Think sake, and some things probably come to mind. Hard-to-decipher labels all in Japanese. Rice polishing ratios, which refer to how much of a grain of rice is removed before the rest is used to make sake. And flavoured sake? No way.

Mua Craft Sake upends all that. It is made in Vietnam, with rice grown there. The labels are in English. There is no polishing ratio the company makes public. The sake is available both in bottles and on tap. And it comes in flavours.

Mua, which means “seasons” in Vietnamese, partnered with Heiwa Shuzo Sake Brewery from Japan to set up the brewery, which opened in November 2022.

Although the sake is made using traditional methods, at the storage and maturation stage, Mua adds flavours – fresh pressed fruit juices and extracts from spices and herbs.

“We wanted to create a product that will resonate with the Vietnamese,” Mr Kang says.

“Look at the market globally, everyone is looking for something lighter, with refreshing and fruity flavours. We are trying to popularise sake, not to copy centuries of history and craftsmanship.”