Congratulations to Thi Nguyen of Moon Rabbit, the 2024 MICHELIN Guide Washington, D.C. Exceptional Cocktails Award Winner!
A modern Vietnamese restaurant with inspiration from Chef Kevin Tien’s Louisiana roots, the food menu is uniquely delicious. The cocktail program matches that excitement, seamlessly woven with the restaurant’s theme. Drinks are divided into sections with helpful headings like Sour & Playful or Tropical & Confident, showing an inventive style that is breathtakingly memorable.
Learn more about Thi’s journey in the industry and favorite drinks below. Cheers!
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How were you introduced to the world of cocktails?
I was a broke college kid. I was in a Tex-Mex restaurant as a server, and from what I knew, you could make a lot of money becoming a bartender. When I turned 21, the general manager asked me to become a bartender. Frozen margaritas all day, tons of different flavors.I realized I'm pretty good at making drinks and was able to bring my personality, my culture, and even my own story into the drinks. So, I started to read more books and enter cocktail competitions, introducing what I know to a wider audience.
How have your cocktail tastes changed over the years?
Now, it’s a little more personal. Either the ingredient that I was inspired to use is personal to me, or personal with the chef at Moon Rabbit. I tend to draw inspiration from the kitchen as well. What is in season right now? What is an ingredient you don't see that often here in Washington, D.C.?What are you drinking these days?
I’m slowly loving gin. I recently went back to Vietnam and saw a lot of Vietnamese gin on the market. They are slowly getting into the U.S. as well. It's very interesting to see not just Japanese gin, but Korean gin, Indian gin, and Vietnamese gin with a lot more flavor than your typical London dry gin.What’s your favorite meal and pairing?
Right now, we have a cucumber salad in liquid form. Feels almost like a healthy drink. We use Indian dry gin with cucumber infusion, some ginger syrup, and sesame oil. It pairs really well with Chef Kevin’s tuna crudo, since it's lighter and acidic.Favorite non-alcoholic drink?
I love coffee. I'm from Vietnam, and we are second in the world’s exports for coffee. I typically would do a triple espresso shot over ice with a little bit of syrup.
Do you have any sustainable initiatives with the cocktail program?
Reusing what the kitchen has, so we don't need to reorder a bunch of new stuff. If they use strawberry and tomato, we turn it into a cocktail.What’s the biggest misconception about mixology or cocktails in general?
We can be very technical on our products, but I don't think it should be very stuffy. Bartenders are not somebody that you cannot approach or feel intimidated by. The cocktail should be approachable and fun, delivering a good experience. People tend to feel like they cannot talk to the bartender at the craft cocktail level. Our team tries to break that. We are your friendly neighborhood bar team that if you have any questions, you can talk to us.What advice would you give to someone who wants to be in a position like yours?
Keep yourself motivated. Find community too. I am very lucky to find my bar and chef teams that uplift and empower each other, pushing and inspiring each other to continue to create and be genuine. If you're in an environment where you don't feel that you're able to be yourself, be safe, maybe it's time to move on. Find somewhere that you are able to fit.
Hero image: Rachel Paraoan / Thi Nguyen
