Travel Date: August 2017
Some years ago, I was on a multinational rugby tour to Vietnam. All of us were considered ‘Vets’ because we played on a team where everyone had to be over the ago of 35. Those of us who were ‘young’ vets were children of the 70s and had grown up on a staple of 1980s Vietnam War movies ranging from The Deer hunter, to Rambo, to Missing in Action. The Vietnamese refer to the conflict as the ‘American War’, and see themselves as the good guys. We also had a few older gents on the team who were certainly of ‘age’ during the years of the conflict. All of which boiled down to a group of guys who were very much looking forward to seeing Vietnam and either having their preconceived notions of the people and country to be confirmed or altered. On that first tour, I had been looking forward to seeing what the microbrewery scene looked like. Unfortunately, it was just one step above dismal and we spend a good amount of our ‘beveraging’ time in a nice little pub called the Blue Gecko.
This past summer, I had the chance to revisit Ho Chi Minh City and enjoy the evolving microbrewery scene. I was not disappointed in the least!
I stopped by the Blue Gecko for a beverage and to reminisce with myself about the earlier rugby tour. Then, I walked out of the pub, turned right and walked for about twenty seconds until I arrived at the Heart of Darkness.
Outside, there was a large, well lit area for sitting, while inside, it was very dark (perhaps in homage to its namesake).
The microbrewery pub has only been open for a handful of years and ended up serving a large selection of fantastic beers. Lagers, Ales, Pilsners, IPAs, Wheat Beers, Porters, Stouts.
If you liked beer, there was a good chance they had a style that would please your palate!
All-in-all, this microbrewery hit all the right marks. Sign me up for another tour of duty into the Heart of Darkness.
CHEERS!
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