Sometimes called ‘Asia Light’ due to the fact that it is clean, methodical and some might argue too sanitized. It make for a good introduction to Asia for first time visitors to the region.
Food wise, Singapore has always been a city of delights thanks to its multi ethnic inhabitants. Over the past few years, several craft brewery locations have popped up to offer beery libations to accompany the food and to help cool one down from the constant 32C humid weather.
A couple years back, a microbrewery pub opened in Changi Village. It tends to be a place that I visit straight after arriving from a flight due to its close proximity to Changi International Airport. The name of the place is called Little Island Brewery Company.
They have a great menu and specialize in slow cooked smoked meat!
The beers are all good. However, I am not a fan of the serving method. One puts money on a card and then you serve yourself from the taps with the money being deducted from your card as you pull. You can latterly watch the card run out of money with every pour. Not exactly great for business when people have to keep seeing themselves drained with every financial pint! In addition, because the customer pours their own beverage, there is very little interaction with staff which makes it more difficult to create a personal connection with the place. It vexes me that someone would go to the trouble and financial effort to create a good product, yet completely let themselves down on the customer interaction experience.
Over in town, there is a long standing microbrewery pub on Clarke Key called Brewerkz.
It is a great place to have a couple pints while walking the touristy area in the evening. My advice would be to check their website for when they have happy hours as it can save you a fair amount per pint. As a side note, I went to their location in Jakarta last summer. It was underwhelming since the beer is imported from Singapore and they were out of a number of their beers. Hopefully they will get the supply chain logistics corrected.
In China Town, there is an interesting food hawkers complex which plays host to Smith Street Taps. This is a tiny establishment that serves over a dozen craft beer on tap. The complex is multi-level and is worth a look around, or also a fun place to grab in inexpensive bite to eat. The proprieties of Smith Street Taps are outgoing and knowledgeable about their rotating product.
Worth an evening stop when checking out the streets of China Town.
Singapore is also home to Level 33, as the name implies, it is located on the 33rd floor of an office tower. It has its own elevator in the lobby to quickly get you to the premises.
The beer prices for Singapore are fairly reasonable. The food prices, are rather expensive. However, the views from the wrap around balcony are priceless!
I think the best time to go is before sunset as you’ve got a better chance of scoring outdoor seating. As the sun sets, the change in colour of the skyline is breathtaking too. This is a must stop location for any craft beer lover!
One final point on the food at Level 33. Don’t order the Fish & Chips! lol…
Another interesting location to check out is called the Alchemist Infusion Beer Lab.
They don’t make their own craft beer. However, they tend to take craft beer that is made in Singapore and infuse it with different ingredients. Maybe a more correct term is that the craft beer is steeped in different ingredients for hours at a time before being served.
Interesting and flavourful with a lot of experimentation going on to always find new winning combinations.
CHEERS!
CRAFT BEER & Exotic Locations 