Wild East Liquor launches Mekong Dangerous spiced coffee spirit
Mekong Dangerous, an absinthe-based coffee spirit, has ambitious plans for world domination and will roll out distribution across Europe and Asia this year.
After more than 10 years in the making, Mekong Dangerous has finally been released to the public. What began as a brutal experiment in a small shed hidden on an island in the Saigon River has now reached full-scale production at the District 9 Distillery on the outskirts of the city.
Mekong Dangerous is a spirit like no other. Absinthe is first distilled and then cold-brewed with coffee for several days, after which additional spices from the Mekong region are added. The result is a wild, intensely spiced coffee spirit.
The Mekong Dangerous website described it as follows: “Mekong Dangerous is no ordinary drink. It’s an experiment, an enigma, a beverage that defies the laws of reason. Inside, you’ll find caffeine so potent it could power a small nation, absinthe so bold it whispers ancient secrets, and raw flavours that might just realign your DNA.”
Absinthe has a long history in Southeast Asia. The French introduced it to Indochina during their colonial rule, after which Vietnamese distillers perfected the recipe. When the French imposed duties on alcohol and attempted to monopolise production, bootleggers moved distillation deep into the jungles of the Mekong Delta.
To this day, absinthe is still home-distilled in many parts of the Mekong. It is claimed that the absinthe base of Mekong Dangerous is derived from one such recipe that has survived for generations.
Mekong Dangerous sources Robusta coffee from the remote Vietnamese highlands. Robusta was chosen for its high caffeine content, bitterness, and coffee-forward intensity, making it the ideal counterpart to the anise-driven base and other local spices.
“We are absolutely delighted to share this one-of-a-kind coffee spirit with the world. I tried it back in August and have been hooked ever since,” said the CEO of Wild East Liquor, which has obtained worldwide distribution rights for the product.
Mekong Dangerous is bottled at 35% ABV and is available in 700ml jerrycans, 20-litre jerrycans, and 200-litre barrels. A 50ml miniature will be introduced later in the year. Jerrycans have long been used throughout the Mekong for efficiently transporting everything from motor oil to fish sauce, making them the obvious choice to package this iconic Southeast Asian product.
The bold, spiced coffee spirit will roll out in Vietnam, Cambodia, Germany, Switzerland, the Baltics, and Uganda from January onward.
In Europe, the 700ml jerrycan carries an SRP of €19-€25, depending on the market.
Mekong Dangerous is meant to be taken straight, thrown back as a shot or sipped over ice.
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