Page 25 - Thirst Magazine Issue 2 June 2017

20 BEERS ON TAP; 6 HOUSE BEERS AND

14 THAT WILL KEEP ON SURPRISING.

arpigs Brewpub in Copenhagen a pretty damn good cream ale that won
is a collaboration between the competition opened to Mikkeller’s staff
Mikkeller in Copenhagen and a year prior. But the idea of working to make
Three Floyds from Munster, beer was never in the 37-year-old’s career
WIndiana. The concept is to plan when she set off to study in Baltimore
serve craft beers with the characters of these 13 years ago.
two breweries and authentic Texan barbecue
cuisine. The famous brewpub attracts craft IT WASN’T SUPPOSED TO BE BEER
beer lovers from all around the world and Lan-Xin’s father had always wanted one of his
serves some quirky recipes that you can’t get children to become an engineer. As the eldest
anywhere else. daughter, Lan-Xin was automatically made
Mikkeller was founded by Mikkel Borg to study the profession when it was time for
Bjergsø and Kristian Klarup Keller in 2006 her to enter university. Half a year into the
(Keller has since left the company and is no course, she knew engineering was not for her
longer involved). Mikkeller is famously known because she wanted to be a chef. “I told my
for their gypsy brewing, creating recipes parents that becoming a food scientist is kind
and producing them at various breweries of like an engineer but in the food segment.
in several countries. They have also been Somehow they accepted it and let me go to
opening up outlets in different cities to make culinary school.”
their brews available. After graduating in 2004, she stayed
Three Floyds Brewing Co. started in on in Baltimore and worked as a product
1996, you just can’t get their highly sought developer for a dietary company. But the
after beers outside of the US and even there, job was industrialising food and not actually
available locations are limited. So you can working with real food. Four years later, she
see how excited craft beer lovers were when quit the job, sold everything, packed up and
they heard about Warpigs. Warpigs is the first went travelling in South America and Asia
Mikkeller collaboration that consists of an before returning home. Along the way, she
onsite brewpub that not only supplies to the found she was fascinated with gin distilling
restaurant-bar, but also produces bottles to be and started looking at alcohol production. A
shipped internationally. friend introduced her to James River of Stone
Singaporean Lan-Xin Foo represents Brewery in Vancouver, who had built his
Mikkeller and is Assistant Brewer in the 2 brewery from parts bought in auctions as a
year-old brewhouse alongside Head Brewer side hobby while working as a mycologist.
Kyle Wolak from Three Floyds. 4 years ago When Lan-Xin saw James’ “Frankenstein”
when Lan-Xin was introduced to the first brewery, she was captivated by the process
Mikkeller bar in Copenhagen, she knew she of making beer. “The mash smells like really
wanted to work there. nice porridge,” was how she described it,
That dream materialised when Warpigs and she noted how similar the brewing
opened in 2015 and needed one brewer from process was to cooking - mixing raw
each side of the partnership. Although Lan- ingredients to create different results every
Xin had never brewed professionally, she had time, much like being a chef. She was hooked
attended a 9-month course at the Research and and stayed on to learn brewing from James.
Tech Institute for Brewing in Berlin or VLB After two months, Lan-Xin returned home to
(Versuchs- und Lehranstalt fur Brauerei in Singapore, where she would start brewing her
Berlin e.V.) and most importantly, she brewed own beer at home.

Warpig’s bar

25

FEATURE_LanXinFoo.indd 25 28/5/2017 11:13:53 PM