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October 25, 2008
"Have you been working out?" "Nah, I've just been drinking Special Muscle Wine."
So, almost since I got off the plane, I've been assaulted by billboards for "Special Muscle Wine." The ads usually include bevies of attractive women surrounding a suave young man-about-town and promises of cash prizes for the lucky winner who pulls a "golden ticket." (The sister product of S.M.W. is Golden Muscle Liquor, by the way. I approve of the "full of good words" naming strategy) The logo on the bottle depicts a bodybuilder in repose reminiscent of Steve Reeves, which looks like it hasn't changed for many years.
"SPECIAL MUSCLE WINE is the most reknowned PRODUCT OF CAMBODIA. It has been praised as NATIONAL LIQUORS for over 40 years. Major ingredients include deer's antler and many precious chinese herbs. Besides its distinctive taste, it helps to build up a strong physique and mental state. It is particularly effective at alleviating rheumatism and fatigue."
The "40 years" part intrigued me; was there muscle wine in pre-KR Cambodia? My daily commute usually takes me past the Lao Hang Heng Wine Company's headquarters on Mao Tse Tung Boulevard, so while I can tell you that they were ISO 9001 certified at some point (as they trumpet proudly on their many billboards) I know little else about the history of this company. I assume it was founded by an entrepreneurial Han chinese, given the name of the company, but I may have to arrange a visit to know more. For now, I was content to buy a flask-sized bottle of it at Lucky Market.
It wasn't quite as disgusting as I thought it would be. In fact, it was actually pretty good mixed with the apple-blackcurrent juice we had stashed in the fridge. Still, the artificial taste of it suggests that intemperate consumption could result in a killer hangover. I do like products that fight the rheumatizz, though...
Posted by flynn at October 25, 2008 7:48 PM
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Comments
and the secret ingredient is... steroids!
Posted by: Sam Zeitlin at October 25, 2008 10:11 PM
Suck it up and mix some eggs in with it. Remember that you're representing the American male now.
Posted by: John at October 28, 2008 12:43 AM
Thoughts on Cambodia's reaction to Mr. Obama's overwhelming victory in the Electoral College?
Posted by: Brendan at November 7, 2008 12:32 PM