The next time you crave a glass of cool, fresh beer after a long day of work (we feel you), hit up these craft beer havens to get your fix of golden goodness. Cheers!
RedDot BrewHouse
Inspired by his escapades in South Africa, where he met natives who introduced him to the ease (and art) of home-brewing, RedDot BrewHouse’s Director Ernest Ng pursued his passion relentlessly to realise his dreams of starting a local microbrewery. An advocate for the drink’s age-old heritage, Ernest Ng chose to house his brewery’s outlets in preserved historical buildings like Dempsey Hill’s barracks and Boat Quay’s shop houses. Ever seen green beer? Try RedDot’s monster green lager beer, it definitely tastes better than it looks!
Level33
If you fancy your pint with a side of Singapore’s skyline, you’ve come to the right place. With an address like the penthouse (on the 33rd floor) of Marina Bay Financial Centre, Level33 aka Singapore’s highest microbrewery, it’s no wonder Level33 offers up such a stunning panorama of the Marina Bay district. Beer-wise, their craft brews are a marriage of technology and heritage, applying modern technology to traditional recipes for signatures like blond lager, pale ale, stout, house porter, and wheat beer.
Smith Street Taps
In a bid to make craft beer accessible to the masses at wallet-friendly prices, Daniel Goh of The Good Beer Company and Meng Chao of Brewer’s Craft (retail space at Clementi Ave 2) have joined forces to start Smith Street Taps – an all-taps beer hawker stall at Chinatown Complex which offers the largest number of taps in Singapore, up to eight at any one time. Here’s your chance to savour new-to-the-market brands like deschutes’s rich, chocolately black butte porter, the English golden ale adnams Ghost Ship, and Singapore’s very own jungle beer, paired with good ol’ hawker fare! Pop by The Good Beer Company (a few units away) to feast your eyes and taste buds on a stunning number of unique bottled brews.
Tawandang Microbrewery
Authentic Thai cuisine paired with German brews? We sure didn’t see that coming, but this seemingly bizarre pairing does work wonders for our palates, bringing us a step closer to affirming the notion that perhaps, beer goes well with anything. This innovative east-meets-west concept won over Thai natives and expat folks in Bangkok, earning the green light for expansion into cosmopolitan cities like Singapore. In their Dempsey Hill space, Tawandang serves up three types of German beers – lagers, weizens (made of malted barley or fruit), and dunkel (black beers) alongside a spread of Thai classics and Thai-German fusion dishes.
Paulaner Brauhaus
As Singapore’s only German microbrewery and restaurant, you know where to go for a taste of Bavaria without hopping on a plane. Besides sipping on Paulaner’s house brews, look out for seasonal offerings when festival fever (like Oktoberfest) hits. Feeling famished? Paulaner’s hearty Munich specialities like crispy grill pork knuckles with sauerkraut and bread dumpling, German sausage platters, and caramelised Bavarian emperor’s pancake, will have you sorted.
Jibiru
Jibiru
Arguably Asia’s beer brewing gem (we choose to believe Singapore comes in a close second), Japan boasts a veritable arsenal of artisanal beers which have won over a discerning international audience. Jibiru, housed in centrally-located 313 Somerset, stocks a strong selection of renowned Japanese craft beers, like our personal faves: hitachino nest, shiga kogen, and award-winning kinshachi beers. Don’t forget to pair your beers with an order of yakitori (grilled skewers), the true-blue Japanese beer grub.
Brewerkz
With a custom made microbrewery and an in-house Brewmaster, you can count on Brewerkz to serve some of the freshest beer on the island. You’ll be spoilt for choice with a plethora of signature and seasonal beers like the best-seller golden ale, Brewmaster’s pet hopback ale, fruity honey apricot ale, and crowd favourite India pale ale. If you’re in the Clarke Quay neighbourhood to party, hit up Brewerkz’s Riverside Point outlet or their sister restaurant Café Iguana (we swear by their margaritas) for all your pre-drinks needs.
Brussel Sprouts
With multiple award-winning beers under their belt, and even their monasteries brewing top-class beers, Belgium has earned itself the title as one of the best beer producing regions in the world. If you’ll like a taste of their golden brews, look no further than Brussel Sprouts – offering the largest selection of Belgian beer in Singapore (up to 180 types). They serve a mean brunch on Sundays as well, while their moules frites and palourde frites (with free refill of fries) make superb beer grub.
Archipelago Craft Beer Hub
Archipelago Craft Beer Hub
Since their early days as the first commercial brewery in Singapore, Archipelago Brewery Company has honoured German brewing heritage and small-batch beer brewing techniques. Sip on their specialty brews, like Belgian wit, summer ale, bohemian lager, and Irish ale, at their flagship Craft Beer Hub along Circular Road, or look out for their beer taps at selected bars like Barossa, Malone’s, The Pit, New Habour Café, Boulevard Restrobar, Queen & Mangosteen, and more.
Beer Market
An astounding selection of beer aside, like estrella gallicia, Taiwan lychee beer, and ginger beard beer, this stock market inspired bar promises a night of booze, music performances, and live sport screenings. Look out for the huge stock exchange screens, which display current prices for each beer brand (changes every half an hour depending on demand), before ordering your beer! Take your pick from top selling brands or be adventurous and try new beers which have just IPO-ed.
Top Image: Smith Street Taps