One Community, One Excise Champion Drives Sustainable Thai Community Spirits and Craft Beer

The Excise Department organized a competition. “One Community, One Excise Champion.” Driving community spirits and Thai craft beer toward sustainability with ESG, Phrae Sakasakthong Community Enterprise won the top community distilled spirits award.

For those who enjoy community spirits and craft beer, take note: at the end of July 2026, the Excise Department held the “One Community, One Excise Champion” contest. The 2026 edition of the “One Community, One Excise Champion” contest. This aims to promote and elevate the capabilities of community spirit and Thai craft beer producers, strengthening the grassroots economy and pushing Thai products to meet quality standards for global competitiveness, through cooperation between Excise Department officials and entrepreneurs to develop products, production processes, and business management under sustainable development concepts (ESG) considering environment, society, and governance.

The contest featured a judging panel comprising Excise Department executives and experts from various fields, including beverage development and mixology, whiskey and beverage history, menu and beverage business development, food quality and value chain development, customer service and experience, international economics, and related disciplines, selecting outstanding products based on quality, innovation, identity, and potential for global market expansion.

This year’s contest included community spirit producers in distilled spirits, infused spirits, and craft beer categories, with 16 finalists selected by the judges to compete for the championship. The “One Community, One Excise Champion” contest. The 2026 winners in each category are as follows.

Community Distilled Spirits category awards.

1. Top Community Distilled Spirits award. Awarded to. Phrae Sakasakthong Community Enterprise, Phrae Province.

2. Five Outstanding Distilled Spirits awards were given to.

• Community Enterprise Network, Living Training Center, Ayutthaya Province.
• The Spirit of Chaiyaphum Distillery Partnership, Chaiyaphum Province.
• Ban Bueng Krachang Ngam Community Enterprise Co., Ltd., Nakhon Sawan Province.
• Maha Osot Co., Ltd., Nakhon Pathom Province.
• Sook Sai Mangkhum Charoenrueang Community Enterprise, Narathiwat Province.

Community Infused Spirits category awards.

1. Top Community Infused Spirits award. Awarded to. Napros Co., Ltd., Pathum Thani Province.

2. Five Outstanding Community Infused Spirits awards were given to. 168 Ngern Mee Bor Co., Ltd., Amnat Charoen Province.

• Nanuan Jan Community Enterprise, Kalasin Province.
• E.H.I Tokai Co., Ltd., Lamphun Province.
• Suan Khon Pai Hydroponics Community Enterprise, Mae Hong Son Province.
• Tem Sib Plus Co., Ltd., Ranong Province.
• Craft Beer category awards.

1.

Top Craft Beer award. Awarded to. Sahaprachachuen Co., Ltd., Bangkok. 2.

Three Outstanding Craft Beer awards were given to. Chaiyo Ho Hiw Co., Ltd., Nonthaburi Province. Pattaya Beer 2555 Co., Ltd., Chonburi Province.

• Khong Chiam Brewing Co., Ltd., Ubon Ratchathani Province.
• Sakasakthong Spirits from Community Tradition to Top Community Distilled Spirits.
• Few may know that the traditional distilled spirits from Saeab Subdistrict, Song District, Phrae Province have been passed down for over 200 years. Spirits are deeply important to the local culture and way of life here, used in rituals like soul-calling ceremonies, ghost offerings, river blessing rites, cooking, and medicinal herbal infusions. Saeab community has 60 villages with 103 households producing community distilled spirits, providing significant income to the community.

Additionally, the water used for distillation comes from the Yom River, a natural source considered unique by local distillers. The area’s volcanic origins enrich the water with minerals, and the soil is special enough to produce golden teak wood, a local hallmark.

Before 2002, distilling spirits for sale was illegal, forcing locals to secretly ferment and hide their liquor in teak forests. The forest’s environment and moisture gave the spirits a unique aroma and taste. With legal reforms allowing traditional spirits to emerge, the Saeab community registered as the “Sakasakthong Community Distilled Spirits Enterprise Group,” developing their expertise into legally recognized community distilled spirits and expanding into infused spirits and distilled varieties to appeal to younger consumers.