MAWSIM
This craft gin brand is proof that good ideas can spring from unlikely places. Mawsim was born when the local subsidiary of a Japanese recycling company figured out how to derive ethanol from water hyacinth, a pretty but invasive weed choking Cambodia’s Tonle Sap lake. Supplementing this with ethanol distilled from cashew fruits, which are traditionally discarded after the nut is harvested, Mawsim currently offers two gins: Spices and Herbs, which showcases Cambodian peppercorns and wild limes and oranges from the northern provice of Battambang. Each comes in a beautiful blue bottle inspired by traditional Dutch (case bottles) that can be reused at home as a carafe or vase. Located in a dilapidated commercial building just a few minutes’ walk from the glinting Vattanac Capital skyscraper, the Mawsim distillery opens (by appointment only) as a cozy tasting bar at night; look for the affable chief distiller, Ryuji Nukata, who will whip up a precisely mixed gin and tonic and conduct tours of the gin-making process on request ().
