More than a drink, wine and gin are inseparable parts of Vietnam’s culture. Even though Vietnam has imported several famous wines from all over the world, Vietnamese liquor drinks still stand in locals' hearts.
Vietnamese wine and gin combine traditional distillation technology with unique local ingredients such as fruits, herbs, etc. Here are five Vietnamese craft wine and spirits brands with the philosophy of integrity, gradually putting domestic brands on the world map.
Lady Triệu
Founded in 2020, Lady Triệu's name is inspired by the famous national heroine in the 3rd century: Bà Triệu. She represents pride, independent spirit, and modern values that Lady Triệu aims for.
According to the International Wine and Spirits Record 2022, Lady Triệu is the best-selling handcrafted gin in Vietnam. All are 100% hand-distilled from Vietnamese grains and plants with premium juniper berries. Lady Triệu is distilled in small batches, which is the crystallization of a series of experiences about biodiversity in the lands passed, from the Mekong Delta, Da Lat, Hoi An, and so on.
Each type of Lady Triệu's Gin is named after these regions and their unique ingredients - Mekong Delta Dry Gin, Hoi An Spice Road Gin, Dalat Flowerbomb Gin, Sapa Citrus Tea Gin.
Lady Trieu works with independent farms, village markets, and cooperatives for sustainable supply.
Sông Cái Distillery
Sông Cái, founded in 2018 by master distiller Daniel Nguyen, is Vietnam's first Gin line.
The ethos of Sông Cái closely adheres to the Vietnamese culinary philosophy, emphasizing the balance of ingredients with hot or cold energy. The result is a Gin that has a strong but balanced, delicate, and relaxing taste.
Sông Cái means "Mother River" - the main water source for agriculture and supporting the spiritual life of the communities along the river. Therefore, the birth of Sông Cái represents the beauty and pride of the Vietnamese people.
After years of collecting and experimenting with indigenous herbs, Daniel and 70 Hmong and Red Dao households have created 44 recipes using direct distillation on fire. Then he chose a favorite recipe to introduce to everyone. That is the recipe of Sông Cái Vietnam Dry Gin - the first Gin of Sông Cái.
The logo of Sông Cái Distillery uses the symbol of a sickle and forest knife in combination with the image of stylized pairs of leaves representing mountain herbs. Hang Trong’s painting inspires the bottle label with the support of artist Le Dinh Nghien with the desire to continue cultural values and stories. Conservation of cultural heritage is also one of the pillars that creates the sustainable value of Sông Cái.
Saigon Baigur
Saigon Baigur, born in 2018, is Saigon's first premium Dry Gin line. In addition to the main flavor extracted from the Buddha's hand, Saigon Baigur also has other layers of incense prepared from Saigon's lotus and cinnamon along with other typical regional ingredients.
After two years of traveling to the most remote parts of Vietnam, searching for ingredients and experimenting with a range of traditional European distilleries, selected 16 outstanding herbal ingredients. That is the birth of Saigon Baigur.
The personality of Saigon Baigur is the crystallization of adventures and explorations across Vietnam. An old Vietnamese folktale inspires the bottle. The outside appearance looks like a dragon egg – representing strength and prosperity.
Saigon Baigur buys raw materials directly from the planting site to ensure the growing and harvesting environment of the materials. Saigon Baigur owns the first professional Gin distiller in Saigon. The copper machine is handcrafted in Europe, to ensure consistency and precision in the distillation process.
MẦM Distillery
MẦM Distillery originates from the fruit wine line in Quán Kiến (Hanoi) restaurant system. In 2019, MẦM Distillery officially entered the market with the desire to distill the essence of each fruit of each region in a bottle of wine.
A sprout (“mầm" in Vietnamese) is the first life of a seed. The name "MẦM" means hope for a green start. MẦM wine is a skillful combination of the experience of artisans and modern technology - 100% base rice wine with a part of naturally fermented fruit juice.
MẦM currently has 15 types of wine representing typical ingredients of each region: Da Lat raspberries, Hanoi red-skinned kumquats, Western paper lemons, etc. MẦM prioritizes gardens with clean and high-quality supplies. When enjoying MẦM's wine, you will feel a mildly bitter flavor with a rich flavor. Because of this advantage, MẦM is suitable for people not used to drinking alcohol.
Sơn Tinh
The story of Sơn Tinh began when Swiss founder Markus Madeja made his first trip to Vietnam. Sơn Tinh is the only Vietnamese handmade rice wine to receive an international award.
Sơn Tinh wine is selected and absorbed from traditional Vietnamese winemaking technology, combined with a copper distillation tower imported from Germany. The finalization of the product can take up to several months. The name "Sơn Tinh" is the spirit of the mountain, symbolizing efforts and commitment to reach the top and towards balance.
Sơn Tinh wine is only produced in small batches to ensure quality. The fermentation and distillation of each bottle are so complex that it is almost impossible to automate the production process.
Each flavor of Sơn Tinh has a beautiful name with a hidden story behind it. "Mỹ Tửu" (wine of beauty) has a formula containing herbal ingredients that lighten the skin and blacken the hair. "Minh Mạng" is inspired by King Minh Mang. “Nhật Dạ” (one night) suggests that sunset is the most appropriate time to enjoy wine.