Beverages
Beer
Cambodia has a surprisingly vibrant beer culture:
- Angkor Beer: THE Cambodian beer — a light lager, perfect at 35°C. The name and logo (Angkor Wat silhouette) are national symbols. 0.50–1 USD in local restaurants, 1–2 USD in tourist bars.
- Cambodia Beer: The second national brand, slightly more bitter than Angkor. Same price.
- Draft Beer (Bia Sahm): Draft beer in many restaurants — extremely cheap. Some places offer "All you can drink" Draft Beer for 0.50 USD per glass.
- Craft Beer: There are now craft breweries in Siem Reap and Phnom Penh. Cerevisia and Garden City Brewery are the most well-known. 3–5 USD per glass.
Non-Alcoholic Drinks
- Fresh Fruit Smoothies: On every street corner — mango, pineapple, passion fruit, dragon fruit, mixed with ice. 1–1.50 USD. The best thirst quencher.
- Coconut: Freshly cracked, with a straw. 0.50–1 USD.
- Sugarcane Juice: Freshly pressed, with lime. Sweet, refreshing, 0.50 USD.
- Cambodian Iced Coffee: Strong filter coffee with sweetened condensed milk over ice. Sweet, strong, addictive. 1 USD.
Spirits
- Rice Wine (Sra): Home-brewed rice wine from traditional clay jars, drunk with bamboo straws. Sweetish, milky, 5–15% alcohol. In rural areas and at festivals.
- Snake Wine: Rice wine with pickled snake, scorpion, or spider. More of a souvenir than a delight.
💡 Tipp
Beer garden tip for Siem Reap: On Pub Street, there are "Beer Towers" (3-liter beer towers with cooling) for 5–7 USD. Sounds like a tourist trap, but it's actually good Angkor Draft at half the price. Cheers — Choul muoy!
