Four Thai Craft Producers Bring Local Flavours to the Glass at SOI E-Sarn Week

From Chiang Dao to Chon Buri, four independent Thai craft producers bring local ingredients, fermentation and distilling traditions to SOI Bangkok, where their drinks will be paired with contemporary takes on Northeastern Thai food.

Thai food may be firmly rooted in local ingredients, but creating a drinks list that is equally Thai has not always been quite so straightforward. Wine remains the familiar pairing at many restaurants, even as a new generation of Thai producers has been quietly exploring what can be made from ingredients closer to home.

E-Sarn Week: A Taste of the Northeast, taking place at SOI Bangkok from 28 August to 13 September 2026, offers a chance to explore that changing landscape.

Part of the restaurant's SOI x Thai Local Craft series, the event brings together four Thai craft beverage producers — Onzon, Cherng Doi, In-Chon and Sato Akat Dee Bo To Wa — whose products are shaped by local ingredients, their places of origin and, in different ways, the personalities and passions of the people behind them.

“My restaurant in Sakon Nakhon uses 100% local ingredients, but when it came to drinks, we couldn't find a Thai beverage to pair with the food. That gave me the idea of creating our own, drawing on local wisdom,” said Tammawit Limlertcharoenwanich, recalling at ASAI Bangkok Sathorn how Onzon Distillery began.

Rather than treating the drinks simply as accompaniments to food, SOI has worked with the four producers to create signature serves that draw on their ingredients and fermentation or distillation techniques, pairing them with dishes inspired by Northeastern Thailand.

It makes E-Sarn Week an interesting proposition not only for diners interested in Isan food, but also for anyone curious about Thailand's growing craft beverage scene — and what happens when both sides of a food-and-drink pairing are allowed to speak Thai.

From local ingredients to a sense of place

What connects the four producers is an emphasis on working with ingredients found close to home and allowing their origins to become part of the identity of what they make.

IN-Chon, for example, comes from Chon Buri, while Cherng Doi traces its roots to Chiang Dao in Chiang Mai. For these producers, locality is not simply about where a drink is made, but what grows there — and how those ingredients can give a drink its own character.

“When I wanted to create a local product, I looked at what we have in Chon Buri and found that sugar cane is abundant here. So I decided to make a local gin using what we have. I wanted it to be something that represents our identity — something we can be proud of,” said Piyapon Nontakkanan, founder of INCHON Distillery.

Sustainability is also part of the thinking, with an emphasis on making full use of local raw materials and reducing waste in the production process. It is an approach that makes the collaboration particularly fitting for ASAI's Live Local concept, which seeks to connect travellers with the places and communities around its hotels.

For diners, however, perhaps the more immediate question is simpler: what does a Thai craft drink taste like alongside Thai food?

When Isan food meets Thai craft

SOI's culinary team has put together a menu drawing on the ingredients and food culture of Thailand's Northeast, interpreted in the restaurant's contemporary style.

Among the dishes are charcoal-grilled khao jee with homemade sausage; herbaceous pork gaeng om; look chin yuen kin, or the “standing meatballs” famously associated with Buriram; and marinated pork served with steamed sticky rice and homemade jaew dipping sauce.

Alongside them are signature drinks developed with the four participating producers, using the individual character of their ingredients and production methods as the starting point for the pairing.

The collaboration points to something broader happening in contemporary Thai dining. As more small producers experiment with local botanicals, grains, fruits and traditional fermentation, the possibilities for pairing Thai food with drinks made in Thailand are becoming considerably more interesting.

For chefs and restaurants interested in keeping their menus local, that expanding drinks landscape matters. And for diners accustomed to asking which wine goes with Thai food, E-Sarn Week presents another question worth exploring: why not see what Thai food tastes like with a drink made from Thai ingredients instead?

“Through our Live Local philosophy, ASAI Bangkok Sathorn is dedicated to creating meaningful experiences that connect travellers with local communities and culture,” said Poonnapha Tritanachart, Cluster General Manager of ASAI Bangkok Sathorn and ASAI Bangkok Chinatown.

“We intentionally use our spaces as a platform to support Thai craft producers, enabling guests to discover the stories and value behind each product while contributing to the long-term growth of Thailand’s craft community.”

E-Sarn Week is one instalment of the SOI x Thai Local Craft series, which will continue throughout 2026 with collaborations spanning Thai craft beer, cider, traditional spirits, sato and other locally produced beverages.

E-Sarn Week: A Taste of the Northeast
28 August – 13 September 2026
SOI Bangkok, ASAI Bangkok Sathorn
Tel: 02 231 8999
LINE: @asaisathorn

 

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