Vienna’s trendy bar ignites a Thai rice wine craze in Europe

Sip Song Bar is redefining Europe’s drink scene with its take on Sato, and Thai trade officials are seizing the moment to propel it to the global stage

 

Thailand’s traditional rice wine, “Sato”, has won die-hard fans in Austria thanks to a Viennese bar-cum-restaurant’s innovative creation.

 

The Sip Song Sato bottled drink created by the Sip Song Bar in Vienna made its debut in the September 2024 Vienna Fashion Week and has since taken the dining world by storm, with patrons and influential food critics singing the unique concoction’s praises and lauding its cultural significance. 

 

The Department of International Trade Promotion (DITP) plans to capitalise on this momentum, with Thai trade commissioners in Austria and Poland working together to promote Sato as part of Thailand’s soft-power strategy in the European Union. 

 

Sunanta Kangvalkulkij, director-general of the DITP, said the department under the direction of Commerce Minister Pichai Naripthaphan, has tasked its overseas representatives with identifying new export opportunities for Thai products. 

 

Onanood Phadongvithee, DITP director in Vienna, highlighted the rising success of the rice wine, which is traditionally brewed in Thailand’s Northeast.

 

Sip Song Sato is brewed with rice from the Thung Kula Rong Hai region in the Northeast and enhanced with pristine Alpine mineral water to give it a distinctive flavour.  
  

Supannada “Piano” Plubthong, who did the vocals for the Thai band The Sis, and now owner of the Mamamon Thai Eatery and Sip Song Bar in Vienna, explained the inspiration behind the creation. 

 

“If you can eat rice, you can drink rice,” she said, adding that she relied on traditional Thai fermentation techniques for her version of the Sato. 

 

She said she wanted a beverage that would complement the flavours of the Thai food served in her restaurant. After much research and a study trip to Japan to learn about the production of Sake, she realised that Sato could perfectly complement Thai food. 

 

Onanood, meanwhile, pointed out that ironically Japanese sake, which is often made with Thai glutinous rice, had gained global recognition, while Thai Sato remains largely unknown outside Thailand. She applauded Supannada’s efforts in crafting Sato from Thung Kula Rong Hai jasmine rice, which holds geographical indication (GI) status in the EU, ensuring its quality and origin while supporting local farmers and preserving traditional methods.

  

Now that Sip Song Sato has become a household name in Austria, the DITP plans to launch the beverage in Poland through Thai restaurants serving street food and at business matching events in Warsaw and Krakow. The next move will be to take the drink to France, Germany and the United Kingdom. 

 

Visit the Department of International Trade Promotion website (www.ditp.go.th) or call 1169 for more information.

(2025/02/28-00:00)