Homegrown distillery Rachelle The Rabbit makes unique spirits in familiar Southeast Asian flavours
Traditional Southeast Asian food and drinks like bandung, ondeh ondeh, and kopi-O have long found their way into modern reinterpretations, from artisanal desserts to creative café menus.
Now, one homegrown distillery is bottling these iconic flavours into craft spirits, offering a fresh, boozy take on what it means to drink local.
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Rachelle The Rabbit, formerly known as Compendium Spirits, is reimagining regional staples as gins, whiskies, liqueurs, and coconut sojus.
Later this year, the public will get to see how it all comes together, with guided distillery tours set to launch by the end of 2025.
Cheers with chendol gin, teh-O liqueur & more
Rachelle The Rabbit — named after founder Simon Zhao’s daughter — started as Singapore’s first licensed meadery in 2015 before hopping into the world of spirits under the Compendium Spirits label.
Fast forward to 2025, and the distillery has undergone a major transformation, celebrating its 10th anniversary with a bold rebrand, a swanky new facility, and a return to its playful original name.
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At the heart of Rachelle The Rabbit’s offerings are spirits you would not typically find anywhere else.
Southeast Asian flavours take centre stage, infused into everything from gin and whiskey to coconut soju.
Take their Bandung Coju and Ondeh Ondeh Coju, for example, inspired by two nostalgic local desserts.
Image courtesy of Rachelle The Rabbit Distillery
Coju (a blend of coconut and soju) is light, tropical, and smooth, while the unique flavours offer a refreshing twist that might just remind you of childhood teatime treats.
For something even more iconic, there are the Kopi-O and Teh-O Liqueurs — sweet, aromatic nods to kopitiam favourites that you might be tempted to pair with kaya toast (though we wouldn’t recommend drinking these at breakfast).
Image courtesy of Rachelle The Rabbit Distillery
Also in Rachelle The Rabbit’s whimsical repertoire are Chendol Gin, Rojak Gin, and the award-winning Hom Mali Rice Whiskey, which made its debut in 2021 as Singapore’s first locally distilled rice whiskey using premium Thai jasmine rice.
Each bottle comes wrapped in vibrant Asian- and Peranakan-inspired designs that proudly showcase the ingredients inside — aesthetic enough to earn a spot on your shelf long after the last drop is gone.
Rachelle The Rabbit distillery tours to start end-2025
If you have ever wondered how grains turn into liqueur or what Thai rice whiskey tastes like straight out of the barrel, you will soon be able to find out in person.
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Rachelle The Rabbit will be opening its doors to the public for the first time, with guided distillery tours expected to begin in the fourth quarter of 2025.
MS News understands the tours will likely take place on weekends during non-production periods.
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While exact details are still being finalised, visitors can expect a behind-the-scenes look at how everything is made in-house — from fermentation to bottling — and gain a better understanding of the care and craft behind each bottle (not to mention snap some very cool behind-the-scenes pics to show off at your next gathering).
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Housed at 6 Chin Bee Crescent, the sprawling 23,000 sq ft standalone facility is the largest of its kind in Singapore, designed for full-scale production, research, and development.
It includes a distillation floor, bottling line, and maturation warehouse for barrel ageing — all part of the brand’s commitment to doing everything under one roof right here on our Little Red Dot.
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Beyond its scale, the distillery also plays an important role in shaping Singapore’s emerging whiskey scene.
By harnessing the unique conditions of the equatorial climate — where heat and humidity accelerate the ageing process — the team is setting new benchmarks for what locally crafted spirits can achieve.
Try Rachelle The Rabbit cocktails at Anthology
Until the tours begin, curious drinkers can still get a taste of Rachelle The Rabbit’s creations at Anthology, the brand’s flagship cocktail bar at 10 Circular Road.
Opened in 2023, the bar showcases the full range of house-made spirits through inventive cocktails (fancy a “kaya toast” cocktail made with Teh-O liqueur?), along with tasting flights for those who want to explore more.
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To round out the experience, you can also munch on a menu of Asian-inspired tapas designed to complement the drinks.
Amoy Street Char Siew (left) and Orh Luak
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Bottles are also available for purchase directly from the bar — perfect if you want to keep the party going at home.
Plans to go international
Rachelle The Rabbit’s distinctly local spirits will not be staying local for long.
According to a brand spokesperson, the first exports will head to Japan and China, with more international markets on the horizon.
This is all part of a broader goal to share the flavours of Southeast Asia with a global audience, not just as a novelty, but as a serious contender in the craft spirits scene.
Distribution will span supermarkets, convenience and specialty stores, bars, restaurants, and e-commerce platforms.
Who knows, you might just spot a bottle of Kopi-O Liqueur or Rojak Gin the next time you’re browsing the spirits shelf in Tokyo or Shanghai.
The response so far has been encouraging.
At the recent JFEX 2025 trade exhibition in Japan, Rachelle The Rabbit caught the attention of international distributors and visitors alike.
Source: @rachelletherabbit.sg on Instagram
Many were intrigued by the brand’s use of Southeast Asian ingredients and pleasantly surprised by the smoothness and complexity of its spirits.
There was also strong appreciation for the stories behind each bottle — from nostalgic flavour inspirations to the refreshed branding — reflecting a wider interest in drinks that carry a sense of place and cultural identity.
Also read: S’porean in France misses local bakeries, reminisces about sugar doughnuts & pandan cake
S’porean in France misses local bakeries, reminisces about sugar doughnuts & pandan cake
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