How to Make Bac Xiu: A Sourced Vietnamese White Coffee Guide
An attributed small-serving recipe, with brewed coffee separated from dry grounds and later additions.
By Art de Vivre Coffee · Research-based recipe guide
Published January 16, 2025 · Article and sources updated October 7, 2026
Start with a named Bac Xiu recipe
Bạc xỉu is a milk-forward Vietnamese coffee drink. This guide uses Lacàph’s published example. Measure each ingredient separately, and write down any fresh milk or ice you add so that the next cup can be compared with the first.
Choose your brew method before measuring the serving. Keep three quantities distinct in your notes: dry coffee in the brewer, water used for brewing, and prepared coffee added to the cup. The last quantity can be only a portion of the batch.
A little coffee added to a milk base
Lacàph’s recipe and story connects the drink with Chinese-Vietnamese café culture in Sài Gòn. Its ingredients are listed below. Identify your chosen version by its source and actual ingredients, then label your changes in the brew record.
Keep brewed coffee separate from dry grounds
For Lacàph’s small serving, weigh these three ingredients. “Prepared coffee” means brewed liquid, not dry grounds.
| Ingredient in the source example | Amount | What to record |
|---|---|---|
| Sweetened condensed milk | 20 g | Exact product and label; this is not evaporated milk |
| Hot water for the milk base | 20 g | Separate from water used to brew the coffee |
| Prepared black phin coffee | 10 g | Brew method and actual served portion |
| Your additions | Record separately | Product, quantity and resulting cup size |
Select a suitable vessel for your actual amounts. Check ingredient labels and the needs of the person being served. Use mass measurements consistently: a gram reading does not establish the same numerical volume in millilitres for every ingredient.
Use suitable brewing and measuring tools
Use the coffee brewer you own within its instructions, a suitable cup, a stirring spoon and a way to measure the ingredients. A clear tall glass or a special spoon length is not required to follow this small recipe. Choose a heat-resistant vessel with room for the actual serving.
For the source’s phin coffee, the phin starting guide explains how to match a recipe to the filter. Nguyen Coffee Supply’s separate phin recipe uses a fine grind for its filter and an example of 14 g dry coffee with 4 oz water. Those brewing inputs are distinct from Lacàph’s 10 g of prepared coffee added to the milk base.
Optional: BAGAIL coffee scale with timer
A weighing tool for recording ingredients in grams and timing a separate coffee brew. The listing describes tare and timer functions. It does not establish a particular milk volume from a gram reading, and this article does not test its accuracy. Follow the heat precautions for the scale and its silicone cover.
Exact listing checked October 7, 2026 · ASIN B0BNL5JCVR. Use an existing suitable kitchen scale if you have one. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases; this is an affiliate link. Full disclosure.
View BAGAIL coffee scale with timer on Amazon →If using a French press, follow the press-specific guide and label that change. A universal “dilute moka coffee 1:1 to equal phin strength” rule has not been established.
Mix the milk base, then add prepared coffee
Following Lacàph’s sequence, stir the measured condensed milk and hot water together, then add the prepared coffee portion.
- Brew first. Follow the instructions for your exact brewer. Record dry-coffee dose and brewing water separately from the finished output.
- Set up the cup. Choose a stable, heat-resistant vessel with enough room for the planned serving. If using a scale, use a suitable setup within its heat precautions.
- Use the ingredient table. Tare the empty vessel when appropriate and record each addition. Keep ingredients within the vessel’s usable capacity.
- Record the result. Note the amounts used and the one change you want to compare next time. If you serve only part of a brew, record that portion.
- Clean and store as directed. Follow the brewer’s care directions and the milk product’s storage label.
Mixing with hot water is not a validated cooking or pasteurization process. Follow ingredient handling instructions and avoid leaving opened milk out for a visual layering effect. Use the label’s guidance for storage after preparation.
Make one deliberate change and write it down
| Your aim | One change to compare | Keep visible in the record |
|---|---|---|
| Less sweetness | Use less condensed milk in the next serving | The changed amount and any water or fresh milk |
| More coffee presence | Change the portion of prepared coffee | Brew baseline and served coffee separately |
| An iced drink | Add a measured amount of ice to an appropriate serving vessel | Additional volume and melting dilution |
| A fresh-milk variation | Record fresh milk separately from condensed milk | Exact product, quantity and altered final serving |
These are personal variation prompts, not documented regional recipes or tested guarantees. A coconut or plant-drink substitution has its own ingredients and handling; it is not automatically equivalent to condensed milk. For your actual additions, use the ingredient and nutrition worksheet.
Keep cultural context within the source’s scope
When sharing your recipe, name its publisher and explain any changes you made. Describe your own cup and preferences; a home brew record cannot establish a city’s habits or another person’s taste.
Let the person being served choose their preferred amount of coffee and sweetness. For a different espresso-and-milk workflow, compare the cortado guide.
Sources and scope
Reviewed October 7, 2026: Lacàph’s Bac Xiu page; Nguyen Coffee Supply’s phin brewing example. The recording worksheet is editorial guidance. This research-based article uses published recipes rather than a personal café encounter or product test. The hero is an editorial illustration.
