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Travel Date: October 2015

I’ve had the opportunity to visit Cambodia on several occasions. Once to visit Phnom Penh in order to visit the Killing Fields and another time to visit Siem Reap and the ancient ruins of Angkor Wat. The next time I was heading out to Phnom Penh was to play in the Phnom Penh 10’s Rugby Tournament, though as luck would have it, I hurt my arm in a practice session a couple weeks beforehand which meant no playing for me, but time to explore the microbrewery scene.

Two years ago, the microbrewery environment of Phnom Penh was fairly limited. The Hotel Himawari operated its’ own microbrewery from the lobby of the hotel. The beer was fine, but the ambiance left a bit to be desired.

A block away from the Himawari Hotel Microbrewery I ventured to the Munich Fresh Beer Restaurant. It served a lager type beer and a dark beer. Again, not much ambiance, however it was located in an air conditioned building which provided relief from the heat, but that was about it!

Across town was a franchise import from Bangkok, Thailand called Spark & Tawandang. It was a large, standalone building that served its own lager and dark beer (though they were out of the dark when I visited).

 

It was geared towards entertaining customers through staged musical acts.

The bathroom had a special toilet for those needing to puke, very classy!

I had also been in touch with Erich Phillips, the owner/operator from Cerevisa Craft Brewhouse, a small brewery that sold its craft beer to a variety of bars and restaurants across the city. At the time, they did not have a real tap room, however, on Friday evenings they opened the brewery up for a few hours and invited hop heads to come over and try out their product and purchase a growler of their beer if so inclined.

I wrote Erich and asked him if it would be ok for me to bring my own growler that he could have filled. His response was that they rather welcomed people to purchase the Cerevisa Craft Brewhouse growlers as they would maintain the integrity of the product. I wrote him back to let him know that my growler was a double shelled and insulated stainless steel growler and not a recycled two litre plastic Coke bottle. He wrote back to say it would be OK 😉

Anyways, I arrived at Cerevisa Craft Brewhouse at the suggested time to find a room filled with happy people drinking several different craft beer. At the time, the ‘samples’ were full glasses for a dollar that went towards a local charity. Nice!

As I walked in, Erich caught sight of my growler and introduced himself by saying ‘You must be Scott, I recognize you by your growler’.  I got a quick tour of the brewery as well as samples of the new beers that had not reached maturation.

My Growler being filled with a fantastic IPA

A fun night!

I brought the growler with me to the the Rugby Tournament the next morning. I drank well…others survived on the mass produced Angkor Beer.

CHEERS!

Travel Date: September 2015

A couple of years ago, I had an opportunity to travel to Kiev for a few days. While Ukraine had not been on my top wish list of places to visit, I thought that I had better take a look while I had the chance before the Russians massing on the other side of the boarder decided to make a mess of the place.

My wife was also planning to join me, however, her holiday was delayed by a day, which worked out for both of us as it meant that I could spend the day walking around the grounds of the National War Museum before she arrived.

The National War Museum’s official name is ‘The National Museum of the History of Ukraine in the Second World War’. It was an incredible monument to the struggle of the Ukrainian population throughout the Second Word War.

Unfortunately, the museum showed that not only is it a curator of conflicts past, but also of modern times. The temporary exhibit was showcasing the current challenges experienced on its’ western boarders with Russia and its’ proxy forces through graphic images and captured vehicles and equipment.

After spending several hour at the museum, it was time to check out the microbrewery scene. In all, I was able to visit four microbrewery pubs in Kiev. The craft beer ranged from ‘nice to have tried it…do you have anything different to sample’ to ‘that was great, I want another pint after I’ve tried your other beers!’

The locations ranged from the downtown tourist zone, a shopping mall and a hotel, to taking the metro out off the beaten tourist path. Out of interest, the metro system is efficient and very inexpensive…and deep! The escalators move people down to the (deep) metro lines and up to the surface at breakneck speed, so much so that you can feel the pressure in your ears attempt to equilibrate!

The first location that I went to was the Porter Pub. It is located right at one of the major downtown intersections of the ‘tourist zone’. When I was there, all of the writing was in Cyrillic, so I relied on my map that I was at the correct place.

The beers on tap were made in house and ranged from lagers to a couple dark. While they were great to sample, none of them was worth a repeat. On the plus side, the beers were inexpensive, they had about six on tap and if you are staying in central Kiev, the location is easy to reach.

The second location I went to was called Pyvarium. I took the metro to the nearest stop and walk the short distance to the establishment. It was a fairly large microbrewery restaurant and had been brewing for several years.

They had more than ten of their beers on tap, and once again, the beers were inexpensive, but not extraordinary.

They did have an appetizer that I had once before (a microbrewery pub in Hanoi, Vietnam) which was smoked and salted stringy cheese.

They also had BBQ pork ribs that were fantastic. Very nice with a pint!

Another place that was on the list was called Frau Rosa Brewery. It was a microbrewery pub inside a fairly new mall called the Solomianska Square Mall. The metro does not link anywhere close to the mall so we took a cab.

Being new, the place had a modern, minimalist feel. They made six beers on site and all of them were fine. Though nothing at the time to really take note of for a future visit.

 

The fourth location was inside a hotel called the Cosmopolite. Hopes were not high as the microbrewery pub had been given a rather unoriginal descriptor of a name… Bavarian Microbrewery Pub. However, upon walking inside, it was great to see that it was state of the art, with all of the machinery behind glass so patrons could watch the production in action.

As for their beer, hands down the best craft beer in Kiev. Fantastic flavors of malt and hops in beers, where they should be!

As we were there in the evening, there was a small band playing local and international music which complimented the environment.

Apologies for some of the picture that I took. Not the best quality. However, maybe it means Kiev’s craft beer scene will need a do-over!

 

CHEERS!

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!

Travel Date: August, 2017

After a fun beer tasting afternoon at Winking Seal with Mark and Trang, I was convinced that adding Rehab Station to my agenda would make for a fun afternoon.

While Rehab Station does not make any of its own beers, it does have a solid selection of bottled Belgian beers. However, more importantly, on draft it has a selection of craft beers from small microbreweries in HCMC as well as from Hanoi.

Not feeling compelled to order a bottle of one of the ubiquitous Belgian bottles, I started with a flight of the local beers.

In addition, I ordered the gourmet hot dog. It was fantastic, which leads me to question Rehab Station’s tag line ‘Not a GastroPub’!

Rehab has only been open since May, 2017 and judging by the different floors, it looks like -with a little word of mouth- will turn into a pretty fun place to grab a bite and a craft beer after work for the local crowd.

 

So, maybe Amy Winehouse had it wrong… Rehab can be fun!

CHEERS!

Travel Date: August, 2017

On my Craft Beer adventure through Ho Chi Minh City, I had researched a newcomer microbrewery pub named the Winking Seal Beer Co. So new in fact that the establishment only opened the doors to their microbrewery pub in January, 2017.

I took a taxi from my hotel over to Winking Seal. It is located in District 1 and was easy to get to from the center of town.

The ground floor is fairly small and almost intimate. Since it was the afternoon when I arrived, there were only a few other patron sitting and enjoying their beverages.

As I was travelling alone, I picked a seat up at the bar. I asked the server for a flight of their product. She returned with a tray and left me to my own devices.

Soon afterwards, a young guy arrived and introduced himself as one of the owners of Winking Seal. His name, Mark Nerney.

Mark and I had a fun conversation about the growth of the craft beer industry around South East Asia and more specifically, the growth in HCMC. He then introduced a friend of his named Trang, who had just opened up a craft beer gastro pub called Rehab Station. Both thought Rehab Station would make for a fun visit as it had craft beer on tap that were exclusive to the local market.

Mark told me that the week before, there was a Brewer’s Conference in HCMC and that a microbrewery called FURBREW had hosted a brewer’s party on the rooftop garden patio of Winking Seal. More importantly, he told me that all eight taps still had the product online and he welcomed us to head up to the roof and try the product at our leisure.  Well, we did not have to be asked twice! After finishing the Winking Seal craft beer, we headed upstairs.

There were some interesting FURBREW beers to sample. One in particular was called ‘Bai Pho’ beer, as it was made using ingredients from the national soup dish pho. While it sounded like a strange creation, the beverage itself was not unpalatable, though I’m not sure I would have willingly opted for a pint. The same could be said for the ‘Lime Leaf Wheat’, which tasted like a massage room smells. They also had a couple more standouts ‘The Perfect 100’, a fantastic stout on tap. Also, a really enjoyable IPA named ‘Chinook IPA’.

Looking forward to my next visit to Winking Seal.

CHEERS!

Travel Date: April 2017

On the shores of the Mediterranean, just north or Beirut, in the little seaside town of Batroun lies Colonel Beer Microbrewery.

On a recent visit to Beirut, I took the opportunity to rent a taxi for the day (cost was about $50USD). The taxi drove my wife and I north through the streets of Beirut, along the coast to the town of Batroun. Even with heavy traffic in Beirut, the trip only took about 45 minutes. Once we had arrived on the outskirts of the town, there was one military check point to clear (not an issue), and then we were free to report to the Colonel.

The outside design of the Colonel Beer Microbrewery looked great, with lots of greenery included around the structure.

Outside, there was a large area with communal picnic tables and an area where bands could set up and perform to patrons in the evening.

Inside was a modern building. Comfortable tables, and seating made areas feel like a casual living room. At one end of the pub was a clear view to the brewery.

 

There were eight beers on tap such as their craft lager, IPA and Stout while they also had interesting flavour combinations such passion fruit.

All in all, the trek made for an enjoyable day trip out of Beirut.

 

CHEERS!

Travel Date: August, 2017

So where can you go where the beach is beautiful, the prices are not eye wateringly expensive, the people are genuinely friendly, and you can still get your hit of craft beer? Well, after a bit of searching, I found one such gem, the island of Boracay in the Philippines.

If you are already in South East Asia, getting to Boracay is fairly easy and not very expensive. Flights from every major South East Asian capital connect through Manila, or there are even many direct flights to Kalibo Airport or even Caticlan Airport. A word of warning though, if you fly through Kalibo Airport, you will need to drive 2.5 hours to the ferry dock in Caticlan to cross over to Boracay, while from Claticlan Airport the transfer by vehicle is about 5-10 minutes. I know which one I prefer! 😉

Once you are at the ferry docks, you will find organized chaos as different forms need to be filled out and different ticket fees need to be paid all for the joy of boarding a boat for a 10 minute ride over to Boracay. If this is your first time heading over to Boracay, I can absolutely recommend a company called My Boracay Guide. For a small fee, they pick you up from the airport (not to worry if your flight is delayed, they will be on top of it!) and transfer you to the ferry docks, get your tickets, help you onto the boat and have a representative greet you when you arrive at Boracay and then take your directly to your hotel. At the end of your stay, they will pick you up from your hotel and seamlessly get you back to the airport.

Once you are on Boracay, there are a lot of different activities to do. I was able to complete my PADI Open Water and Advanced Open Water Diving courses through Calypso Beach and Dive Resort. The staff are great, they have a swimming pool purpose built for learning to dive, and ocean front property. A fabulous location!

The weather from June to September can be fickle.

The weather in December and April is usually fantastic!

In the evenings, there is an awesome tiki bar on the beach called Nigi Nigi Nu Noos. They have a killer two hour long happy hour where the cocktails are made to order and the price works out to be about two drinks for $5USD. The beer of choice there is San Miguel.

I know, not a fave, but when in Rome…

 

There is one craft beer brand that seems to be making its way into several bars along the beach called Joe’s Brew. It is a microbrew from Manila and after a couple San Miguel’s it is a joy to taste something hoppy.

There is another location on Boracay that I like to go for dinner, it is a restaurant that specializes in Philippine Craft Beer and it is called Los Indios Bravos.

At times, it can be a bit difficult to keep all draft lines full, due in part to the length of time it seems to ship product (both kegs and bottles) over to Boracay from Manila. The second issue is that Boracy is very popular with Japanes and South Korean tourists, of which many have caught the Craft Beer Bug and decent on the restaurant to imbibe in dinner and microbrews.

 

Once you decide which one you want to stick with, they bring out ice cold mugs. Very nice after stepping in from the tropical heat!

The chicken wings were battered in tempura and tossed in a soy honey sauce. 

Aside from Los Indios Bravos, I am afraid that your craft beer experience on Boracay will be limited. However, with the continued growth of the industry, I am sure you will soon find more locations on the island to enjoy a craft. That being said, I plan to head back next summer.

CHEERS!

August 26-27, 2017

I know this sounds a little nuts, but I flew out to an island in the Philippines just to go to a new microbrewery. I literally arrived the first morning, sampled craft beer throughout the afternoon and evening, and was on a 7AM flight out the next morning.

During the month of August, 2017, I had the opportunity to fly out to the Philippine Island of Palawan. I arrived by way of a Cebu Pacific double header red-eye flight from Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) to Manila and onwards to the town of Puerto Princesa on Palawan.

A few months earlier, I had emailed the crew at PALAWEÑO BREWERY to ensure they would be open on my arrival day as my plan had been specifically fly over for the afternoon/evening and see their establishment and of course, sample several of their craft beer! I had asked that they set aside a bottle of any special beers they produced from the time of my request until my arrival. They told me the request would be looked after.

Upon arriving at the Puerto Princesa Airport, I was picked up by the complimentary hotel shuttle that took me to the new Best Western Plus ‘The Ivywall Hotel’. The trip took all of six minutes. Once I had checked into my hotel, I had a swim, small nap and then took a trike taxi over the Palaweno Brewery. The drive only took five minutes and soon I was walking down a shaded path to my craft beer tasting.

The Palaweno Brewery is owned and operated by two ladies, Ayah and Malu, who have turned their small craft brewery into a growing business. My tour of the grounds was fairly limited as they are expanding and there was construction on the site as they look to expand their facilities. Perhaps more importantly, the quaint tasting room was open and a seat at the bar was available. (Opening hours: Monday-Saturday 1PM-9PM) 

The tasting room is up a staircase and the open windows provided a nice cross breeze.

The room originally served as a type of family recreation room before it was converted to its current use.

Perhaps more importantly, the quaint tasting room was open and a seat at the bar was available. (Opening hours: Monday-Saturday 1PM-9PM)

The core line of beers ranged from an American Amber Ale that they called ‘Ambog Ale’ through to a Belgian Wheat Beer called ‘Palawan Wit’, Honey Kolsh called ‘Palaw’an’, a Honey Nut Brown named ‘Hunter’ which were both made with local honey and an IPA called ‘Ayahay’.

In addition to the core range, the ladies had set aside three beers for me that had sold out to the public. I was able to sample an Oatmeal Stout called ‘NogNog’, a White IPA called ‘White Sands’, and finally, a Mango IPA simply named ‘Mango De Palawan’ which was made from fruit harvested directly from the property.

I won’t go into tasting notes for each beer, however, they only service bottles so bring a friend to share in the tasting, or be prepared to take is slow if you want to try their full lineup!

As a side note, spending only one day on Palawan was almost criminal. The island is a beautiful tropical location. I am told there are some great tourist things to do such as visiting the Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park as well as diving off the coast of El Nido in the north of the island.

I look forward to my next visit.

CHEERS!