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What to eat & drink in Vietnam? Top 17 Vietnamese Beverages

Last update: Wed Feb 19 2025
Top 17 Vietnamese Beverages
TABLE OF CONTENTS

Best Vietnamese Beverage Types

01
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Vietnamese iced coffee is a drink that combines strong coffee, condensed milk, and ice. It is traditionally made with medium or coarse ground Vietnamese-grown coffee, typically the Robusta variety, which is brewed using a drip phin filter—in which the coffee is brewed and then slowly dripped in the cup.


The coffee is then poured over ice and mixed with condensed milk. It is usually served in a tall glass. Although it is most commonly made with condensed milk (cà phê sữa đá), there is also a version that combines only coffee and ice (cà phê đá).

02

Tea / Infusion

VIETNAM and  one more region
4.2
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Invented in Taichung, Taiwan in the 1980’s, bubble tea is a tea-based beverage that is shaken or mixed with fruit or milk. It is combined with tapioca balls, also known as bubbles, pearls, or boba, so the drink is also often referred to as boba milk tea, boba tea, tapioca tea, pearl tea or bubble drink.


Over the decades, a wide range of ingredients has been included in the production, which resulted in many varieties of bubble tea. Some recipes replace milk with cream, ice cream, or soya milk, and flavor it with chocolate, coffee, ginger, caramel, rose, or lavender. 
THE BEST Trà sữa trân châu Teas and Herbal Infusions
1 Jasmine and Citrus Flavored Bubble Tea
Bieyangpaopao Food Technology
Jasmine and Citrus Flavored Bubble Tea

5.0

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Crystal Taste Award - 3 stars 2024

03
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Coffee culture is an important part of daily life in Vietnam. Although it was first brought by the French colonist in the mid-19th century, coffee quickly became popular, and Vietnam is currently one of the largest coffee producers, as well as the leading producer and exporter of the Robusta coffee variety.


Robusta is also the most commonly used variety in Vietnam. It attains its quite strong flavor and a thick texture due to the slow and long dark roast. Occasionally, the beans are also roasted with butter and sugar, while some even decide to add cocoa and vanilla during roasting. 
04
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Egg coffee (ca phe trung) is a sweet and dense Vietnamese beverage that traditionally consists of strong black robusta coffee that is mixed with egg yolks and sweetened condensed milk. The egg yolks and the milk are whipped for about 10 minutes, and boiled until meringue-like consistency.


The coffee is mostly made using a traditional Vietnamese phin filter in which the coffee is brewed and then slowly dripped in a cup. It is poared into the whipped eggs, forming the characteristic, aromatic foam. The origin of the drink dates back to 1950s and the French Indochina War. 
05

Tea

HANOI, Vietnam
3.9
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Vietnamese lotus tea is a type of green tea flavored with lotus flowers. Often regarded as the most prestigious Vietnamese tea, it is produced on a small scale in a labor-intensive and time-consuming process that is rarely seen nowadays.


The production first started during the reign of the emperor Tu Duc. During the night, his servants would fill the lotus flowers with green tea and then let it infuse. By the morning, the tea already had a subtle lotus aroma, and it could be brewed.


Most contemporary production relies on imparting flavor by mixing green tea with hand-picked lotus stamens. 
06
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This Vietnamese coffee is a slightly unusual combination of brewed black coffee—traditionally made using a phin filter—yogurt, condensed milk, and ice. The drink can also be served as a warm beverage, while some variations also may include lemon juice.


The ingredients can be mixed together or blended until smooth, while sometimes milk and yogurt are combined with ice, and the coffee is then poured last. This coffee variety is usually enjoyed during hot and humid days as a tangy refreshment.

07
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Táo mèo is a type of a liqueur that is traditionally associated with Sapa and the H'Mong ethnic group. It is made from the eponymous wild apples (Docynia indica) that are harvested and then soaked and fermented in water before they are macerated in rice wine (rượu), usually for several months.


Optionally, it can also be made with sliced and dried apples. The beverage has an amber color and a subtly sweet flavor, while the aromas are reminiscent of apples and caramel. This traditional drink is often promoted for its numerous health benefits. 
08
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Rượu cần is a variety of Vietnamese rice wine that is usually made with glutinous (sticky) rice, though plain rice, millet, or cassava can also be used as a base. Unlike similar varieties, this type is not distilled, and the rice is usually combined with various herbs, spices, and roots before it is left to ferment for several weeks.


The process is traditionally done in large earthenware pots, which are covered with banana leaves. Rượu cần holds ceremonial value in Vietnam, and it is mostly enjoyed during ceremonies and festivities. The pot is usually placed in the center, and the wine is slowly sipped with the help of long bamboo straws. 
09
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Rượu nếp cẩm is a variety of Vietnamese fermented rice wine. It is made with black rice (gạo nếp cẩm), which attains a distinctive deep purple hue. When the rice is cooked or soaked, it is combined with yeast, and it is then left to ferment.


It is also sometimes fortified with the addition of clear rice wine. The resulting beverage is purple in color, and it can be slightly hazy. There are several bottled versions of the drink, but this unique rice wine is also commonly made at home.

10
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Vietnamese rice wine is known under various names, but it is usually, and somewhat mistakenly, referred to as rượu - a term that is also used for other alcoholic drinks. Two main types include rượu gạo or rượu đế, which is a distilled rice wine that is often infused with fruit, and rượu cần, a fermented variety that is usually made in clay pots and drank with straws.


The latter is sometimes made with other base ingredients, and it is also commonly infused with herbs. Another popular option includes rượu thuốc, a distilled variety that is considered a medicine and which is often infused with plants, herbs, or whole animals. 
11
12
13
Spirit
BÌNH ĐỊNH PROVINCE, Vietnam
n/a
14
Berry Liqueur
PHU QUOC ISLAND, Vietnam
n/a
15
Spirit
HÀ GIANG PROVINCE, Vietnam
n/a
16
Alcoholic Beverage
KIM SƠN, Vietnam
n/a
17
Alcoholic Beverage
LẠNG SƠN PROVINCE, Vietnam
n/a
TABLE OF CONTENTS

Best Vietnamese Beverage Producers

01

Spirit

VIETNAM, Southeast Asia
5.0
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AWARDS

SFWSC - San Francisco World Spirits Competition - Double Gold

2024

BEST Lady Trieu Spirits
02

Beer

HO CHI MINH CITY, Vietnam
5.0
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AWARDS

World Beer Cup - Gold

2016

BEST Pasteur Street Brewing Co. Beers (Styles and Brands)
03
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AWARDS

International Brewing Awards - Gold

2019

BEST Saigon Beer - Alcohol - Beverage Corporation (SABECO) Beers (Styles and Brands)
04

Spirit

HANOI, Vietnam
5.0
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AWARDS

World Gin Awards - Country Winner

2022

BEST Brewstillery Spirits
05

Spirit

HO CHI MINH CITY, Vietnam
5.0
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AWARDS

World Gin Awards - Country Winner

2024

BEST Nguyen Nguyen Distillery Spirits
06

Spirit

VIETNAM, Southeast Asia
5.0
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AWARDS

World Gin Awards - Country Winner

2020

BEST Song Cai Distillery Spirits
07
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AWARDS

The Liqueur Masters - Gold

2023

BEST Thi Mau Spirits Joint Stock Company Liqueurs
TABLE OF CONTENTS

Best Vietnamese Beverages

01
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AWARDS

SFWSC - San Francisco World Spirits Competition - Double Gold

2024

02
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AWARDS

World Beer Cup - Gold

2016

03
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AWARDS

International Brewing Awards - Gold

2019

04
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AWARDS

World Gin Awards - Country Winner

2022

05
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AWARDS

World Gin Awards - Country Winner

2024

06
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AWARDS

World Gin Awards - Country Winner

2020

07
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AWARDS

The Liqueur Masters - Gold

2023

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Vietnamese Beverages