Coffee plus cocktails, in one lesson.

This Vietnamese coffee workshop turns your evening into a hands-on tasting of coffee-forward drinks and Vietnamese flavor ideas, with low caffeine and a small-group setup. Two things I really like: the mix of coffee culture and modern cocktail technique, and the way you get clear guidance from guides like Hung and Tram Anh. One thing to keep in mind: the drinks are built around coffee plus spirits (you’ll see gin and rum in the flavor profiles), so it’s best for people who are comfortable with alcohol.

You meet at the Lacàph Coffee Experiences space in Quận 1 (upstairs at 220 Nguyễn Công Trứ) and spend about 90 minutes crafting and tasting coffee cocktails with a maximum of 18 people. Expect a friendly vibe with English-speaking coffee guides, plus specific coffee ingredients like Lacàph phin-style blends and coffee-cherry products. The possible drawback? If you don’t drink coffee or you want strictly non-alcohol options, you should consider asking beforehand.

Quick hits before you book

• Small-group limit of 18 means you’ll get real attention instead of rushing through.
• Coffee-first flavor combos like Cà Phê Mít (jackfruit + sampan rum) and Phở Fizz (dry gin + Cascara Tea).
• Low caffeine angle: you get the coffee experience without the jitters.
• Lacàph ingredients you can taste, including Cascara Tea (coffee-cherry husks) and raw coffee blossom honey.
• English-speaking guides named in past sessions (Hung, Tram, Vi, Joey, Jory) keep things easy to follow.

Coffee and cocktails in Quận 1: why this workshop works

Ho Chi Minh City can feel like a whirlwind. You hop from street food to sights to a late-night drink, and suddenly it’s 11 pm and you’re not sure what you actually learned. This workshop gives you something more grounded: a focused, 90-minute experience tied to Vietnamese coffee culture, but expressed through cocktail style.

It’s not just tasting something sweet. The idea is that Vietnamese coffee already has personality—spice, roast depth, fruit notes from coffee-cherry products, and creamy sweetness—and then you watch how that personality changes when it meets mixology.

I like that the caffeine is described as low. That matters for an evening activity. You can enjoy the coffee flavor without feeling wired, especially if you’re also planning to eat afterward or continue into the night.

The practical side is good too. It’s set in Quận 1 at a real coffee experiences space, and you get a mobile ticket. With a cap of 18 people, the pace stays human—no yelling over a crowd.

Price and logistics: what $29.68 buys you

The workshop costs $29.68 per person and runs about 1 hour 30 minutes. That isn’t a bargain price, but it’s also not one of those “pay extra for a photo-op” deals. You’re paying for guided instruction, access to coffee-specific ingredients, and the chance to craft coffee-based cocktails rather than just watching someone else pour.

A useful detail: it’s commonly booked around 20 days in advance. That suggests it’s popular enough that you shouldn’t wait for the last minute if your dates are fixed.

Logistics are simple. You start and end back at Lacàph Coffee Experiences (upstairs, 220 Nguyễn Công Trứ, Phường Nguyễn Thái Bình, Quận 1). Confirmation comes at booking, and service animals are allowed. It’s near public transportation, which is handy if you’re moving around the city without a private car.

What you’re actually making: Vietnamese coffee meets mixology

This is a coffee-themed cocktails workshop, so the star of the show is how Vietnamese coffee flavor translates into drinks you’d typically associate with a cocktail bar.

You’ll craft coffee-based cocktails with distinctly Vietnamese ingredient ideas. The workshop highlights pairings that combine coffee with fruit, spice, and sweet-smelling floral tones from honey made with coffee blossom.

Here are two named examples that help you picture the flavor range:

• Cà Phê Mít: jackfruit paired with sampan rum. That’s a fun signal that the drinks aren’t trying to taste like a generic latte. You’re getting fruit sweetness plus spirit warmth, grounded by coffee.
• Phở Fizz: dry gin plus Cascara Tea. If you’ve never had Cascara Tea, it can taste like a tea with fruit-leaning aroma. Paired with gin, it suggests something crisp, aromatic, and slightly spicy.

The key idea: you’re learning how to balance flavors—coffee roast depth against sweetness, and how acidity or tea notes can change the drink’s feel. Even if you’re not a “mixology person,” this is the kind of lesson you can apply later at home when you’re trying to make coffee taste more interesting.

The Lacàph ingredients: what to look for when you taste

The workshop calls out specific coffee products from Lacàph, and that’s a big reason it feels more authentic than a generic cocktail class.

As part of the experience, you should expect to encounter:

• Lacàph Phin Blend: a coffee blend tied to the Vietnamese phin style (a classic brewing method). If you like coffee, this is where you’ll start noticing the differences between “coffee as a drink” and “coffee as an ingredient.”
• Lacàph Cascara Tea: made from coffee cherry husks. Cascara tends to bring fruit-like aroma and tea-style complexity, and in cocktails it can add freshness without making the drink taste like straight juice.
• Lacàph Raw Coffee Blossom Honey: described as having an exquisite, complex taste. Coffee blossom honey is aromatic, and when it shows up in a cocktail it can turn “sweet” into something more layered.

Even if you only remember one thing after the class, try to remember the ingredient. Vietnamese coffee is often talked about as if it’s only about the drink. Here, you see how the same coffee story continues through tea and honey products.

That’s also why this works as an “evening activity with substance.” You leave with flavors you can name, not just a vague memory of something tasty.

The guide experience: why names matter here

A cocktail class can be good or boring based on the guide. In these sessions, the people leading the class show up repeatedly by name—and that gives you a hint about the quality you can expect.

Past guides mentioned include:

• Hung
• Tram
• Tram Anh
• Vi (also written as Vĩ)
• Joey
• Jory

The consistent theme across those guides is clarity and encouragement. People write that the instructor explains things well and makes the time fly by. That fits with a small-group workshop: if you’re learning how flavors work, you need a teacher who keeps the process understandable.

One more detail that might surprise you: some sessions include education tied to coffee classics, including egg coffee. If you’re a coffee nerd or you’ve heard of egg coffee and want the origin story, you may get that context during the coffee portion. Even if you’re not chasing egg coffee specifically, knowing how Vietnamese coffee techniques evolved can make the cocktails feel less random.

Timing: a calm 90 minutes in an active city

You’re doing this in the heart of Ho Chi Minh City’s Quận 1 area, so your day probably already includes movement. A 90-minute class is a sweet spot: long enough to learn something real, short enough that you can still plan dinner or a final stop afterward.

Since the caffeine content is described as low, it also works for evenings when you’d rather avoid a strong coffee jolt. You’ll get flavor energy without the likely crash-and-jitter combo.

If you’re the kind of person who likes to plan around food, I’d treat this as an activity that shapes your appetite. You may want to eat before, or at least be ready for a light dinner after, because a workshop like this can replace a full bar stop for many people.

Who this workshop is best for (and who should think twice)

This is a strong pick if:

• You want an evening activity that’s more than sitting quietly with a drink.
• You like coffee and want to understand Vietnamese coffee beyond the usual stereotypes.
• You enjoy trying unusual flavor combinations, like fruit paired with spirits, or gin paired with Cascara Tea.
• You like small-group settings where questions actually get answered.

It might be less ideal if:

• You don’t drink alcohol, because the cocktails include spirits in the example profiles (dry gin and sampan rum are specifically mentioned).
• You dislike coffee flavors. The whole point here is coffee-first.

If you fall into a “maybe” category, I’d still consider going—just go with the mindset that you’re there for coffee culture and ingredient experiments, not just sugary cocktails.

Value check: why the price makes sense for what you get

At $29.68, you’re paying for a guided, hands-on experience that’s built around specific coffee products, not just generic cocktail ingredients. The experience is about interaction and learning, and it includes a small group limit, which typically increases the value because you get more direct attention.

Also, 90 minutes is long enough to feel like a real activity. You don’t just sample two sips and leave. You’re learning how the coffee component changes when it becomes part of a cocktail structure.

Finally, the class is set up to feel like an authentic Vietnamese coffee experience rather than a copy-paste nightlife workshop. When the ingredient list includes Cascara Tea and coffee-blossom honey, you’re not just drinking something sweet—you’re tasting products you’d likely have trouble finding as a casual add-on anywhere else.

Should you book this coffee cocktail workshop?

Yes, if you want a fun evening with real flavor education and a good shot at meeting a friendly English-speaking coffee guide like Hung or Tram Anh. The small-group size, the named ingredient lineup (phin blend, Cascara Tea, coffee blossom honey), and the clearly Vietnamese cocktail ideas make this a practical “do it once” experience.

I’d say skip it (or ask questions first) if alcohol is a hard no for you, since the cocktails are built around spirits. And if you’re not into coffee at all, you’ll probably find the theme limits the enjoyment.

But if you’re the type who enjoys taste experiments and learning why something tastes the way it does, this is exactly that. Book ahead if your schedule is tight, and plan it as part of your Quận 1 evening rather than a last-minute gamble.

FAQ

How long is the workshop in Ho Chi Minh City?

It runs for about 1 hour 30 minutes (approx.).

How much does it cost?

The price is $29.68 per person.

Where do I meet for the workshop?

The meeting point is Lacàph Coffee Experiences Space (Upstairs), 220 Nguyễn Công Trứ, Phường Nguyễn Thái Bình, Quận 1, Hồ Chí Minh City. The activity ends back at the meeting point.

What is the maximum group size?

There is a maximum of 18 travelers.

Is the caffeine content strong?

The workshop describes the caffeine content as low, with only a slight kick.

What is the cancellation policy?

Cancellation is free if you cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund. If you cancel within 24 hours, you won’t receive a refund.

If you want, tell me your travel dates and whether you drink alcohol, and I’ll help you decide the best time to fit this into your HCMC day.