The Search for Craft Beer on Bali!

The Search for Balinese Craft Beer!

Bali…

Known for its paradise island qualities, with beautiful beaches, nature and scenery. Or for others, (yes, you Australia) a great place to go party. 

However, what the island is not known for is Craft Beer…

Nope, no craft beer here...

Sufficient to say, my expectations for Bali were not that high, although significantly higher than Myanmar (one of my previous destinations).  Surely, it would offer me more than what I encountered in that lager/pilsner infested savannah named Bagan (not that there is anything wrong with lagers or pilsners for that matter).

I did have some hope for Bali, regarding craft beer, however. Some months ago, one of my friends who had been on his internship on the island brought back two Balinese craft beers! 

These two brews, a wheat and dark wheat ale from a Balinese microbrewery, gave me a real hope for success finding somewhat of a craft beer scene on this paradise island!

So, here follows the tale of my long, epic, and dangerous, quest of finding Craft Beer on Bali...

The first thing one will encounter in terms of brews, and encounter quite a lot, is Bintang. It really is Bintang’s Bali…

Having a Bintang, with a view!

Bintang is the local pilsner, or used to be if you keep in mind that Heineken now owns it. Light, crisp, and with a slight bitter, this is a nice and refreshing pilsner (especially with the humidity and temperatures one experiences on Bali). 

But, as mentioned, I was searching for craft beer and not the local pilsner, so that’s all I will say about Bintang for now. 

Anyway,

Sparked by those first few beers brought over by a friend of mine, I set out one afternoon to find some craft beer in Kuta, in which my hotel is located (party central on Bali). 

After checking quite a few bars and restaurants, I came across the Stadium Cafe. This bar had a number of beers on tap (Guinness, Kilkenny etc), and best of all what seemed to be one of the local brews: STARK WHEAT from the Lovina Beach Brewery or STARK BEER BALI. 

The Stadium Cafe, Kuta.

Apart from apparently having problems with their CAPS LOCK key, or being run by brewers who like to shout continuously, this seemed to be the only microbrewery that I could find on the island (yes, i did some research).  In fact, this was also the brewery from which my friend brought back some brews to the Netherlands.

Unfortunately for me however, they were out of STARK WHEAT at the Stadium Cafe, and really had no clue about when they would be resupplied. Disappointed, and ordering a Guinness as a consolation beer, i started looking online for some more places which served STARK. 

What i discovered at this point sounded amazing! STARK had their own bar/club, located on the areas party street (Jalan Legian), which was only about a 20 minute walk away! Downing my Guinness, i set out braving the hot and humid Balinese climate once more, the things i do for beer!

Surely, this would be the best place on the island to enjoy local Balinese craft beer!

Or not...

As you probably summarized from the picture above, the place was pretty much closed down. Literally swimming in my own sweat at this point, after my 20 minute afternoon stroll, and in dire need of a refreshing beer, i was extremely disappointed. 

Desperate, i went for a closer look, maybe it just seemed like it was closed…

Nope, still closed.

In dire need of a beer at this point, i swallowed my disappointed and rushed into the air-conditioned heaven that is Mini-Mart (small convenience store). Grabbing a (second) consolation beer, i asked the manager why the STARK bar was closed. According to Mr. Minimart, the bar had closed due to bad management only a little more than a month ago…

Just my luck..

Anker, Pilsner

With my Anker pils in one hand (average pilsner from Jakarta, Indonesia), and my phone in the other, i once again ventured online for another place serving STARK beers! Once again i found a spot, skipped over in favor of the STARK bar in my previous search, about a 30 minute walk away. However, being quite done with walking at this point i decided to hail a taxi.  "Rooftop Beer Garden serving a number of different Beers" sounded promising enough to do so, so off i went. 

More like a "very empty and depressing rooftop Beer Garden serving no Beer"

Climbing too many stairs, i arrived to this "Rooftop Beer Garden". In reality it was an abandoned rooftop pool bar, with an empty beer fridge, and absolutely no one there. Sitting down at the bar, catching my breath i noticed a telephone next to me with a number attached to it. At this point i had a slight hope that this calling this number might conjure up some bartender and some craft beer, so i gave it a dial. 

"Hello, Rooftop bar? So sorry closed, bye"- Random Telephone Lady, 2016

Well, having pretty much given up hope for the day at this point, i walked back down the stairs and set off back to the hotel. 

What i encountered at this point was like a desert illusion… 

Is it real?

Just as i had given up hope i encountered this beautiful beer oasis! (and yes, it seems quite happy ending-ish, and convenient for the story, but I'm not making this stuff up!)

The rooftop Beer Garden had apparently moved off the roof and was now hidden down below underneath the building. And the person that answered by phone call earlier, Random Telephone Lady, was behind the bar! 

YES!

I had suffered, i had endured, and now i had arrived in Balinese Beer heaven! It seemed like almost all available beer types on Bali were available at this bar, and best of all; STARK brews! 

Time for a beer!

Finally, after a long, hot, and sweaty search, i had finally found what i was looking for: Balinese Craft Beer!

STARK MANGO ALE 

I tried a number of different STARK brews at this point, all those which i had never tried before. The mango ale was especially enjoyable, light sweet with a hint of Mango, this was a very refreshing Balinese craft beer. I spent the remainder of the afternoon at the Beer Garden, sampling a bunch of different local brews!

It seemed that after my search, and the discovery of this Beer Garden, my fortunes had shifted. 

That night, when going out with a number of friends to the locally famous Sky Garden club, i made another surprising discovery!

Sorry for the out of focus picture, i was also a bit out of focus at this point :P

The two beers which a friend of mine brought back to the Netherlands; STARK WHEAT and STARK DARK WHEAT, were actually available in this club (and at exactly the same price as a Bintang!)

You can probably guess what i was drinking the rest of the night…



Well, that was my epic tale of my search for craft beer on Bali!

Cheers!

My Ratings:

STARK MANGO ALE: 3.5/5*
STARK 1954 Pilsner: 3/5*
STARK L.C.: 3.25/5*
STARK WHEAT: 3.25/5*
STARK DARK WHEAT: 3/5*
-
Bintang: 3/5*
Anker: 3/5*

Brewery Discovery: Brewerkz

Brewery: Brewerkz
Country/City State: Singapore

Yesterday I stopped by Brewerkz, a Singapore founded Micro Brewery and one of the regions largest craft beer brewers!

Brewerkz @ Riverside Point

Having only a limited amount of time to discover Singapore's craft beer scene, i had to make some choices regarding what places to visit. Brewerkz was the name that kept popping up whenever i asked fellow craft beer lovers for recommendations on what places i should visit, so Brewerkz it was!

Brewerkz Restaurant & Microbreweries

Brewerkz has several venues in Singapore. I visited the Riverside Point venue, and to be honest, for no other reason than the fact that it was relatively close by to my hostel.

So after a nice and extremely sweaty city walk, I arrived at Brewerkz! The Riverside Point venue is along the Singapore river (the name "Riverside" kind of gives this away), and is located in the idyllic Clarke Quay area.

However, as i was losing body water at an alarming rate, i decided to rush inside to the bar!

What to Drink?

As you can see, plenty of brews to choose from. As i wanted to experience as much of Brewerkz as i could, with my limited amount of time, i decided to try out a Beer Sampler. Brewerkz continuously produces six "signature" beers, and a number of seasonal brews (they have produced 50 so far!). At any one time, Brewerkz will have 13 of its brews on tap.

While the bartender was tapping my first sampler set, i had a little look around the venue.

The Brewery 

What i discovered at this (riverside..ha ha) point was that the Riverside Point venue hosts a custom made Canadian micro brewery installation. It is really cool to see that the beers are practically brewed inside the bar and restaurant.

I couldn't get any closer, or they would have shot me! (see sign)

It really looked like an awesome brewery set up, however i didn't dare to go any closer as the warning sign had me believe that there was trigger happy sniper somewhere nearby.

Brewerkz Bar

Brewerkz also had a nice, and original, take on beer samplers or tasting paddles. Instead of giving a "paddle" they place their tasting glasses on a plastic sheet, right on top of the corresponding beer's picture, which makes it very easy to keep track of what you are drinking.

From top left to bottom right: Golden Ale, Single Hop Series Vic Secret, Black Raspberry Ale and the IPA

The brews were nice, and quite good, although none of this first batch really stood out for me. Well, maybe the Black Raspberry Ale, due to the fact that it really just tasted like raspberry juice. 

Time for Round 2: Blonde Hoppy Monk, Irish Red Ale, Wheat, Hopback Ale!

Well, 4 tasting glasses weren't just going to cut it, and i still needed to recover lots of water before braving the walk back to the hostel through humid Singapore. So a second sampler set had to be ordered.

The second round proved more successful, the collaboration brew: Blonde Hoppy Monk, was really enjoyable! With a nice floral aroma and taste, and with only a light lingering bitterness, this was a really nice brew and the best of the day! The other brews were once again quite good, but nothing which really stood out for me.

All done!

All in all a great brew tasting filled (early) afternoon at Brewerkz! You are probably wondering why, why stop if you only have four more brews left to try?

Well, i was wondering the same thing myself. This was really due to two main factors: I was out of cash, and i was still out of cash as i realized that i was out of cash. However, the official story will be that i left these four, so that in the future i could go back to Brewerkz and still try these.

Follow these to get to the bathroom

Afterwards, i decided to visit the bathroom… but i won't get into much details about that.

Brewerkz is definitely a place i can recommend! Nice brews, friendly staff, and a great looking venue!

Cheers!

My Ratings:
(In order of consumption)

1. Golden Ale: 3.5/5*
2. Black Raspberry Ale: 3.5/5*
3. Vic Secret: 3.5/5*
4. IPA: 3.5/5*

5. Irish Red Ale: 3.5/5*
6. Wheat Ale: 3.5/5*
7. Blonde Hoppy Monk: 3.75/5*
8. Hopback Ale: 3.5/5*

Pub Discovery: Smith Street Taps

Pub: Smith Street Taps

Country/City State: Singapore

Last night i had a great first encounter with the craft beer scene here in Singapore! 

Hidden away in a Chinatown Shopping Centre, at the end of a busy food street, is what appears to be one of many “hawker” or pop up stalls to which the centre plays host. 

The Shopping Centre

But this isn’t your usual shop or food stall…

What looks like an empty corner during the day...

While during the day this corner of the shopping centre seems empty and abandoned, once evening approaches, a transformation seems to take place

.

This empty and hidden corner transforms into one of the coolest “pub streets” which I have ever seen.

Well technically…not a street, more of a “pub shopping centre” which really is a first for me!

As the shutters in this empty corner open, something magical is revealed inside, one of the smallest and greatest craft beer pubs which i have ever seen!

Turns into Smith Street Taps at night!

With just enough space inside for a few staff members, Smith Street Taps has the size of a small pop up shop, and not that of your usual craft beer pub. Apart from making this place really stand out, and unique in its way, its small size and location also bring great benefits. 

Due to it being located in a shopping centre, and only occupying the space of a small pop up shop, the rent is relatively very low when comparing to usual bars and brewpubs.  

With small size, come great benefits….. not something which is said very often :P

Kegs, Kegs, Kegs!

Another thing that makes this pub awesome is that they serve exclusively from kegs! These kegs come from all over the world, and change almost on a daily basis, and with around 10 kegs to choose from at any one time, this really is a place offering a variety of different brews! 

It was mentioned to me that importers often try to push their kegs to this pub first, as they are known for their fast keg turnover! So fast in fact, that the majority of their kegs aren't even kept in fridges, just outside, as they don't get the chance to warm up (see picture above)!. 

Kegs on offer yesterday, from: Germany, Japan, UK, Spain, Norway and the US!

There was plenty for me to choose from! This daily variety of beer really makes this small bar very dynamic and fun to come back to!

Trying a Yona Yona Ale, from Japan! 

The staff is also very friendly and helpful. I was provided with a lot of information, and had some great conversations with employees and one of the owners. Furthermore, i even got to taste several beers free of charge, so great customer service!

As the bar doesn't have its own terrace, customers use the surrounding food court (in which the bar is located) as a replacement. This really adds to the atmosphere as its possible to order a craft beer from Smith's and grab some food from somewhere else (also great if you start getting hungry after one too many beers). 

Food Court = Beer Garden

Smith Street Taps is also a great meeting place for beer lovers, importers and brewers! I had some great conversations with some of the regulars, who gave me some great tips about craft beer here in Singapore. I even had a conversation with two importers from the Napar brewery (Spain), as yesterday marked the first day Napar was being sold in Singapore (at Smith Street Taps, off course). 

Getting Busier

And the great thing is, in this corner of the shopping centre, there is another bar run the same owners! 

Just a few "stalls" away, there is the "The Good Beer Company", which opened some time before Smith Street Taps. Instead of selling only beer from the tap, the Good Beer Company sells only bottles. 

The Good Beer Company

Here, there is also a wide international selection of craft beer, and also some nice classics such as Chimay, Duvel and Rochefort! 

Together, these two "pubs" ensure that there is a brew for everyone's taste, and make this shopping centre a whole lot of fun to visit!

Although i have only been in Singapore a few days, this is already one of my favorite craft beer spots! Great brews, great people, and relatively great prices! This is definitely a place i can recommend if you find yourself in Singapore and in need of a good brew!

Cheers!

My Ratings:

Yona Yona Ale - Pale Ale - 4/5*

Also Drank: 

Northern Latitude - Rye IPA - 4/5*

Old Ford Export Stout - Stout - 3.75/5*

Tasted:

Big Ass Money Stout - Imperial Stout - 3.75/5*

London Mead - Mead - 3.75/5*

Beers of Myanmar

Does Myanmar have a craft beer scene?

The short and simple answer to this question is that at the moment: no, not really.

This did not come as a surprise however, the country has only “opened up” a few years back, so I did not expect to find craft breweries, or brewpubs.

However, what I did discover in my two weeks so far here was pleasantly surprising!

I wasn’t surprised by the variety of beer, only having come across pilsners/lagers, imperial pilsners/lagers and stouts. I was however surprised by the sheer quantity and availability of the stuff, coupled with the extreme amount of advertisement.

In my first two weeks here so far, I have travelled across the country by bus, three sweaty 10 hour trips so far to be exact (two of which had a number of puking people), so I did have the chance to look out the window somewhat.

Advertising, Myanmar Style

In both the countryside and in the towns that I have visited, it seems that every second house has a poster or banner depicting one of Myanmar’s different beer (sub) brands. Even in the middle of nowhere, I observed little shacks proudly displaying a beer banner to passers-by.

How’s that for advertisement?

This was also the case for venues serving beer! From cities to towns, to shacks in the middle of nowhere, on the lakes or in the mountains, there is beer to be drunk everywhere! This is something, which I never expected in Myanmar!

Restaurants, small stands or aptly named “beer stations” all serve a refreshing, but somewhat limited, number of brews. Most beers are served in 640ml bottles and are extremely cheap! The cheapest bottles I have come across so far are at the place where I am sitting right now writing this blog, the bottles here cost only 1,500 Kyat which is around €1,15! (Aye Mya Thida Restaurant, New Bagan).

So, lets talk about the brews shall we?

During my time in Myanmar so far, I have come across a few different beer styles (Pilsners/Lagers, Imperial Pilsners/Lagers and a Stout or two).  My experiences so far, in order of consumption:

1. Myanmar Beer

Pilsner ABV 5%

Enjoying a Myanmar Beer @ 19th Street, Yangon

Myanmar Brewery Limited (MBL) brews this beer named after the country itself. The brewery has links to the military and as such enjoyed unchallenged market dominance, until recently…

Since the country “opened up”, Myanmar Brewery has started facing competition from international brewers such as Heineken and Carlsberg. However, with a beer market share of two thirds, this brewery is still the biggest player in this beer loving country. 

The beer itself is very enjoyable; a clear, crisp and refreshing pilsner with a very pure taste. The beer is sometimes also mixed with a shot of local whiskey, to give it an extra kick!

Myanmar beer also has won numerous international beer awards, which are proudly displayed on its bottles!

2. Black Shield Stout

Stout ABV 8%

Enjoying a Black Shield Stout @ 19th Street, Yangon

 This hard-hitting 8% stout comes is a sub brand of the Myanmar Brewery. This is definitely the strongest stout that I have come across so far here in Myanmar, and coupled with the extremely hot weather here (39 degrees Celsius at the moment), this is definitely a brew which you need to be careful with.

Not particularly refreshing during the day, but when served extra cold at night, this brew can be quite enjoyable. Simple in terms of taste, but just fine as your average stout (albeit a bit strong)

3. Mandalay Strong Beer

Imperial Pilsner/Lager ABV 6.5%

Mandalay Strong @ New Bagan

 As the name suggests, this imperial is brewed in Mandalay, Myanmar.

I am also drinking this beer right now, whilst writing this blog!

Formerly a cannon factory, the site was transformed into a brewery by the British in 1886. After suffering bankruptcy in the early 90’s, external investment brought the brewery back to life. Having brewed a wide variety of different brews under the British, the brewery now produces around five different brews, most notably a beer brewed with Spirulina which is a algae said to have certain anti aging properties.

I have until now come across just one of Mandalay’s beers: the strong beer!

A light imperial lager, with 6.5% ABV, the brew gives the fresh and crisp taste of a lager an extra kick!  

Mandalay’s Brews are brewed by: Myanma Economic Holdings Limited.

4. DAGON Lager Beer

Lager ABV 5%

DAGON! @ New Bagan

 Brewed by the  DAGON beverages company, this is another refreshing lager produced in Myanmar!

DAGON has also won a number of international beer prizes, and like Myanmar beer, proudly displays these on its bottles! This beer is also quite often a bit cheaper than Myanmar beer, whilst being almost as good!

On the DAGON website, it is stated that DAGON is also available in 500ml cans which are “for both commercial and army personnel”, the military really doesn’t mess around!

5. Andaman Gold & Gold Special

Enjoying a Andaman @ New Bagan

Andaman is another sub brand of the Myanmar Brewery. The Andaman Gold displays many similarities to Myanmar beer, in terms of taste, and represents yet another enjoyable Myanmar Pilsner/Lager.

Just a bit more special

  The Andaman Gold Special on the other hand is characterized by an almost strong ale taste, making it quite unique here in Myanmar. Marketed as am (imperial) lager, the special comes very close to a strong golden ale taste! And with the limited choice here in Myanmar, this made the brew particularly enjoying.

6. Regal Seven

Lager ABV 5%

Regal Seven @ New Began

Regal Seven is brewed by the Alliance Brewery Company, in which Heineken holds a 57% stake (the remainder being held by the Alliance Brewing Company). Regal Seven represents the second brand that Heineken wants to use in the Myanmar market, the other being Heineken itself.

Regal Seven is marketed as a local beer by Heineken, whilst Heineken beer itself is marketed more as a premium beverage. The beer really is “local” as it is brewed locally under contract and not by Heineken itself.

The brew itself is a clean, crisp, refreshing lager!

7. El Diablo Super Strong Brew

Imperial Lager ABV 12%

El Diablo!

And yes, it is exactly as the name suggests.

I came across this heavy hitting monster in the far corner of a small supermarket, hidden in a small fridge.

I was surprised, and pleasantly so, to find such an abstract beer here in the middle of Bagan.

Diablo is brewed by Bali Hai Pt, and is an American sub brand. The beer is much in line with such extreme imperial lager/pilsners, strong alcohol taste and not much else.

However, the aftertaste did have some complexity, which made this monster more enjoyable than I would have expected.

All in all, a surprising abeit a limited beer experience here in Myanmar so far. Apart from the beers mentioned above I came across beers such as Heineken, Tiger, Tuborg and ABC Stout.

It will be interesting to see how the beervironment will change in the next years, as Myanmar becomes more and more accessible to the outside world (and outside breweries).

 Cheers!

My Ratings:

Myanmar Beer: 3.25/5*

Black Shield Stout: 3.5/5*

Mandalay Strong Beer: 3/5*

DAGON Lager: 3/5*

Andaman Gold: 3/5*

Andaman Gold Special: 3.25/5*

Regal Seven: 3/5*

El Diablo Super Strong Brew: 2.75/5*

Brewery Discovery: The Lord Nelson Brewery Hotel

Brewery: The Lord Nelson Brewery Hotel
City: Sydney
Country: Australia

This week i visited the Lord Nelson Brewery Hotel!

Wait…. Brewery AND hotel? Yes!

Imagine, instead of your regular hotel, staying above an awesome historic brewpub!

And no, you can't tap beer in the hotel rooms…..unfortunately.

The Lord Nelson is the oldest continuously licensed hotel in Sydney, established way back in 1841.
Moreover, it is also home to Australia's oldest pub brewery, or brewpub! With such selling points, i had to go check out this awesome venue!

The Lord Nelson

As the cities longest, continuously, operating hotel and the nations oldest brewpub, the Lord Nelson really has some history behind it!

It has had some different names over the years prior to the Lord Nelson, and as such was already the site of an existing pub. The building hosted, starting in 1831: The Shipwright Arms, The Sailor's Return, Quarryman's Arms and finally, in 1841, the Lord Nelson Hotel! The name being a reference to the British Naval mastermind; Horatio Nelson, but thats another story!

The Nelson today still looks much the same as it did when it opened (thanks to some restoration work based on an old photograph). The brewery itself was added in 1986.

Time for a beer!

But enough history for now..

The Lord Nelson really gives that historic feel when you step inside. Thick stone walls, historic decorations and an overall great atmosphere really made this an enjoyable visit for me!

Oh yes, and the fact that it was a historic brewery-pub-hotel….. that probably also contributed to me enjoying my visit :P

The Lord Nelson Pub

As mentioned, the Lord Nelson brews a number of different beers on site. These are available, straight from the source, at 6 rotating taps with mainstay and seasonal brews! Bottles are also available.

The Lord Nelson Brewery Hotel Brewery

Once again, in Australian fashion, all craft brews were relatively light in terms of ABV. The strongest brew the Admiral had on offer was an 6.1% old ale, aptly named the old Admiral. Im not saying there is anything wrong with light ABV brews, it is just something which i have noticed as a kind of trend here during my time in Sydney.

But I'm going off track, back to the Lord Nelson!

Fleet Wheat, an attempt at a Hefeweizen

First i tried the Fleet Wheat, sparking my immediate interest as i had not yet come across an Australian brewed Hefeweizen.

And, in all honesty, i still haven't come across a real Australian brewed Hefeweizen.

The brew was nice, refreshing, and tasty, but it did not bring forth the characteristics Hefeweizen taste which i was expecting. The name leads to disappointment, whilst in terms of taste, there is nothing wrong with the brew itself..

However, as i understood it, this was a new brew and as such might still be subject to some experimentation.

Victory Bitter Pale Ale!

The second brew, Victory Bitter Pale Ale, was a nice and refreshing pale ale. In terms of name accuracy, a definite "Victory" over Fleet Wheat!

Nelson's Blood, i hope not

Last, but definitely not least, i tried the Nelson's Blood Porter. And yes, in a smaller glass, i wasn't really in the mood for a whole pint of porter. Quite light, and refreshing, as far as porters go; with hints of chocolate and roasted malts, this was another enjoyable brew!

They even do take-away! 

From all breweries which i have visited in my short time here in Sydney, the Lord Nelson definitely had the most "character" and history behind it, something which i always appreciate.

If only in Sydney for a short while, i would recommend at least to visit the Lord Nelson!

This is my last blog about my discoveries in Sydney, Australia, for this trip!
Next stop Myanmar!

Cheers!

My Ratings: Lord Nelson Brews

Three Sheets (had this somewhere else), Pale Ale: 3.75/5
Fleet Wheat, Hefeweizen: 3.5/5
Victory Bitter, Pale Ale: 3.5/5
Nelson's Blood, Porter: 3.5/5