V\u1ec1 \u0110\u1ec3 \u0110i<\/a><\/span>, which he co-founded with Qu\u00e2n Nguy\u1ec5n in Hanoi in 2020, is the brainchild of industry experts committed to crafting Southeast Asia\u2019s leading independent spirits brand. Dr. Michael\u2019s relentless commitment to distilling from scratch is reflected in their pursuit of definitive versions of spirits, from new whiskies to refined gins.<\/p>\nThe essence of V\u1ec1 \u0110\u1ec3 \u0110i embodies the perfect disorder of Hanoi, an unstoppable energy mirrored in their dedication to creating world-class spirits. His extensive background as an entrepreneur, CEO, and investor converges in this venture, aiming to establish grain-to-bottle single malt whiskies and gins.<\/p>\n
Here, we\u2019ll learn more about V\u1ec1 \u0110\u1ec3 \u0110i\u2019s mission, its products, and collaborative efforts through the words of Dr. Micheal Rosen.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"http:\/\/localhost:8080\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/TinTuc-2.jpeg\")
<\/p>\n
Vietnam is leading a wave of Southeast Asia creativity. | Source: V\u1ec1 \u0110\u1ec3 \u0110i<\/em><\/p>\nWhat inspired V\u1ec1 \u0110\u1ec3 \u0110i\u2019s founding and its mission to redefine Vietnamese spirits?<\/h3>\n
Being real. That means not building an identity based on myths and cultural costumes but on real life in real Vietnam. The contemporary vibrancy of our cities is exciting. We see Vietnam at the forefront of Southeast Asian creativity. In music, fashion, cuisine. We are here participating in this creativity. Some Western brands have movie actors and rock stars as their frontmen. Some brands decide to mythologize historical figures, others to create Disneyland simulacrums of Russeauian agricultural Edens. Those brand identities aren\u2019t real. We\u2019re real. We\u2019ve put together a team of real people making stunningly good liquids.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"http:\/\/localhost:8080\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/TinTuc-3-747x1024.jpeg\")
<\/p>\n
V\u1ec1 \u0110\u1ec3 \u0110i founders Qu\u00e2n Nguy\u1ec5n and Dr. Michael Rosen | Source: V\u1ec1 \u0110\u1ec3 \u0110i<\/em><\/p>\nCan you share with us how your co-founder, Qu\u00e2n Nguy\u1ec5n, has shaped the brand?<\/h3>\n
Quan is a poet. Born in Russia, raised in Vietnam, and educated in the US, he is fluent and fluid through cultures. He has a heart of gold, the deepest foundation in morality, and a shockingly good palate and brand understanding. He remains true to the brand. And he knows and is respected by more people than anyone I\u2019ve ever met. Anywhere. So authenticity, authenticity, and authenticity.<\/p>\n
Your tagline, \u201cSometimes you have to come back to be able to know how to leave,\u201d is intriguing. How does this philosophy shape V\u1ec1 \u0110\u1ec3 \u0110i and its commitment to world-class spirits?<\/h3>\n
This is Vietnam\u2019s moment in our cities, particularly in Hanoi, and that's why we celebrate being here. If someone is fortunate, they have the chance to repeatedly define who they are, what matters to them, and why they invest their heart and soul into a job, a craft, or a way of life. They encounter opportunities to affirm that their past decisions were right and continue with them or choose to change course if needed.<\/p>\n
Many of us, with Ve De Di, have committed significant efforts to produce world-class spirits right here in Vietnam, in Hanoi. We aim to showcase this pride, distinction, and excellence to the world because we believe Vietnam can create the best. Success often follows previous failures. Some may conceal it, forget it, or use the lessons learned to fortify the resilience of their inner selves.<\/p>\n
To paraphrase James Joyce, these experiences contribute to forging a stronger soul. Excuse the literary reference, but it holds true. Now, off to make our future.<\/p>\n
V\u1ec1 \u0110\u1ec3 \u0110i is known for disrupting the market with a modern perspective. How do you approach this disruption, and what makes the brand stand out in the spirits industry?<\/h3>\n
We tell you who we are. We show you the rice we start with for our gin and liqueurs. We show you the barley and corn we use for our single malt and corn whiskies. We show you our people. We are pioneering whisky in Vietnam and, from there, in Southeast Asia.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"http:\/\/localhost:8080\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/TinTuc-4.jpeg\")
<\/p>\n
It\u2019s our balance that sets us apart, a wonderful balance. | Source: V\u1ec1 \u0110\u1ec3 \u0110i<\/em><\/p>\nTell us about your flagship product, Good Gin \u2013 how do you make it, from picking ingredients to the special distillation process?<\/h3>\n
We start with Red River Delta fragrant sticky rice from Thai Binh. Which provides a rich, sweet, balanced mouth feel. We use hand-peeled, sun-dried Buddha hands for a subtle citrus. Tea tree flowers from the world\u2019s oldest tea trees provide a subtle body. Italian juniper is prominent but not overpowering, exactly in the middle as it should be if one is outside London. We offer a smack of spice through mac khen and hat doi. Cinnamon gives a touch of dance. But it\u2019s our balance that sets us apart, a wonderful balance.<\/p>\n
Each product features unique Vietnamese ingredients. How do these local elements contribute to the distinct flavors of Good Gin, Cr\u00e8me de Cacao, and Triple Sec?<\/h3>\n
Exquisitely! Is that enough of an answer? Because it\u2019s true. We\u2019ve created a Creme de Coconut and a Creme de Coffee that we are waiting to introduce. Our focus, as it should be in a local independent distillery, is on local ingredients, celebrating the here or here. A fantastic amount of Marou L\u00e2m \u0110\u1ed3ng cacao nibs makes our creme de cacao the best in the world. We use H\u00e0 Giang green oranges in three ways to give an orange twist that comes to a crescendo on a luxurious high note. We\u2019ve not yet introduced our coconut and coffee, so we\u2019ll have to be invited back to speak more about them.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"http:\/\/localhost:8080\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/TinTuc-5.jpeg\")
<\/p>\n
Cr\u00e8me de Cacao | Source: V\u1ec1 \u0110\u1ec3 \u0110i<\/em><\/p>\nExciting collaboration with MAROU for Cr\u00e8me de Cacao! How do these partnerships add to V\u1ec1 \u0110\u1ec3 \u0110i\u2019s story, and why is connecting with local producers crucial?<\/h3>\n
Our work with Marou is particularly important. Quan established and ran Marou\u2019s Hanoi business for three years before we created Ve De Di. We were both close with Samuel Maruta before he died too young. We are close with Vincent Mourou, Samuel\u2019s partner, and a range of others in Marou. We were excited when Samuel, Stephanie, and others at Marou supported our Creme de Cacao, agreeing to collaborate with us. We are open to the future and particularly proud of the Marou partnership. They are, arguably, the first Vietnamese luxury brand to establish themselves strongly outside Vietnam. We hope there are many more that the world comes to know and love and that we are among them.<\/p>\n
How does the spirit of Hanoi influence the creation of your spirits, and how do you capture the city\u2019s energy in the crafting process?<\/h3>\n
Hanoi is a unique city. It\u2019s somewhere between an enormous quilt of historic villages and a modern city moving boldly into the future. It\u2019s an ancient capital with regal traditions and a modern place asking, \u201cWhat\u2019s new?\u201d Listening to the past, forging the future. The same is true in making world-class spirits.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"http:\/\/localhost:8080\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/TinTuc-1.jpeg\")
<\/p>\n
We hope people will love the flavors | Source: V\u1ec1 \u0110\u1ec3 \u0110i<\/em><\/p>\nHow do you want people to enjoy V\u1ec1 \u0110\u1ec3 \u0110i products, and what takeaway do you hope they have from the experience?<\/h3>\n
Firstly, we hope people will love the flavors. Seeing someone taste our Good Gin and watching their realization of the whole range of flavors. Watching someone smile, experiencing the explosion of cacao in our Cr\u00e8me de Cacao. That\u2019s enough, and if there\u2019s more, it\u2019s realizing the authenticity of everything we do.<\/p>\n
Lastly, any exciting projects or new products coming up for V\u1ec1 \u0110\u1ec3 \u0110i that you can share a sneak peek of?<\/h3>\n
We\u2019ve started offering private full barrels of whisky in our Founder\u2019s Club. People will be able to gift their own personally labeled bottles of Vietnam\u2019s first single malt. Can you imagine being able to give away your own single malt for Tet? That\u2019s history being made. And we are coming close to launching our unique Bottle Club Membership, an opportunity for a new generation of whisky lovers to build a valuable, totally unique collection of 9 personally signed and numbered whiskies from a family of barrels aged under the watchful eye of our Master Distiller. We are working on exciting projects with a new generation of whisky leaders here. Learning to go further.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
V\u1ec1 \u0110\u1ec3 \u0110i, co-founded by Dr. Michael Rosen and Qu\u00e2n Nguy\u1ec5n in Hanoi in 2020, is the brainchild of industry experts committed to crafting Southeast Asia\u2019s leading independent spirits brand.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2422,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[120],"tags":[],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ve-de-di.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2435"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ve-de-di.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ve-de-di.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ve-de-di.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ve-de-di.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2435"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/ve-de-di.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2435\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ve-de-di.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2422"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ve-de-di.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2435"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ve-de-di.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2435"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ve-de-di.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2435"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
![\"\"](\"http:\/\/localhost:8080\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/TinTuc-1-1024x576.webp\")
<\/p>\n