Sombai Cambodian Liqueur and souvenirs

Sombai sits inside a traditional wooden Khmer house, identifiable by its bright, hand-painted bottles lined up like colorful apothecary jars. Lionel Maitrepierre, a former French chef, started infusing local rice wine with Cambodian fruits and spices here in two thousand fourteen. He wanted to create a souvenir that actually tasted like the region. Each bottle features a label hand-painted by local artists, making the packaging as much a part of the product as the ginger, chili, or mango inside the glass.