Nestled at the northern corner of tranquil TubKaek Beach in Krabi Province, southern Thailand, Banyan Tree’s beachfront cantina, the Kredkaew Bar, has this month unveiled a fresh array of cocktails for connoisseurs to savour at this idyllic sundowner venue.
The new menu was unveiled last week, following on from the news that Kredkaew’s resident bartender, Dawadee Songprasert, affectionately known as “Dao”, recently won the Makro Thailand Creative Drink Challenge 2024, beating a host of mixologists from the southern Thai region.
Dao’s winning cocktail, or more correctly “mocktail”, was the Sang Aroon — her own creation — a stirred blend of homemade palm sugar, coconut sugar, lemongrass, ginger syrup, pandanus juice and ginger ale. She has now added the magic ingredient of Thai rum, resulting in a sweet lip-smacking finish.
Like the Sang Aroon, all the new cocktails are infused with local fruits and herbs, and many of the new concoctions take their names from Thai literature or, more broadly, from ancient Sanskrit where Hindi epics such as the Ramayana have passed down into Siamese folklore over hundreds of years.
The Suwanna Hong, meaning “Golden Swan”, is a more viscous but sweet mix of Jim Beam, Amaretto, homemade cinnamon syrup and orange juice.
Served in a stemmed martini glass, the new Tiger’s Eye cocktail is a favourite with the ladies — a delectable composition of Vodka, Triple Sec, lime juice, fresh passionfruit, jasmine syrup and Prosecco.
Of course, all travellers to Thailand recall the ever-popular dessert Sticky Rice & Mango. The mixers and shakers at Kredkaew Bar have redefined this flavour in cocktail style — the Khao Niao Mamuang, a creamy combination of Thai sugarcane rum, coconut cream and mango, truly a Thai sensation if ever there was one.
These cocktails and more can be sipped, savoured and celebrated at Kredkaew Bar, Banyan Tree Krabi, which is open 11am to 11pm daily.
For more information about cocktails & drinks at Kredkaew Bar, call +66 075 811 888 or email: kredkaew-krabi@banyantree.com