Craft Your Own Signature Gin at Saigon Baigur

Have you ever imagined creating a bottle of gin that carries your own name?

Not just drinking it. But crafting the flavor yourself, shaped by your own personality and choices.

If you love drinks, or simply want to try something new in Saigon, the gin making workshop at Saigon Baigur is an experience full of surprises.

Located in Thu Duc City, about 10 kilometers from the center of Ho Chi Minh City, Saigon Baigur is one of the first craft gin distilleries in Vietnam.

Gin, a spirit that originated in the Netherlands in the 17th century, is created by infusing alcohol with botanicals.

In Vietnam, gin has only started to develop since around 2018, yet it has quickly gained international recognition. Saigon Baigur is one of the pioneers behind this movement and now exports to more than 50 countries.

Our journey was guided by Phú, a distiller whose passion is evident in every detail. 

We started with the basics. How gin is made and how each botanical shapes the final flavor. One of the most interesting things about gin is that it does not require aging like many other spirits. Once distilled, its character is already defined by the botanicals and the base spirit. Without time in oak barrels, gin can be enjoyed almost immediately.

Perhaps that is why gin feels so present. What you create, you can taste right away.

We then stepped into a small space that felt like a laboratory of flavors. Eight mini stills, surrounded by rows of botanicals. This is where everything truly begins.

No recipe, just your own taste

There is no fixed formula here.

You choose your own ingredients. You adjust the proportions. You follow your instinct.

Some create something fresh and citrus driven. Others go for spice or depth. Some lean into floral notes.

Every choice becomes part of your story.

Once the recipe is ready, everything is placed into a small still.

About forty minutes later, the first drops of gin begin to flow. Clear and refined, carrying all the decisions you made before.

You can name your bottle and take it home. A creation that cannot be replicated.

At one point, Khoa, a bartender friend from Moss Bar, and I stood in front of a table filled with botanicals, tasting, discussing, and imagining a flavor that did not yet exist.

We wanted something floral, but still balanced.

After several adjustments, we found it. A gin with a clear floral expression, soft but structured, gentle yet memorable.

We named it “Thăng Hoa” (Bloom in English)

Because it was not just about flavor. It was a moment transformed into something you could hold and taste.

Rediscovering Vietnamese botanicals

Three hours at Saigon Baigur turned out to be more than just a workshop. It became a way to rediscover Vietnam through a different lens.

Vietnam offers an incredible diversity of botanicals. Lemongrass, ginger, citrus peels, lotus, pandan leaves. Ingredients that feel familiar in everyday life.

Yet when they enter the world of gin, they reveal a completely new dimension. Familiar, yet surprising.

Perhaps this is also a subtle way to introduce Vietnam to international friends. Not only through cuisine, but through flavors that are distilled into stories.