Siem Reap: Sombai Liqueur Workshop & 11-Flavor Tasting

Inside a Khmer wooden house, you taste 11 versions of Cambodia's fusion liqueur

You spend an hour inside a traditional Khmer wooden house learning how Sombai liqueur is made, then taste all 11 flavors plus three alcoholic jams with local snacks. The hand-painted bottles are designed by Cambodian artists, and non-drinkers can join for free and still see the workshop and art. Tours run in English, with French available on request.

Step-by-step itinerary

Sombai liqueur workshop and tasting

• Visit Sombai workshop in Siem Reap
• Learn about rice wine infusion process
• See maceration room with fruits and spices
• Admire hand-painted bottles by local artists
• Taste 11 Sombai liqueur flavors
• Sample 3 alcoholic jams
• Enjoy local snacks during tasting
• Discover unique souvenirs

The experience

You walk into a restored wooden Khmer house and the tour starts right away. A guide takes you through the maceration room where fruits, spices, and rice wine sit together for weeks: lemongrass, galangal, tamarind, coffee beans, all infusing into something that tastes nothing like what you'd expect. The whole workshop takes about an hour, and it's small enough that you're not standing in a crowd watching someone else's experience.

Then comes the tasting. Eleven flavors, each one different from the last. You start with the sweeter ones: Coconut & Pineapple tastes like someone bottled a Cambodian beach day, and Banana & Cinnamon has this warm, almost dessert-like finish. Then it shifts. Ginger & Red Chili wakes your mouth up. Galangal & Tamarind is the one people say tastes most exotic, and honestly it does. Nothing like any liqueur you've had before. Between sips you nibble on local snacks, and you also get to try three alcoholic jams, which is the kind of detail that makes you realize this isn't a standard tasting.

The bottles themselves are worth looking at. Young Cambodian artists hand-paint unique designs on each one, so if you buy a bottle to take home, it's not just the liqueur. It's a piece of work. The whole thing sits inside this old wooden house decorated with traditional art mixed with more contemporary pieces, so the space itself tells you something about how Sombai sits between old Cambodian tradition and something newer. The story behind it matters too: the infusing technique comes from local rice wine tradition, but the recipes are a fusion with Mauritian influences, which you wouldn't guess just from tasting it.

What’s included

• Your experience includes a one-hour guided tour of the Sombai workshop inside a traditional Khmer wooden house, a tasting of all 11 liqueur flavors, three alcoholic jam tastings, and local snacks.
• The tour is conducted in English, with French available on request.
• Non-drinking companions can attend the workshop and tour at no charge.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery day9 departure times: the first at 11:00, the last at 19:00

Book up to1h before

AgesAdult (18 and older) · Senior (100 and older) · Youth (12 to 17 years) · Child (3 to 11 years): free · Infant (under 3): free

GroupUp to 15

Live guideEnglish and French

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated 2 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortStroller-friendlyPets welcomeNot recommended during pregnancy

Operated by SOMBAI

Is this one for you?Book this if you want to understand how a Cambodian specialty is made and taste something you won't find elsewhere, without needing to arrange transport or navigate a market. The workshop is set up for visitors and handles everything from the moment you arrive.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English and French.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Youth (12 to 17 years); Child (3 to 11 years): free; Infant (under 3): free.

How long is the Sombai workshop in Siem Reap?

About one hour, including the workshop tour and the full tasting of 11 flavors.

What do you taste during the liqueur tasting?

Eleven different Sombai liqueur flavors ranging from sweet (Coconut & Pineapple, Banana & Cinnamon) to spicy (Ginger & Red Chili), plus three alcoholic jams and local snacks.

Can you buy bottles to take home?

Yes. The bottles are hand-painted by young Cambodian artists, so each design is unique.

Is the workshop accessible with a stroller?

Yes, infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller during the tour.