While Travelling is my passion, savoring delicious ales brewed locally at the destinations I travel to is an overwhelming craving I have to satisfy while I am there. So much so that, a huge part of my on-the-ground planning around what to do in a city is usually allocated to researching establishments that serve the best Craft Beers! And since I have spent a considerable amount of time, energy, and money sampling a huge volume of fine ales across the globe, I thought it would be a good idea (at least for beer lovers) to share a list of my favorite craft beers across various regions. This edition of the series covers the Asian Continent.
Until very recently craft beer was an alien concept to this part of the world. Traveling through Asian Metropolises meant suffering through watery (and mostly tasteless) lager beers. And even when the first set of cities started embracing more flavorful beers, the welcome was restricted to mass-produced usual suspects like the Hoegaardens and Paulaners. Slowly the American Ales started showing up, but even then, the menu was limited to popular West Coast breweries like Deschutes, Rogue, and Stone. Fast forward a few years, and now most of the metros across Southeast and North Asia have been taken over by a Craft beer Revolution.
The Chalkboards in most craft beer bars around these regions don’t just feature excellent beers from abroad, but also mind-blowing locally brewed craft ales! Artisanal breweries are becoming more and more prevalent in Asia today, led by both local and foreign brewers who are themselves, connoisseurs in their own rights. With regard to taste, the Asian craft beer scene mirrors America more than any other region. Below are my current favorites from each of the countries that are leading this Craft Beer movement in Asia.
SINGAPORE – Daryl’s Urban Ales
Favorite Beer – Extra Pulpy Imperial New England IPA
Until the last couple of years or so, this tiny island state didn’t have the luxury of locally brewed craft beer apart from Brewerkz – the island’s oldest brewpub - who was monopolizing this space. But since then, the scene has grown tremendously. And most of my favorite – and hoppy - brews from the island are crafted out of some killer formulae concocted by the Island state’s most talented brewer – Daryl Yeap. Encouraged by the success of many small-scale craft breweries overseas, this avid homebrewer founded Daryl’s Urban Ales in the middle of 2018 and is a true star in the small community of breweries that includes names like Brewlander, That Singapore Beer Project, General Brewing, Off Day, and Brewlander. While most of the stuff that comes out of these breweries is good my favorite is the Extra Pulpy Imperial New England IPA - Originally brewed for Good Luck Beerhouse's 3rd anniversary, this hoppy beer is a burst of pineapples, oranges, and mangoes perfectly blended together with Azzaca hops to balance a hoppy flavor with a refreshing fruity touch that is not overwhelming or sweet
VIETNAM – Heart of Darkness brewery
Favorite Beer – Loose Rivet New England IPA
Unlike most Asian countries, Vietnam has a long tradition of brewing beer and boasts the third highest beer consumption in Asia - just behind Korea - thanks to the French colonialists who introduced the art of brewing to Vietnam in the late 19th century. The country drinks about 40 billion liters each year! But until recently, most of those 40 billion liters were almost definitively Bia Hoi(meaning “fresh beer”), Vietnam’s iconic featherweight lager: cheap, easy-going, available on every fluorescent street corner. In fact, a plastic stool and a cold glass of bia hơi is to many a quintessential part of life in urban Vietnam.
But since the last few years, the lager-loving culture is evolving gradually, and young urbanites across the country are pulling up a stool at Vietnam’s new breweries and taprooms to sample original, locally-inspired brews. The budding economy combined with the enthusiasm of the Vietnamese people for all things international has boosted the popularity of craft beer. The mash tuns in most of the craft breweries here are operated by highly experienced master brewers from the USA, or Asians who have trained in Germany. So, the flavors of these locally brewed artisanal ales are top-notch! My favorite pick from Vietnam has to be Heart of Darkness Brewery without any doubt. Think of Heart of Darkness as the Heisenberg of craft beer in Vietnam. They’ve produced over 150 styles of beer and have 20 taps on-site, at their Taproom. And if I were to select only one brew, it would be the Loose Rivet New England IPA – the brewery’s biggest, hoppiest beer. A wonderfully vibrant beer, with grapefruit and piney tones, held together by 7 kinds of hops that deliver a full-blown assault on your taste buds.
For a fresh pint lakeside, Hanoi cannot be beaten. With a variety of taprooms and gastro-pubs, there’s plenty of options to choose from. Standing Bar on Truc Bach Lake is a social venue right on the water with a tempting array of 19 micro-brews on tap, served alongside tasty tapas.
PHILIPPINES – Joe’s Brewery
Favorite Beer – 34th Pursuit IPA
Though the Filipino craft beer scene started off later than the rest of the countries in the region that celebrate small-batch brewing, it has caught up quickly. And the cool thing about the Breweries in the Philippines is that the majority of craft brewers here are Filipinos. My favorite from the local batch is Joe’s Brewery - which has six core beers of mostly American styles, ranging from the lightly hopped Sierra Madre wheat ale to the more assertive Sun Sweeper double IPA. On top of this, they also have an ever-evolving list of limited releases. While the Double IPA is delicious, the 34th Pursuit IPA is delightful! Created by brewmaster Joey Viray to pay homage to his fighter pilot grandfather’s squadron – the 34th Pursuit, this IPA has a light amber color as well as citrus, floral, and tropical flavors. I got to taste this at the House of Joe - the tasting room of the brewery, located in the Poblacion neighborhood of Manila.
SOUTH KOREA – Caligari Brewing
Favorite Beer – Sleepwalker New England IPA
Think Asian craft beer and South Korea is probably not the first country that would come to mind. Especially given the overload of light lagers – like Hite, Cass, and Makgeolli – that I’ve been treated to in most Korean joints across the world(and the States). However, since brewing regulations were relaxed in 2014, a huge number of Korean craft breweries have popped up across the country! So much so that coming up a Craft beer crawl during our visit to Seoul recently was such a hard job, since there were so many tap houses that were dishing out outstanding local micro-brews. A lot of the beers I tasted here good candidates to be my favorite, but If I had to select one it would be the Sleepwalker Double IPA at the Caligari Brewing Co. – a wicked Double IPA that is not for the fainthearted!
While the brewery is based in Incheon and not Seoul itself, they have a taproom in Itaewon – which is where we tried this beer. It is a
THAILAND – Two Ten Brewery
Favorite Beer - Hop and Float New England style pale Ale
Bangkok’s craft beer scene has been recently moving from illegal underworld business to above-board business by working around the stricter rules. By brewing their beers abroad and importing them back to Thailand. From a handful of names wise to the trick in 2016, the scene has now exploded, with niche local breweries even reaching into the shelves of Family Mart. From the ton of choices you can get to sample from the city’s top craft brewers my personal favorite is from Two Ten Brewery. The appropriately named Hop and Float New England Style Pale Ale. A juicy and creamy beer that captures the style and savor of a classy Hazy beer made in the style of New England!
TAIWAN – Taihu Brewing
Favorite Beer – Taihu IPA
Taiwan’s beer brewing history dates back to 1919 when the then-ruler of Japan established the Takasago Malted Beer Company and sold brews as Takasago Beer. Until 2002 the scene was monopolized by Takasgo’s successor, and the choice for beer lovers here was limited to a light lager. But since then, dozens of craft breweries have mushroomed, marrying Western craftsmanship with Taiwan’s bounty of agricultural produce from grains, fruits, flours, teas, coffees, and cocoas to seaweed, betel nuts, and Chinese medicines. So much so that Taiwanese breweries, like Jim & Dad’s in Yilan, are attracting international beer geeks looking for one-of-a-kind holidays(‘Beercation’) promising new tastes and experiences
For lovers of craft beer, there’s never been a better time to visit (or live in) Taiwan. From north to south, a growing number of small breweries have opened shops around the island, each creating their own small-batch brews of craft beers. And what sets Taiwanese craft beers apart is how the brewers brilliantly blend in local ingredients into the brews to concoct ales like Betel Nut IPA, Jasmine Pale Ale, and Kumquat Kölsch
There are actually a handful of craft beers for you to try out in Taiwan made by excellent brewers like Zhangmen, Sunmai, and Jim & Dad's Brewing. But my favorite pick is Taihu Brewing a Taipei-based craft brewer that proudly hoists the banner for Taiwan in Asia’s craft beer revolution. And the Taihu IPA is one of a kind. A big, but beautifully balanced IPA, with a bright and fun bitter flavor - a true hop head's delight.
HONGKONG – Young Master Brewing
Favorite Beer – 1842 Island Imperial IPA
Until very recently, you could count on a few fingers on Hong Kong’s craft beer bars. Then came Young Master Brewery whose arrival in 2013 sparked the flame of modern Hong Kong craft beers. Founder Rohit Dugar, leaving behind a successful career in finance, launched the brewery on Hong Kong’s Aberdeen Island at a time when there was little to no local market for craft beer. Today there are more than 30 Hong Kong-based craft breweries, and even a handful of foreign brewers have moved in as well. All the usual suspects like - Japan’s Kiuchi Brewery, Australia’s Little Creatures, and Denmark’s Mikkeller have an outlet here.
My pick from this Island state’s array of craft beer choices is of course going to be from the pioneer(Young Master) and it is the devilishly delicious 1842 Island Imperial IPA. A powerful and bold IPA - designed for folks who like a punch in their pint - this beer’s hop character is potent with an appropriately robust malt backbone.
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