Song Cai Vietnam Floral Gin

Founded in 2018 in Hà Nội, Sông Cái distillery is Việt Nam’s first gin distillery. The inaugural release, Sông Cái Việt Nam dry gin, is the first gin ever distilled in Việt Nam — using 16 wild hand-foraged botanicals, fruits, flowers, and wood unique to Việt Nam’s highlands. Their gin is handcrafted in small batches in a direct fired copper still, resulting in a bold, complex, and particularly rounded flavor. the botanicals used are rare — and the distillery's work is environmentally, socially, and culturally sustainable and enriching. The Vietnamese understanding of nature deals not only with water, land, and sky — but also culture and spirituality. Rooted in this all-encompassing philosophy, Sông Cái distillery produces terroir-driven spirits that capture the flavors and provenance of Việt Nam’s vast, biodiverse landscape of highlands and deltas. The name, Sông Cái, comes from the Vietnamese term for “mother river.” In the Vietnamese tradition, rivers are metaphorically representative of the notion of totality and origin: all forces of nature, life, and spirituality stem and flow from a holistic “mother river.” in a similar manner, Sông Cái speaks to multiple elements of việt nam, from its agricultural roots to thriving cosmopolitan hubs. In 2018, following six years of researching the biodiversity and ethnobotany of rural Việt Nam, California-born, Vietnamese-American distiller and founder Daniel Nguyen partnered with multi-generational foragers and farmers in northern Việt Nam to source botanicals for what would become the first gin ever distilled in the country. Now, working with over 70 families, Sông Cái distillery offers rural communities an incentive to preserve and plants botanicals and even heirloom grains native to the region. through their gins and spirits, Sông Cái endeavors to protect centuries-old traditions for future generations. The company champions inclusive economic growth — ensuring financial growth while strengthening rural community ties and preserving and developing Vietnam’s cultural heritage and identity. their myriad of community initiatives range from literary programs to seed database and re-propagation projects that will contribute to long-term development.

Tasting Notes

The floral gin is a love letter to the lowlands of vietnam and its flower culture. marrying dragon claw flower, ylang ylang, jasmine, michelia alba and more, the expression is fruity and reminiscent of ripe jackfruit.