Page 31 - Thirst Magazine Issue No. 3 Coffee & Tea
P. 31
BEER
IN
VIETNAM
The first brewery in Vietnam, Hommel
Brewery, was opened by the French in 1893
in Hoang Hoa Tham, producing 33 Beer using
German ingredients to serve the French
officials. The name was later changed to 333 in
1975 after the American War to distance itself
from its colonial roots. The brand now belongs
to the state-owned Sabeco Brewery since 2012. THE 2014 is seen as the year when craft breweries
Right after the country opened its gates started to take off in Vietnam. Fuzzy Logic
in 1991, Heineken Vietnam Brewery Limited by Americans Colin O’Keefe and Max
Company was granted the license to construct RISE Crawford (which actually started in 2012), and
its brewery in Vietnam, becoming the first Platinum Premium Beers by Michael Comerton
international brewery to set foot in the introduced ales into the predominantly lagers
country. Carlsberg followed suit in 1993. OF market. Beer-loving Americans John Reid
Due to its alliance with the Council for and Alex Violette through Pasteur Street
Mutual Economic Assistance (COMECON), Brewing Company, produced American style
Czech and German style beers were widely CRAFT techniques and beers, such as IPAs and goses,
distributed in Vietnam. When COMECON with Vietnamese ingredients.
dissolved in the 90s, returning Vietnamese Very rapidly within the last 2 years, craft
brought back the brewing knowledge and BEER breweries and craft beer bars have proliferated
recipes, and started a boom of microbreweries. around Saigon and Hanoi with brands such as
Today, there are over 40 Czech and German Tê Tê, Phat Rooster, Furbrew, Winking Seal
style microbreweries across Vietnam. and Heart of Darkness to name just a handful.
Some are within walking distance from each
other. The latest openings are East West
Brewing Co with its three-level brewpub in
November 2016 and Phat Rooster’s sister branch
Hen House right across the alley to attract
more foot traffic. There are currently 17 craft
breweries and the number is growing fast.
Quán Ụt Ụt, an American barbeque
restaurant with 2 outlets in Saigon, has
complemented the craft beer drinking
experience with their fall-off-the-bones barbeque
dishes, sausages and sliders. The restaurant
also runs Bia Craft in 2 locations, where they
serve their own brand of craft beers brewed
contractually as well as beers from other craft
QUÁN breweries in Vietnam.
Complete your craft beer experience
ỤT by booking a craft brew tour with Craft
Beer Vietnam.
ỤT has attracted Southeast Asia’s only annual
The rapid growth of craft beer demand
CraftBeerVietnamEvents Conference this year was held in Ho Chi Minh
Conference and Trade Fair dedicated to the
brewing industry. The annual SEA Brew
City. The conference saw a gathering of craft
beer industries from the region as well as
internationally. With high production costs in
neighbouring countries such as Singapore and
Hong Kong, as well as the brewing restrictions
in Thailand, craft brewers are looking for
alternative locations to brew their beers.
Vietnam has its advantage in terms of cost
and accessibility, and therefore makes an ideal
brewing destination.
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