What started as kitchen experiments with ginger beer has grown into one of the most intriguing drinks projects in Northern Thailand. About three years ago, co-founder Pitchayapak ‘Pailin’ Wongsasuk tried fermenting honey at home in Chiang Dao, and a single sparkling batch of wildflower honey wine – crisp, dry and champagne-like – convinced her there was something special here.
Today, alongside co-founder Will Le Masurier and creative director Dohee Kwon, Daydrinkers Collective continues in that spirit, producing small-batch meads rooted in the landscape: wildflower honey collected by forest-edge beekeepers, longan honey from Chiang Dao’s orchards and pristine mountain spring water that makes up 70 percent of every bottle. The result is a lineup of naturally fermented honey wines that taste closer to a dry white or sparkling wine than anything overly sweet, showing how mead – one of the world’s oldest alcoholic drinks – can feel entirely modern.
Their production facility is a striking tower built at the edge of their garden in Chiang Dao, with a tasting room on the top floor overlooking the wildlife sanctuary and a perfect view of Doi Luang mountain. Here you can sample the latest creations, from still longan ferments to sparkling wildflower wines, as well as hear the stories behind each batch. Booking is simple – just message them on Instagram to arrange a time, then head up into the mountains for an afternoon of discovery. As Pailin explains, ‘We want people to taste what’s around us. The forest, the flowers, the water, all captured in a glass.’
Daydrinker’s Collective. Bottles from B980. Chiang Dao. By appointment only.