At last year’s Beerfest Asia alone, punters were exposed, many for the first time, to brands such as Western Australia’s Beerfarm and Rocky Ridge Brewing Company, South Africa’s Devil’s Peak and Darling Brew, Vietnam’s Heart of Darkness, and Hong Kong’s Gweilo. It was also at that festival that Singapore’s own Daryl’s Urban Ales and That Singapore Beer Project was officially unveiled. These are available at select specialist outlets such as Temple Cellars and Good Luck Beerhouse.
 
So, what’s fuelling this notable increase? Well, part of that growth in craft beer, some argue, can be pegged to Singapore’s vibrant food culture. “If you look at more recent trends around the world, every developed city with an exciting gourmet scene also has a craft beer scene,” shares Teo Hong Han, owner and head brewer at local microbrewery Pink Blossoms Brewing which opened in late 2018.

Another reason could be the global shift from mass consumerism. “Just like how millennial consumers are increasingly interested in the origins of the coffee they drink or the chocolate they eat, they’re now more curious about how and where the beer they’re drinking is made,” adds Casey Choo, founder of gypsy brewery That Singapore Beer Project. 

(Related: 3 Unexpected Facts About Food In Singapore)

A TASTE FOR CHANGE

Some of those overseas trends have also shaped consumer tastes here. While the refreshing but ubiquitous lager will always be popular in our tropical heat, drinkers are experimenting with the varied beer styles that craft beer offers. A few years ago, extremely hoppy American West Coast style India Pale Ales (IPAs) and barrel-aged imperial stouts were on the lips of every craft beer drinker. More recently, tastes have begun leaning towards juicier East Coast or New England-style IPAs, as well as more piquant beers such as the gose (a top-fermented beer that originated in Goslar, Germany) or the Berliner Weisse.
 
“We’re beginning to see more consumers who are open to trying new tastes,” Temple Cellar’s Valencia expresses. “And it’s even more heartening to see many customers willing to support local brewers who’ve put heart, soul and skill into their beers. Some of these craft breweries actually have a following and we do get customers asking for their beers.”

Encouraged by the success of many small-scale craft breweries overseas, avid homebrewer Daryl Yeap founded Daryl’s Urban Ales in the middle of 2018. “Experiencing first-hand the beer culture of other countries when travelling, there is a certain desire for us to bring a slice of that home,” explains Yeap.

Pink Blossoms Brewing’s origins boast a similar story. A previous work stint in the US exposed Hong Han to the exuberant diversity of craft beers there, and he was determined to bring those flavours back. Not by importing their beers but by starting his own brewery in Singapore. “In many cases, Singaporeans prefer other forms of alcoholic beverages over beer partly because they have not tasted how amazing a great craft beer can be,” he surmises. Today his brewery taproom in an industrial park in Ubi attracts curious drinkers—locals and foreigners alike—looking for a taste of the New England-style beer he makes.
 
Change is also evident on the commercial front. Where once locally-made craft beer would normally be shunned, these days consumers can find the likes of Archipelago and Brewlander offered alongside international craft beer brands on supermarket shelves, and even at global travel retail chain DFS. Even hotels are seeing the potential; Yotel Singapore boasts a craft beer made specially for them by RedDot Brewhouse, while Four Points by Sheraton has its own produced by Archipelago Brewery.

(Related: Black Tap Craft Burgers & Beer Is More Than A Burger Joint)

As brewer and founder of Brewlander, John Wei thinks change in perception and new broad embrace of craft beer is unprecedented. “I’d like to think that we helped create enough noise that more bars and F&B establishments are more receptive in taking on local craft beer,” he says with a laugh, before adding how previously, many F&B outlets would not have bothered to carry locally-made beer, whether in bottles or on tap. Today, he says, the range of styles and brands available is wider than ever and that’s very encouraging.
 
To boot, the variety includes many envelope-pushing examples from local craft breweries. Pink Blossoms’ Juicy Pale Ale is its take on the hazy New England style of beers that is sweeping the beer-drinking world. Wei’s own Brewlander Love uses a wild yeast strain—a technique first popularised by Belgian monks—to add a fruity funk and bring balance to the complex flavour profile. That Singapore Beer Project has its “Kiam Sng Di”, a slightly sour gose with a local twist, specifically the addition of preserved sour plums. Similarly, Urban Ales has the Kereru Birbstout, a chocolate-infused foreign extra stout made in collaboration with local craft chocolatier Demochoco.
 
It is a fun time to be a brewer, but it’s an even better time to be a craft beer drinker. 

(Related: Tatler 10: The Most Stylish Restaurants in Singapore)

WHERE TO GRAB A CHEEKY PINT OR TWO

American Taproom
261 Waterloo Street #01-23 Waterloo Centre
 
Burger Joint Singapore
115 Amoy Street #01-03
 
Druggists
119 Tyrwhitt Road
 
Freehouse
21A Boon Tat Street
 
Good Luck Beerhouse
9 Haji Lane
 
The Guild
55 Keong Saik Road #01-1
 
Temple Cellars
#01-12, 81 Clemenceau Avenue, UE Square