’ve encountered in a long time.
The newly launched Alchemy of Anime menu, crafted by bar manager KT Lam and his team, is a masterclass in concept-driven mixology. Drawing inspiration from manga characters and Japanese heritage, the drinks are playful, artistic and remarkably well-executed. More importantly, the drinks incorporate Cambodian flavours and a mix of local and international spirits — including a custom vermouth made for them by local distillery Seekers, crafted from kitchen peels and scraps and sustainably bottled in repurposed wine bottles.
One cocktail, Gumiho, was served with deep-fried ramen and seasoned with dashi and salt. The drink itself was built around Nikka Coffey Gin, sesame, shichimi, lemon, and soda — equal parts refreshing and savoury. Another, The 86’, named after a tofu delivery car in a beloved manga series, came with a creamy soy milk pudding and tasted like lemon zest and vanilla pod in a glass. Both were delicious, but more than that, they were thoughtful, telling a story with every element — from flavour to garnish to garnish pairing.
After the liveliness of Sora’s rooftop bar, a cosier, quieter experience was called for. Just around the corner from Sora, Rosewood’s Whisky Library offered a moody, contemplative contrast: cigars and expertly balanced whisky cocktails made with Nikka, served with quiet ceremony. It was another reminder of the care and polish that permeates this city’s top bars — not showy, but deeply felt. And their Godfather cocktail with equal parts Nikka and Disaronno Amaretto served with a handmade white chocolate and almond nougat was exactly what I needed at midnight before sending myself off to bed on my last night in town.
Phnom Penh’s cocktail scene may be small compared to regional giants like Singapore or Bangkok, but it punches well above its weight in creativity and atmosphere. Alongside Sora and the bars of Bassac Lane, spots like Elbow Room — known for its classic-leaning menu and impressive back bar — and Le Boutier, a French-Cambodian bar with a vintage edge, show just how diverse the city’s offerings are. There’s a tight-knit feel to the scene, but a growing ambition, fuelled by returning Cambodian talent and globally trained bartenders carving their own path.
By the end of the trip, I couldn’t shake the feeling that Cambodia is on the cusp of something big — not just a new player in the regional drinks game, but a potential trailblazer. Here, spirits aren’t trying to emulate London dry gins or Italian amaros; they’re forging new expressions built on the bounty of Cambodia’s own fields, forests and history.
And perhaps what’s most exciting is how unpretentious it all feels. There’s no overplayed ‘discovery’ narrative, no attempt to dress the scene up in borrowed glamour. Just passionate people making delicious things, in a city that’s finally ready to be seen.
Cambodia might not yet be the first name that comes to mind when you think of drinks destinations in Southeast Asia. But after this trip, it’s certainly the one I’ll be talking about.
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