You will come into this place not knowing a lot about rice liquor and leave a bit more cultured, educated, and possibly buzzing with contentment. We did not make a reservation but I did message the business on Instagram and was able to provide a heads up on when we'd be planning to walk in. Parking was delightfully easy and we walked in and were instantly greeted by Binh, the owner. He is so friendly and extremely knowledgable. He has a PhD in Chemistry so he understands the fundamentals of all the processes down to the molecular level! Binh will take you from the beginning of it all to the current happenings with his work. He is dedicated, passionate, and humble. He does not push you to purchase bottles at all. He gave us a tour and allowed us to smell and taste things as he told us about every single machine and product. At the end of the tour, we went back to the entrance room and began our tastings. We tried multiple and left with 3 purchases. You will find that you sober up quickly with his selection and while I got buzzed, the buzz was well-managed and mellow. Located in Rancho Cordova on Sunrise Blvd, this small but mighty distillery represents so much of what Sacramento is about: local business that tells a story with great products. Definitely recommend this as an educational date for those who are interested in what rice liquor is or those who are connoisseurs of Vietnamese culture and history. I definitely want to come back to take some friends from out of town! Wishing Binh the best and all the success! read more

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Came by on a Saturday afternoon with my bestie from Sac and had an amazing time. I wanted to do the VIP package but due to dietary restrictions of our party we only came for the tasting. Binh and his team kindly welcomed us. He was in the middle of an interview but allowed us to stay and watch. There was another party there doing the hot pot. The distillery decor made it feel warm and welcoming. After doing multiple tastings, I have to say that he has a great product. The rieu de Cali premium tastes better than my Don Julio 1942. So smooth and fragrant with a honey finish. I also tasted the rieu de add with jasmine rice, but didn't like it as much. I also really enjoyed the rieu de whisky - with a light smoky finish. Additionally, we got to taste some cocktails - just delicious. I wish he would bottle them and sell - who knows that may come. It's so good I took home 4 bottles. Ok. 2 for gifts and 2 for me. Thank you Dao Distillery for an amazing time. read more

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This place is AWESOME!!!! We went in knowing nothing of Dao and we got such a great learning experience! The owner was phenomenal!!! He took us in the back and gave us a tour and told us about the whole distilling process. We then had our tasting and I am so impressed! This guy not only knows his stuff but what a cool owner! His back story alone is so inspirational. We tried a bunch of different things that were so different and even got a mixed drink! We bought a few bottles and will definitely be back! Check this place out, this is a hidden gem! read more

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Amazing experience at Dao Distillery! The owner is very knowledgeable and explained the whole process starting the chemistry to products of production. He is extremely cool. Definitely a great experience and learn the process of how everything is made. The food is a bonus. It's delicious and fresh. We started with hotpot and fresh vegetables. Then beef soup and ribs. During the meal time, he pour about 9 different kinds of liquor made in the facility and 3 mix drinks. It is worth the experience. The store well maintain. It's clean and organized. read more

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I heard a Vietnamese distillery had opened so I came to check it out while I was in the area. Dao Distellery offers Ruou de, a Vietnamese rice liquor. Ruou de is hard liquor made from distilled fermented rice. They also have vodka here too. The owner was very friendly and provided us a history of the liquor. It was very informative and added a lot to the experience. The decor in here pays an ode to the Vietnamese heritage with a modern flair. We did the tasting and learned a lot about each variety. Each one had it's own unique taste. We ended up buying 2 bottles and will definitely come back again once we finish it all. Highly recommend stopping by if you're curious about ruou de or just want to try a unique tasting experience. read more

Dao Distillery is California's first distillery for Ruou De and second in the nation! Super fun tour that lasted about 2 hours which included liquor tastings and hot pot. The taste of their classic Ruou Cali and Ruou Viet are both super smooth and clean to drink! I always need a chase but didn't for these--and they're 40% alcohol! But I will not lie, they created 2 other liquors (De Viet and 50th Anniversary of the Vietnam War) specifically FOR Vietnamese people straight from Vietnam and THOSE WILL knock you out! Those are super stronk and funky We also got to try three cocktails using their different ruou: Dao Blossom Fizz, Hot Tammy, and Umami Sour. My fav was def the Hot Tammy which is like a Vietnamese twist on a Hot Toddy, which is a hot tea you drink to help a cold, the Hot Tammy has ginger and lemon like what we drink to help a cold! It was a bright and nostalgic flavor NOTE: the hot pot is only available as part of the tour and cannot be ordered separately Message them on IG or FB (@daodistillery) or call them at 916-831-8969 to schedule a tour Ty to Dr Binh for the great tour!! read more

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Binh was super nice from the get-go. When I called to make a reservation to do a tasting he explained to me the two options that were available. The first option was a simple tasting that you got to try a few of the different flavors at the distillery. The other option was this cool VIP package situation that let you still have the tasting do a little private tour of The Distillery and it ended with a hot pot style lunch. Hands down the package deal was the way to go and I'm glad I chose that. When we arrived on Friday April 18th a little after 1:30 Binh was there ready to greet us. He explained how the tour and Hot pot was going to work and we went straight to the back to do the tour first. It was super amazing to hear where they get their grain from, the process behind all the fermentation and distillation, and just overall how everything is done in house via him and different family members. The tasting itself was so awesome my friend who was with me was able to give me a further explanation of the different spirits we were tasting and each of us had our own favorites. He likes the more traditional one that had a familiar taste, I like the one that was called the Cali bottle because it had a little bit of the old world taste with a refined finish. The Hot pot itself was amazing because it used some of the remaining water from the fermentation process which gave the broth a beautiful Tang to it that really enhanced all the flavors of everything else. Overall this place was just phenomenal we were so excited to be there experience everything and took four bottles each home because that's how good they were. If you're in the rancho Cordova area and want to have a unique experience please go check this place out read more

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I've been meaning to try Dao Distillery for a while since it's the first Vietnamese rice distillery in California. It's super easy to locate with plenty of parking. The space is not too big but you can see how passionate Binh is. I messaged him ahead of time since I had a big party for a walk in and it was definitely one of the best experiences. He took us around the facility and we were able to sample the liquor and see the amount of effort it takes to make a bottle. We were here for 2.5 hours and it went by quickly. I recommend bringing a super light snack or cracker if you're not used to drinking liquor since they were quite strong. I definitely would come here again and can't wait to see them grow. read more

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I wanted to take my wife out for a day date. We saw this place on Yelp and wanted to give it a try. You know something to do. When we arrived Ben saw us, stopped what he was doing and not only did introduce himself, he welcomed us and got straight to talking about the history of this distillery. Ben was explaining what each bottle represented, it's development. My wife and I really enjoyed ourself. After the sips of alcohol he showed is how they make everything and it was interesting. We like to support local businesses. We wish them the best and we look forward to the next drink coming out in a few months. The taste was DELICIOUS!! read more

Dao Distillery - Buying a bottle. Supporting local businesses. Great spot. - Distilleries Near Me - Rancho Cordova, California

This is CA's very first distillery that makes Vietnamese rice spirit! (Rượu đế) Thank you for bringing our heritage to the fore front. Everyone has heard of sake and soju. But, have you heard of Rượu đế? Here they use CA jasmine rice and distills it into a bold, smooth spirit. If you like eating and alcohol this is the perfect activity But, in all seriousness you have to experience this tour yourself. This includes the tastings, hotpot, and you get to bring 1 bottle of your choice home! The liquor is STRONG there's one that goes up to 50%. Shoutout to Binh the founder for giving us the inside look on the extensive process of making this. To book you can DM on their Instagram or call them! read more

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Wow...the reviews did not lie. My friends and I went for a VIP tasting experience on Thursday night. Cost was $100/person + tax. The cost includes 9 different pours of Dao spirit + 3 cocktails + hotpot experience + a bottle of Dao liquor to take home. Upon arrival, we were greeted by Binh, the owner, and he served us a glass of mixed cocktails to start the tour. With cocktails in hand, we started the tour of the distillery. Binh explained to us how they boiled the rice in the giant tanks, the fermentation and distillation process. We also got to taste the fermented rice liquor at each step of the process. After the tour, we went back to the tasting room for our hot pot. We started with beef hotpot, cooked in the broth made from the fermented rice process. The beef was so fresh and paired so well with the plate of veggies and the yummy peanut sauce. Binh also started pouring the Dao liquor tasting, starting with the original Dao liquor. After we finish the beef hotpot, Binh came and brought us the pork hock, boiled in the fermented rice broth. He sliced it for us and it was served with a spicy fish sauce. He also served us the lime cocktail which paired very nicely with the dish. More pours of Dao liquors, from the Cali and the Premium one. After we devoured the pork hock, Binh came out with a pot-full of chicken curry stew, which was served with fresh banh-mi rolls and the spicy Tammy Cocktail (tamarind cocktail) He also let us taste the Dao whiskey and Cherry brandy. Now, I've been to plenty of hot-pot places and this place was very unique. Between the great food, great drinks and awesome friends, it was such a memorable hot pot experience! And at the end, you can pick which bottle of Dao liquor you want to take home. I can't wait to come back and do the whole experience again. read more

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I love the owner, he is very professional and informative. We bought quite a few bottles from him and will come back again. read more

We saw that Dao Distillery opened several months ago but had not yet dropped by - we ended up stopping by on a whim recently and were so glad that we did! Upon entering, we were warmly greeted and treated to a tour of the distillery along with a flight of generous tasting pours of their current offerings. The owner was a fantastic and passionate host and did a great job in showing us around and explaining their production process. We were not initially familiar with ruou de, or Vietnamese rice liquor, but everything was extremely smooth and easy to drink, and we left as fans (and with a new handle for home to boot). We look forward to seeing what they develop and release in the future and supporting a great local business! read more

Dao Distillery - Distilleries Near Me - Rancho Cordova, California

Best distillery in the Sacramento area. The tour was very informative and the lived experiences of the owners was inspiring. How they bring their culture, and traditions into everything they serve is what makes this place special. The drinks, the food and the ambiance was perfect. Make a reservation and take some of your best friends read more

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Awesome place for a different kind of tasting. It's traditional Vietnamese rice liquor

Such a fun place to do a tasting and tour! It was our first time trying ruou de, Vietnamese rice liquor, and found it comparable to vodka but this ruou de was smoother. We liked the ruou de cali 40% the best. The area that we did the tasting was really cute with lanterns and a nice wall painting. The owner, Binh, gave us a tour and he was so friendly and passionate. We felt that it was very clean inside and found all the info he shared was interesting. We will be back again with our friends and family so they can try ruou de at Dao Distillery! BTW - We finished a bottle and were hangover free (; read more

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I was honored to be invited to the 50th anniversary event regarding one of their reserved bottles. From the food to the tasting to the general ambience of the business, I was impressed by the quality of goods and services offered. Will come back soon! read more

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I had such a great experience at Dao Distillery! I organized a group tour of about 15 people and from the hospitality, to the knowledge, and service, everything was fantastic. Binh was an amazing host. He taught us everything about the process and positively answered our questions. He was also very generous with samples and even organized a food pairing which was delicious! Our group was so satisfied with our visit, and it was a 10/10 experience! read more

Amazing private tour experience. Lots of food served. Go hungry!! And drinks were flowing. Thanks for everything Bihn. read more

Dao Distillery - Hot tami!! Delicious. - Distilleries Near Me - Rancho Cordova, California

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We found out about this place on Next Shark on Instagram and made plans with our friends to check it out! It's a new business so they don't have an elaborate set up or food yet but hopefully in the future. We did some tastings and Binh, the owner, gave us a tour. You can tell he's very knowledgeable and very passionate about his work and making these drinks! They were amazing and we each bought a bottle and he generously waived our tasting fees. It's cool to see the first Vietnamese distillery in California and we'll def be back! read more

Dao Distillery - Distilleries Near Me - Rancho Cordova, California

What a gem! This place recently opened about 5 months ago and I came in on a whim. What a pleasant surprise! The product is very high quality and delicious. Binh took exceptional care of us during our tasting. He was very entertaining, friendly, and knowledgeable. Once I found out he was a chemistry teacher, he very patiently allowed me to nerd out with a million questions for him about the distillery. He even let us take a little tour of the distillery after our tasting. I really hope this place gets the success it deserves. I bought 4 bottles and can't wait to share my new find with all my friends. read more

What a great find! We saw this place recently opened and wanted to check it out. Binh (the owner) gave us a personal tour of the distillery and his passion was evident. We will definitely come back to support this lovely local business. Keep up the good work! read more

Very small distillery run by two brothers. But, very well done. I tasted all their rice liquor offerings and ended up buying 2 bottles: the Viet and the Cali. I'm a single malt scotch whisky connoisseur of high end whiskies. So, having said that, this was very tasty and interesting on the pallet. Very smooth. Buy it. read more

I just tried the drinks here and they are amazing. The owner is so sweet and explains all of the info behind what the ingredients are and more. Highly recommend. read more