Rachelle The Rabbit Distillery, Singapore’s pioneering spirit maker, celebrates its 10th anniversary with a momentous milestone: the launch of its refreshed brand identity, the introduction of Coju Bunnies, and the relocation to its impressive new home at 6 Chin Bee Crescent, now the largest distillery in Singapore. Spanning more than 23,000 square feet across two floors, the new facility underscores the brand’s ambition to shape and elevate the whiskey distilling scene in Singapore.
Founded in 2015 as Rachelle The Rabbit Meadery, the company began as Singapore’s first licensed meadery before growing into a regional trailblazer under the Compendium Spirits portfolio. Now, with a rebrand under the unified name Rachelle The Rabbit Distillery, the brand fully embraces its roots, creative energy, and Southeast Asian spirit. Over the decade, it has pioneered a bold portfolio that includes whiskey, gin, liqueur, and coconut soju, each crafted with rare regional ingredients such as coconut, honey, and rice reimagining traditional distilling through a Southeast Asian lens.
A New Chapter: Expansion, Rebrand, and Innovation
The new standalone facility at 6 Chin Bee Crescent is Singapore’s largest distillery, spanning more than 23,000 square feet. It houses a full-scale distillation floor, bottling line, and maturation warehouse for barrel ageing. This state-of-the-art space enhances production capacity, supports research and development, and creates a foundation for future visitor experiences and regional collaborations.
At the core of Rachelle The Rabbit Distillery’s ethos is its commitment to independence and quality with every step, from sourcing and fermentation to distillation, bottling, and labelling, carried out fully in-house. Its spirits stand as a modern homage to Southeast Asia’s rich cultural and botanical heritage, offering both a reimagination of taste and a reframing of cultural perspective.
Marking the rebrand is Coju Bunnies, a playful identity for its Coconut Soju series. Inspired by local desserts like Bandung and Ondeh Ondeh, and fronted by a cheeky bunny mascot, Coju Bunnies was created to connect with a younger, fun-loving audience while showcasing coconut as a tropical Southeast Asian ingredient. Each bottle blends approachability with meticulous craftsmanship, celebrating both quality and culture.
In line with its dedication to mastery, the distillery also welcomes Kenji Hariu as Production Consultant. A veteran of Japanese whiskey, Hariu brings experience from iconic names like Karuizawa Distillery and Fuji Gotemba. His expertise will guide Rachelle The Rabbit Distillery in refining fermentation, distillation, ageing, and quality control within Singapore’s tropical climate.
Looking forward, the distillery will begin releasing its private casks, laid down since 2021, allowing whiskey enthusiasts and collectors the opportunity to own a piece of Singapore’s whiskey-making legacy.
To celebrate this milestone, we spoke with Simon Zhao, Founder & Master Distiller of Rachelle The Rabbit Distillery, as he reflects on the past decade, shares insights into the rebrand, and reveals his vision for the future.
interview with Simon Zhao, Founder & Master Distiller of Rachelle The Rabbit Distillery
1. Congratulations on the 10th anniversary of Rachelle The Rabbit Distillery! Looking back over this incredible journey from a meadery to Singapore’s largest distillery, what would you say has been the single most defining moment for you?
Simon Zhao: Thank you! Looking back, the most defining moment for me was not a particluar event, but the realisation that our spirit of curiosity and creativity could truly shape something bigger than ourselves. From our early days as a meadery to today, crafting rice-based whiskeys and playful spirits like Coju (Coconut Soju), one thing has remained constant – our desire to bottle the culture and flavours of Singapore and Southeast Asia. Every product we create is a way of sharing the richness of this region, through the ingredients we use, the stories we tell, and the communities we celebrate. That moment of clarity that we do not just distill spirits, we distill a sense of place continues to define who we are at Rachelle The Rabbit Distillery.
2. The rebrand from Compendium Spirits to Rachelle The Rabbit Distillery is both creative and strategic. What personal meaning does “Rachelle the Rabbit” carry for you, and how does it shape the brand’s personality and values?
Simon Zhao: The rebrand from Compendium Spirits to Rachelle The Rabbit Distillery marks beyond just our 10-year journey, but the evolution of our identity and product range. Rachelle the Rabbit – named after my daughter, embodies curiosity, playfulness and adventure, guiding us as we explore and celebrate Southeast Asian ingredients. She is more than a muse; she shapes our personality and values, reminding us to approach every creation with wonder and joy. Through this refreshed identity, we continue to invite people into a reimagined world of flavour that celebrates our roots and our spirit of discovery.
3. Relocating to your new 23,000-square-feet facility at 6 Chin Bee Crescent is a major milestone. What new opportunities or capabilities does this home give you that were previously out of reach?
Simon Zhao: Moving into our new 23,000-square-foot facility at 6 Chin Bee Crescent is a major milestone for us. It gives us the space and capabilities to significantly expand our production, especially for our rice whiskeys and malt whiskeys, while continuing to innovate with playful spirits like Coju. Beyond production, it allows us to create immersive experiences for visitors in future, collaborate closely with partners and explore new opportunities regionally.
4. You’ve brought on Japanese whiskey expert Kenji Hariu as Production Consultant. How do you see his experience influencing your whiskey-making process in Singapore’s tropical climate?
Simon Zhao: We are thrilled to have Kenji Hariu on board as our Production Consultant. His expertise in Japanese whiskey craftsmanship brings invaluable precision and depth to our process, while also inspiring us to adapt traditional techniques to Singapore’s tropical climate. With Kenji’s guidance, we are exploring how temperature, humidity and local ingredients can shape unique flavour profiles for our rice and malt whiskeys. His experience helps us strike a balance between respecting classic methods and innovating for our regional context, elevating both the quality and character of our spirits.
5. Your spirits incorporate Southeast Asian ingredients such as coconut, honey, and jasmine rice which are uncommon in Western distilling. What has been the biggest challenge in integrating these ingredients into traditional techniques?
Simon Zhao: Using Southeast Asian ingredients like coconut, honey and jasmine rice sets us apart, but also brings challenges since they behave very differently from traditional grains. Jasmine rice, for instance, has a unique starch profile that required us to re-engineer our mashing process. After much experimentation, we developed a distinctive style that truly expresses Southeast Asian flavours. Rather than simply adapting to Western methods, we aim to expand the language of distilling and prove our region’s ingredients can create world-class spirits.
6. The Coju Bunnies sub-brand brings a playful identity to your Coconut Soju series for a younger audience. How do you balance this fun, approachable side with the serious craftsmanship that defines your distillery?
Simon Zhao: With Coju Bunnies, we wanted to create a playful and approachable entry point for a younger audience, while celebrating coconut as a quintessential Southeast Asian ingredient. The fun, whimsical side of the sub-brand coexists with our commitment to meticulous craftsmanship – from sourcing the best local ingredients to perfecting fermentation and distillation. Coju Bunnies shows that high-quality spirits can be both enjoyable and culturally rooted, blending fun with a sense of place in every bottle.
7. Since launching Singapore’s first locally distilled rice whiskey, the Hom Mali Rice Whiskey, in 2021, how has the market’s perception of locally crafted whiskey evolved?
Simon Zhao: Since launching Singapore’s first locally distilled Hom Mali Rice Whiskey in 2021, which has also gone on to win global awards, we have seen a remarkable shift in how people perceive locally crafted spirits. Initially, there was curiosity and some skepticism – can a local distillery produce whiskey that can stand alongside international brands? Today, there is growing recognition and pride in Singapore-made whiskeys. Consumers are excited by the uniqueness of local ingredients like Hom Mali rice and trade partners are increasingly supportive of homegrown craft. It is encouraging to see the market embrace both the quality and the story behind our spirits.
8. With ageing in Singapore’s equatorial climate and fully in-house production, how do you adapt processes like fermentation, distillation, and cask management to maintain consistent quality and flavour?
Simon Zhao: Aging in Singapore’s equatorial climate is both a challenge and an advantage. The heat accelerates interaction between spirit and wood, so we closely monitor cask management with tighter rotation and more frequent sampling to maintain balance. On the production side, our fully in-house fermentation and distillation give us control over every variable, from yeast selection to distillation cuts, ensuring consistent flavour and quality.
9. Looking ahead, do you see the possibility of creating spirits that are uniquely Singaporean, shaped by our tropical climate and local ingredients?
Simon Zhao: Absolutely. Our tropical climate and rich local ingredients give us a unique canvas to create spirits that are distinctly Singaporean. From Hom Mali rice to regional botanicals, we are exploring how these flavours interact with fermentation, distillation and ageing in the tropics. As Singapore’s leading and largest distillery in Southeast Asia, our goal is to craft spirits that showcase technical excellence while telling the story of our region, and its culture, environment and creativity in every bottle.
10. As you celebrate your 10th anniversary and this new chapter, what next steps do you hope to take for Rachelle The Rabbit Distillery and for yourself as a Master Distiller, and what can consumers look forward to in the near future?
Simon Zhao: As we celebrate our 10th anniversary, our next chapter focuses on establishing Rachelle The Rabbit Distillery as the leading producer of spirits in Southeast Asia. At the same time, we are stepping into the mainstream malt whiskey game by crafting whiskey matured in Singapore’s equatorial climate. Looking ahead, our commitment is to build a premium Asian whiskey category anchored by age-statement releases that reflect both maturity and depth. For me as a Master Distiller, it is about driving quality and consistency while proving that world-class whiskey and spirits do not have to come only from traditional regions. Consumers can look forward to a growing portfolio of age-statement whiskies that showcase Singapore’s distinct terroir.
From a small meadery in 2015 to Singapore’s largest distillery in 2025, Rachelle The Rabbit Distillery has stayed true to its spirit of curiosity and playfulness, while continually pushing the boundaries of craftsmanship. Its rebrand, expansion, and innovation are more than a celebration of the past decade, they are a bold declaration of what’s next. With a refreshed identity, a new home, and a vision guided by Simon Zhao and Japanese whiskey expertise, the distillery is redefining what it means to craft spirits in Singapore.
As it steps into its next decade, Rachelle The Rabbit Distillery continues to bottle not just spirits, but also the cultural pride, creativity, and distinct flavours of Southeast Asia, a legacy in the making.
To find out more about Rachelle The Rabbit Distillery and explore their collection of spirits including the award-winning Hom Mali Rice Whiskey and playful Coju series, please visit https://www.rachelletherabbit.com/.
