Top 7 Vietnamese Non-alcoholic Beverages

Trà Sen Hiền Xiêm is a family-run artisanal brand from Hanoi’s Tây Hồ district, recognized as one of the most respected guardians of the traditional technique of infusing green tea with fresh lotus petals. Their production relies entirely on manual craftsmanship - from harvesting lotus flowers at dawn, to carefully separating the petals, and repeatedly layering fine tea leaves with the fragrant “gạo sen” pollen over several days. This demanding method, which requires more than a thousand lotus flowers to produce a single kilogram of tea, results in a delicate brew with soft floral notes, gentle bitterness, and an elegant, naturally sweet finish. The brand holds a prestigious four-star OCOP certification and is often chosen for ceremonial occasions and high-quality gifts. Despite modern challenges such as urbanization and declining lotus cultivation, Hiền Xiêm remains a symbol of authenticity, cultural continuity, and the highest level of traditional Vietnamese lotus-tea craftsmanship.Expand

Hoàng Trà is a Hanoi-based tea brand specializing in Trà Sen Tây Hồ, a traditional Vietnamese green tea naturally infused with lotus petals harvested around West Lake. The tea is made from high-quality leaves sourced from the Tân Cương region, which are repeatedly layered with fresh lotus petals so the leaves absorb a delicate, authentic floral aroma without artificial essences. This slow, meticulous process - typically four to seven infusion cycles per batch - creates a tea with subtle lotus fragrance, gentle bitterness, and a lingering sweet finish. Hoàng Trà offers several forms of this tea, from fresh-lotus–infused versions to dried-lotus variants suited for longer storage. As part of Hanoi’s cultural heritage, their lotus tea is regarded as a symbol of elegance, tranquility, and refined artisanal craftsmanship.Expand

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). Expand

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. Vietnamese coffee is traditionally brewed with a phin filter—which consists of a perforated plate that is placed on top of the cup. The plate is topped with a metal vessel in which the ground coffee is mixed with hot water, and brewed coffee is then slowly dripped directly in the cup. Because Vietnamese coffee is quite strong and bitter, the local prefer to mix it with ice and sweeten it with condensed milk (cà phê sữa đá), but it can also be enjoyed as a straight black coffee (cà phê đen) or black coffee with ice (cà phê đá). Another popular local variation is coffee mixed with egg yolks (cà phê trứng). Expand

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. Others use black tea or green jasmine tea mixed with fresh fruits such as strawberries, apples, mangos, avocados, bananas, coconut, pineapple, kiwi, or peaches. However, the most popular varieties are bubble milk tea with tapioca and bubble green milk tea with tapioca. Bubble tea is not just a beverage, it's also an interactive game, because you never know which sip will be liquid tea, and which will deliver a sticky and sweet tapioca ball through the giant straw, which is an integral part of the bubble tea experience.Expand

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. During the period, milk was scarce, and a barista by the name Nguyen Van Giang decided to use eggs as a replacement. At the time, he was working at the Sofitel Hotel in Hanoi, but after his creation became successful, he eventually opened his shop, Giang Cafe, which still exists in Hanoi and is run by his son. Expand

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. The mixing process can be repeated several times until the tea attains desired flavor. When brewed, the tea is amber-colored and has a clean flavor with subtle vanilla hints. This tea is an integral part of Vietnamese culture and is often enjoyed on festivals, ceremonies, and other special occasions. The best and the most expensive version of this tea comes from the West Lake in Hanoi. Expand

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.Expand

Soda sữa hột gà or egg soda is a Vietnamese beverage that combines egg yolks, condensed milk, and soda water. The ingredients are stirred until well combined, and the drink results in a creamy, lightly fizzy beverage. Additionally, it can be strained before serving. Egg soda is usually served over ice, preferably in a tall glass. Expand