One of the best cocktail spirits around is gin; that clear, alcoholic spirit distilled with a range of botanicals to create its diverse range of flavours. To get to know more about gin, FoodBuzz attended the first “Gin World Tour”.

Taking place at Raffles Hotel Le Royal, Cambodia’s very first “Gin World Tour” gave people the chance to discover gins from the kingdom, as well as from Australia, France, Italy, Germany and, of course, England. They could also meet the masterminds behind the mixes. The “Gin World Tour” took place at Café Monivong and featured 12 delicious gin-based cocktails, with each representing the gin’s country of origin. We tried a few (strictly in the line of duty, of course J) and are happy to report how amazing the cocktails were!

The first we tried was “Asian Trade Wind”. Such a beautiful name. Its “Tarsier Gin” was blended with Mahiki Rum Coconut Liqueur, Cointreau, sugar and lemon.

We then sipped on a “Mekong Basil Smash”, featuring “Seekers Gin”, mixed with lemon, sugar and Khmer basil. What a luscious and fragrant cocktail! The aroma of the Khmer basil really helped us relax after a long day.

If ginger is more your thing, then we’d recommend “G’Vine Gin” and the “G’Vine Sour” cocktail. Its sweet & sour profile blends the gin with Domaine de Canton Ginger Liqueur and Cointreau. Yummy!

The “Solaris” was another delicious cocktail, which uses “Sabatini Gin”.  We noticed a distinct warming feeling as we enjoyed the drink – perfect for when someone has the air-conditioning a little too low!

The “Gin World Tour” offered us something sweet, something sour and something hot. It also offered us something bitter in the form of “Aviation”, a low-alcohol cocktail that’s gentle on the waistline. It’s a beautiful purple colour, thanks to its combination of “The Bitter Truth Gin”, Luxardo Maraschino, Crème de Violette and lemon.

The final cocktail we tried was the “Bloody Shiraz Negroni”, the fabulous result of mixing “Four Pillars Bloody Shiraz Gin” with Aperol and Antica. “Bloody Shiraz” won’t disappoint if you’re looking for a vigorous cocktail. You can try it for yourself at The Elephant Bar until the end of April.

They say you shouldn’t drink on an empty stomach, so we were very pleased to see that the team at Café Monivong offered specially paired tapas with each gin cocktail.

If you missed the “Gin World Tour”, don’t worry. You can sample each of these cocktails at The Elephant Bar! There’s also the heavenly buffet dinner every night at Café Monivong. They offer a regular buffet from Monday to Thursday and a special themed buffet over the weekend. On Friday nights, it’s Italian Night.  On Saturdays, a seafood extravaganza, guaranteed to hit the spot!

Reservations: +855 23 981 888 or dining.leroyal@raffles.com

Opening Hours:

• Café Monivong: Breakfast – 6:00–10:30am | Dinner – 6:00-10:00pm
• The Elephant Bar: 12:00-Midnight | Happy Hour – 4:00-9:00pm

Location: Café Monivong, Raffles Hotel Le Royal, Daun Penh Blvd (92), Sangkat Wat Phnom, Khan Daun Penh, Phnom Penh | Googlemap