Tiger Beer is not the only beer born and brewed in Singapore. In the past decade or so, there have been a huge growth of Singapore beers with the emergence of homegrown local craft beers. These young breweries have created a surge of locally-brewed craft beer in the market.
While pioneer craft breweries such as Brewerkz and RedDot Brewhouse have been brewing their own craft beer since 1997, it was between the mid-2010s and the COVID years (2020-2023) that saw many beer enthusiasts diving into the business of creating their own uniquely Singaporean craft beer brands.
Today, there are dozens of homegrown craft microbreweries, with a few even setting up their own craft beer-focused F&B establishments.
These include Little Island Brewing Co with outlets in Changi Village, South Beach and Gillman Barracks; The 1925 Brewing Co. with its taproom and smokehouse Blue Smoke at Joo Chiat; and Lion Brewery Co’s taproom and gastropub at Club Street.
Meanwhile, other homegrown craft beer brands such as Alive Brewing Co, Sunbird Brewing Company and Trouble Brewing can be found at selected bars and restaurants, as well as craft beer-focused establishments such as Alchemy Bistro in Prinsep Street, Locality in Joo Chiat and Good Luck in Haji Lane.
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Local Craft Beers, Local Flavours
Just like the Australian craft beers I was introduced to during a 2017 Sunshine Coast press junket which mainly use native ingredients from Australia or New Zealand, many local craft brewers infuse distinctly Singaporean flavours into popular beer styles ranging from IPAs to lagers and pilsners.
Such unique brews include The 1925’s durian-flavoured beer, Musang King Ale; Brewlander’s Ong Lai IPA with its unmistakable pineapple notes; and Sunbird’s Kueh Salat Rice Lager with notable pandan, coconut and rice flavours inspired by the popular Nyonya kueh.
Not All Local Craft Beers Are Fruity
With their own microbreweries, local craft beer makers are able to produce house-brewed beer in limited quantities and can thus experiment and churn out different flavours offering beer lovers more unique experiences.
Not every local brewer feels the need to insert Asian flavours into their beers though.
Art in Local Craft Beer
Another attribute of craft beers is the stylised artwork on their cans and bottles.
Just as one would buy whiskey or brandy for its exquisitely shaped bottles, there are craft beer enthusiasts who would purchase craft beers based on the attractive beer can or bottle design alone.
In Singapore, eye-catching artwork includes Brewerkz with their illustrated student-designed Merlion-inspired lion’s head on their cans; Brewlander with their vibrantly coloured Pop Art-inspired cans and bottles; and Rye & Pint’s kawaii bottle labels that feature the Japanese good luck cat, Maneki-neko.
Craft Beer + Food = Shiok
If I am in a restaurant and there is local craft beer on the menu, I will usually give one a whirl rather than going for commercial favourites such as Heineken or Stella Artois.
Most local craft beers I’d tried tended to be light, refreshing and mostly fruity and citrusy which suits our hot and humid weather.
As a lager fan however, I prefer local brews such as Trouble Brewing’s Singapore Lager or LIBC’s Naked Lager, which are both refreshingly clean, crisp and not as sweet as, say, Tiger Beer.
And though I absolutely love durian, I don’t particularly enjoy tasting the pungent fruit in beer (or in mooncake for that matter)!
Beer is good for celebrating or chilling with friends but it is even better when there is good food to go with it.
If you are wondering which local craft beer pairs well with food, well for starters, you need to enjoy the beer you are having first. If you like the beer, it will likely pair well with whatever food you are consuming.
For instance, while having dinner consisting of pizza, grilled meats and roasted vegetables, my first choice of a locally-made American IPA was a tad bitter despite its robust fruity hops notes, so I switched to a light malty Golden Ale which went down better with the food.
Image Courtesy of Marguerita Tan
Beer, in general, is great with all fried foods (fried chicken drumlets, french fries, crispy fried calamari) and spicy dishes (chilli crab, sambal stingray, Indian curries), but the important thing is that you must like the beer first.
#SupportLocal - Have a Homegrown Craft Beer
If you have been a commercial beer drinker your whole life, do give local craft beer a try.
Granted they are not as easily available at supermarkets or coffee shops like most commercial beers.
At Cold Storage and Fairprice Finest, and even in craft beer stores such as Beer Force in Holland Village or Hop Shop at Bukit Timah, you will probably just find two or three local craft beer brands available.
The best way to find local craft beers is at craft-beer-focused establishments like those mentioned above, online beer stores, or directly from the brands’ websites.
Another downside of local craft beers is arguably their higher price point compared to commercial beers due to their production in small batches, premium ingredient cost and Singapore’s exorbitantly high alcohol taxes.
A 330ml can of Tiger or Heineken cost about $3-4 at supermarkets, whereas a similar can of homegrown craft beer may range from $6-9.
At craft beer bars such as Locality, half pints (295ml) of brews from Alive Brewery, Sunbird and Outtamost Brewery are available between $8-$14.50, while 459ml mugs are priced between $12.50-$21.
Some craft beer-focused establishments offer tasting trays where you can try at least four different craft beers in mini 180ml glasses.
At LIBC’s Changi Village outlet, they have a “Beer ATM” where you use a prepaid cash card to pay for what you pour from more than 30 taps. For example, you could try just 100ml of a beer and pay, say, just $3 for that volume rather than paying about $15 for a pint which you may not finish or do not enjoy.
We at SilverStreak concur.
Oktoberfest 2024, the world’s largest beer celebration, will be celebrated in Singapore in the months of September and October.
