Introducing
Zeoi Sam (pron. joy sum). An artisanal rice
wine born in Singapore and shaped by its rich, multicultural heritage. Our approach to brewing draws on generations of tradition carried across Southern China and the Malay Archipelago.
In Cantonese, Zeoi Sam (醉心) describes a state of deep enchantment — of being captivated, even “love drunk.” That's how we feel witnessing the alchemy that turns rice, water, and time into something expressive.
That feeling is what drives our mission to preserve history within each brew and find bold, new ways to honor it. This is the spirit that lives in every bottle.
Our Story
It started with a young girl, an act of kindness, and a humble kitchen…
in the heart of Chinatown.
In the early 1900s
in a British-ruled Singapore, immigrants from across Southern China docked on Malayan shores hoping for a new start. Some hundred thousand people found homes in the five blocks of Chinatown, making them the most densely packed living quarters on the island.
Within those rows was Smith Street, the busy market space where one could buy anything–from humble fruits and vegetables to more…discreet services.
This is where my grandmother was born and raised by her adopted mother, grandparents, and two sisters. The family of six lived above a traditional medicine shop, sharing a partitioned room in a crowded boarding house for coolies and laborers. Space was scarce and life was hard.
“Our family,” Grandmother often recalls, “survived on sweet potato leaves, broken rice, and food scraps scavenged from the streets.” They wouldn’t have endured if not for the community and quiet acts of kindness that surrounded them.
On the other side of their room, lived a group of female laborers, she called “AhMajie” 阿妈姐 (something akin to “mother-sister’s”). They took a liking to the precocious young girl, and would treat her to home cooked meals in exchange for help around the wood-fire kitchen.
On occasion, the Ah Majie’s would pull out their secret rice wine urn, scoop mash still fermenting, and serve it as a special treat. It was syrupy, tangy, and bursting with flavor — a delectable dessert borne out of scarcity and innovation.
Even now at the age of 93, to my grandmother, this memory is a sweet reminder of the independent women who showed a young girl kindness she wasn’t accustomed to.
Old Traditions,
New Chapters
Over the decades, the island has grown from maritime settlement into a modern metropolis. The memories of Old Singapore have become faint echoes amid towering skyscrapers. Like so many local traditions, both Indigenous and from afar, the art of rice wine making has become a precious relic–kept alive in the sleepy kitchens of a few homes.
Our local wine, which goes by many names, mai zau 米酒 (in Cantonese), or tapai (in Malay) has yet to make it to commercial shelves and foreign shores. But that doesn’t mean it’s not worthy. Our family believes these heritage flavors deserve celebration and distinction.
It’s not sake, we’re brewing. It’s not makgeolli either. Our uniquely Singaporean rice wine exists in a class of its own. A new category we’d like to call Tapai Singapura.
Thirsty for More?
Drop us a message and we’ll chat soon!