Julie Nguyen
Head Bartender, Opium Bar

Hails from Hanoi, Vietnam, Julie started off in the scene as a server in a cocktail bar in her home city, and at the time had not ever tried cocktails or knew what those drinks were. As she moved up to floor manager, she had the chance to try on some bartending work which slowly and gradually made her fall in love with the job. As she learned on the job, she became more in tune with her creative side and at the same time started to enjoy the social aspect that comes with the job. Not long after that she entered a bartender competition, competing against her own bar manager at the time. She came second, but also got a job offer from the Italian bar manager who was about to move to Bangkok. Julie took the offer two years ago and is still enjoying every minute working in Bangkok’s thriving cocktail scene where she gets to meet cocktail lovers from all over the world on a daily basis.

A simple, wholesome girl at heart, Julie likes to elevate simple, everyday ingredients into something special, like her vermouth infused with toasted rice that she uses in various signature drinks. Her most favorite cocktail is Negroni.