A drinks studio called Kladee Bespoke is betting that the best way to tell Việt Nam's story is through flavour. Rather than treating beverages as an afterthought, the brand builds each creation around local ingredients and traditional tastes drawn from different corners of the country, so what you sip doubles as a small lesson in regional culture.
The idea is simple but effective: pair familiar Vietnamese ingredients — the kind you'd meet in a market or a family kitchen — with contemporary mixing techniques, then attach the story behind them. A drink becomes a shorthand for a place, a season or a custom. For visitors, that's a low-effort, high-reward way in: no guidebook required, just a glass.
It also taps into a broader shift across Southeast Asia's bar and café scenes. Bartenders and beverage makers are increasingly raiding local larders — herbs, fruits, spices, ferments — instead of reaching for imported syrups and generic flavourings. The result is drinks that genuinely taste of where you are, which is exactly what most travellers say they want from a trip.
For anyone planning time in Việt Nam, a stop somewhere like Kladee Bespoke slots easily into an itinerary built around food. Việt Nam's culinary reputation usually centres on phở, bánh mì and street-side noodle bowls, but the drinking culture is just as regionally varied — think coffee culture in the cities, rice wine traditions in the villages and a growing craft scene in Hà Nội and Hồ Chí Minh City. A heritage-focused drinks menu connects those dots.
Who is it for? Food-forward travellers, obviously, but also anyone short on time who wants a compressed cultural experience. An hour spent working through a menu of local-ingredient drinks can teach you more about regional flavours than a day of aimless sightseeing — and it's considerably more fun. It's also a good shout for rainy afternoons or the wind-down after a day of temple-hopping.
The bigger takeaway for travellers is to keep an eye out for this style of venue wherever you go in the country. Heritage-driven drinks concepts are popping up as Vietnamese producers and bartenders look inward for inspiration, and seeking them out is one of the easiest ways to support businesses built on local ingredients and traditions rather than imported ones.
Story via Vietnam News Life.
