Overturned beer bottle in mojito, Hanoi's new nightly fix

Many young Hanoians are coming to Nguyen Huu Huan Street to try the capital's new alcoholic favorite: the Vietnamese version of Coronarita.

Flipping a glass bottle of beer inside a cocktail has long been popular in other countries. Now, after taking Saigon by storm, it's creating a buzz in Hanoi.

The beer bottle sits upside down in a glass of mojito, made from white rum, lemon, fruit, sugar, and mint leaves.

A customer takes a photo of his beer cocktail. Photo by VnExpress/Tung Dinh.

The bartender makes the mojito from peach, passion fruit or lychee as desired by the customer, attaches a plastic contraption with a round hole to the rim of a glass and sticks the beer bottle upside down into the drink.

The beer trickles down with each sip of the mojito, enhancing the drinking experience and creating an interesting beverage as the two drinks mix.

The first place on Nguyen Huu Huan Street, Hoan Kiem District to start serving the drink, Craic Café, attracts lots of young customers every night, especially on weekends.

A bartender sticks a beer bottle in a passion fruit mojito. Photo by VnExpress/Tunh Dinh.

The owner of the place, Trieu Duc Trinh, said he had learned about the new drink and added it to the menu in mid-August. He said a light beer and a fruity mojito makes the cocktail easy to drink.

The bar plans to experiment with aloe vera and blueberry mojitos soon.

Trinh revealed that he sells around 300 glasses of the drink every night. 

Ngoc Anh of Dong Da District, who waited for 10 minutes to get a table, said she really likes beer with strawberry mojito. "The slight sweetness of the mojito goes well with the light beer."

Minh Trang of Cau Giay District said she does not like the drink because of the "half and half" taste.

"This is okay for those who don't like the taste of beer, but I like the taste of beer. But since the drink has an eye-catching look and the venue has nice outdoor seating, I will come back."

There are three to four establishments on Nguyen Huu Huan Street selling this drink at VND49,000 ($2).