Food journalist Aurélien Foucault found IIUM down a quiet alley in An Phú, and admitted he was sceptical before he tasted it: a plastic bottle, a tricky pour, a cloudy glass.

He learned why the fermentation never really stops, why the cap is turned at an angle instead of simply twisted off, and how a few swirls bring the sediment back into the glass. Tasting Magpie Sparkling beside Tiger Reserve, he described one as festive and the other as suited to a late night of quiet conversation.

IIUM began in Thảo Điền in 2024, and moved into its current brewing room in November 2025.