“Why is your gin as expensive as an import? Because I make everything by hand.”

The Azure Road Take

The FCC Angkor by Avani occupies two corners near the river in Siem Reap, Cambodia. Popular for its location and clever refit of the Foreign Correspondent’s Club into a boutique hotel, guests of the property will find another interesting feature: A spirits salon. In support of local artisans, FCC Angkor by Avani partnered with Unn “Pari” Sophary to bring her Herbal Kulen Gin to a wider audience. Her local, sustainable, artisan spirit can also be tasted at the hotel’s popular Scribe Bar. It’s used in several specialty cocktails meant to complement the gin’s singular earthy flavors.

Sustainability Chops

Nestled in the foothills of the Kulen Mountains, Herbal Kulen Gin is the brainchild of Pari Sophary. Her vision for a small botanicals farm project was launched on a tract of deforested land. Eager to revive the soil and property through a medicinal forest garden, she took inspiration from the traditional herbs and botanicals long foraged in the nearby mountains by local communities.

Her project quickly grew into a regenerative and circular farm system which integrates several ingenious ideas.

First, she only grows her plants organically, using compost she prepares onsite. For compost, she keeps ten cows which graze in the nearby forest or feed on hay she dries from stalk refues left from her rice harvest. She uses cow dung as fertilizer as well as to create biogas.

To create the gas, she mixes dung with water in a tub which drains into a 5 cubic meter buried cistern. The reaction inside produces gas which is piped to the outdoor kitchen for low-pressure tasks like cooking rice. A solar pump draws water from a 60 meter deep well. She keeps a retention pond nearby which fills up during the rainy season.

Partly out of necessity and partly out of curiosity, Pari runs her property as zero waste as possible. Without municipal support, her rural location requires significant self-reliance. For example, they keep two cisterns of water at the ready during dry season to fight fires. Her neighbors do the same so they can lend a hand to one another if and when there’s a crisis.

She recycles and upcycles much of the organic matter used on the property. For example, after the botanicals finish infusing with the gin, she steeps them again, espeically lemongrass, in her homemade essential oils to create a natural organic insect repellant (also featured in guest rooms at FCC Angkor by Avani.)

Any remaining organic matter gets tossed into a compost pile. Pari has experimented with distilling a white base spirit from different ingredients, including sweet potatoes. For now, she sources a potato spirit to use as her distillation base. She imports the juniper berries from Italy through a family member and distills in small batches of 180 bottles at a time.

The Artisan Sip

Pari makes two gins. Her personal label, Herbal Kulen Gin, features holy basil (which grows wild on the farm), black pepper, citronella, white cardamom, ginger, juniper (imported), lemongrass, green orange, turmeric, and Darwin peas (butterfly flower.) It has a tangy, nuanced, deep flavor, with light floral and earthy notes from the turmeric. It’s best served with an ice cube and splash of tonic or soda if you’re seeking a medicinal taste. It’s great in a Negroni, however, which Scribe Bar at FCC Angkor by Avani serves.

She also produces gin exclusively for FCC Angkor by Avani using a different recipe. The gardens around the hotel inspired the blend which incorporates pandan, galangal, green orange peel, marigold flower, long pepper, kaffir lime, and juniper berries (imported). Equally captivating and delicate, this expression takes on a more lifted citrus character underpinned by citrus peel and spicy pepper notes. Lighter and brighter, it’s a versatile cocktail gin.

Origin Story

Before Pari started the gin concept, she created herbal tea blends. She also owns a bar in Siem Reap called Asana, set in a traditional two-story wooden house. Her work at the bar has been an endless source of inspiration.

According to Pari, many Cambodians have yet to embrace local products, often believing they’re inferior to imported brands. “We’re still learning that we have domestically can be great,” she says. “Locals often ask me why my gin costs as much as imported brands and I have to explain I do everything by hand.”

Pari doesn’t export, but she does sell to stores, bars, and, of course, Asana and FCC Angkor by Avani. Her production sits at around 3000-4000 bottles a year. The FCC sells both of her labels as well as stocks guest rooms with her herbal teas. To reduce waste, staff purchase tea by the kilo and replenish glass jars in the rooms. The tea features pandan, as well as lemongrass, ginger, and turmeric, for an earth, creamy, spicy and fresh taste.

If visiting Siem Reap, reach out to the hotel for tastings or to inquire about touring her farm, an activity typically offered to guests. Tours are best done in the rainy season from June to November when the landscape has greened up and the herbs and botanicals are in full bloom.