Thai 'beer culture': richer than you think…

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Honestly confess that I was a pillar of support and bar in a past life The Culminator, an Antwerp beer temple in the truest sense of the word, which has rightly been known for years by the renowned Rate bear is considered one of the top beer pubs in the world. My pleasant stay at the winding bar of this establishment has not made me a full-blooded beerologist or beer connoisseur, but an enthusiast who can speak with some knowledge of the facts.

Although I frankly admit that my preference for liquor is more with Single Malt Whiskey and I with my emigration to Thailand, with pain in the heart and a dry throat, my extensive collection of more than 120 Whiskeys among those who care about me dealt heart layers…

But to the point. I've been reading this blog for quite a few years and what intrigues me is that whenever an item is dedicated to beer in Thailand, the same brand names keep coming up. I've been coming to Thailand for a long time and over the years, and I readily admit, sometimes not without some effort, I've been able to taste a much larger selection of native beer than the average Farang tourist or expat. I know this is not self-evident and that is not to say anything with my sense of adventure but also with Thai protectionism, very bizarre legislation and the associated business interests of the Happy Few to make.

Oh yes, before I start I want to warn sensitive readers: This is a highly subjective story.

Let's start with a few greasy brothers from the Great Singha en Chang families. I would like to tap first from the Singhavaatje Brouwerij Boon Rawd, producer of the most iconic and oldest Thai beer also makes Thailand Beer (6,5%) that it was once written on this blog that it's 'offers the most alcohol for the least baht' and with which in fact, as far as I am concerned, everything is said. An uninspired one pils from ten in a dozen… Boon Rawd, in partnership with inBev, also signs for the German-style beer brewed under the supervision of the Kloster brewery of the same name in Neustadt Kloster Beer. Again not really a spectacular beer, but good for a fun fact: there are several locations in Germany that bear the name Neustadt, but you will look in vain for a Kloster Brauerei… It simply does not exist. No idea why the Singha brewers have set up such a ridiculous marketing strategy – if that at all –…

The same consideration also applies Mittweida from the same Singhastal. It's not because you name your lager after a German town that it suddenly becomes better quality… Although I have to admit that this is a better attempt than the Kloster experiment. However, there is still hope because Boon Rawd produces yet another German style beer, Est. 33 Snowy Weizen, a crystal clear one crystal white which was significantly better than I expected and stands up to comparison with Kloster or Mitweida with flying colours. The Est. 33 Copper is an amber-coloured beer that owes its copper-coloured look to the roasted brown Gabar rice incorporated into it. However, I have not yet been able to taste it and only mention it for the sake of completeness. This also applies to Boon Rawd's latest product, ES Bear. A lager that was created sometime in the early Second Millennium and is in fact a blend of a Blonde ale with tequila. I don't even know if this maverick is still being produced at all…. Super Lion, a strong (6,8 %) Malt Liquor Beer is brewed by the Khonkaen Brewery, a subsidiary of Boon Rawd. Aromatic and quite tasteful, it belongs to the better middle class in my opinion. I was led to believe that this beer was originally marketed as Super Leo, but I have not found any confirmation of this. Also You Bear, so-called pale bearing belongs to the Singha offer. Thankfully, it's a little less sugary than the denomination Valentine's Day Limited Edition who got it. In fact, compared to many other pilsner beers from the region, it is quite tasty.

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Ark, a lager from the Cosmos Brewery – now part of the Chang-producing Thai Beverage Public Company – is cheaper than the big brands but certainly doesn't rival them in terms of quality. Inspired by the American Lagers, genre Miller or Pabst, with an alcohol volume of 5% it was slightly more alcohol-rich than the average Thai lager. However, in 40 the alcohol volume was reduced to 2014%. In my opinion it is and remains a somewhat tasteless 'flat', boring lager. Not really anything to write home about. Cosmos Brewery is also responsible for Federbrau Beer, a bearing that, as the name suggests, is German-inspired. With 5% alcohol by volume, it is a very drinkable lager, but that is about all. Black Dragon is an amber beer from the Changstal. Despite the balanced bitter-sweet aftertaste, it lacks body. As far as I'm concerned, a missed opportunity. The latter is absolutely the case Huntsman, an wheat ale, die to the category 'Preferably To Forget Thai Drinking Experiences ASAPbelongs. Brrr…. The T, a pale lager with 6,5% alcohol by volume, is clearly from a different angle and is comparable to big brother Chang, albeit not quite. The Changstal also features with Trucker Premium Strong Beer about a Malt-liquor beer. In terms of taste, it reminds me a bit of Super Lion from competitor Singha, but with 8% alcohol by volume at tropical temperatures, it is not immediately harmless.

Tiger is a product of Thai Asia Pacific Brewery (APB) a Offspring of Asia Pacific Brewers, a group with a Dutch touch because the parent company Fraser & Neave has had a joint venture with Heineken since 1931. In 2013, Heineken took over Asia Pacific and Tiger became a licensed product of Heineken Asia Pacific. Originated in 1930 in Singapore, Tiger has also been brewed in Thailand since 2004. However, despite various promotional campaigns, the beer has so far failed to really penetrate the Thai market. Perhaps this is because no one on the 'umpteenth beer in a row 'is waiting… Thai Asia Pacific is also responsible for the Tiger clone Cheers Lower en Cheers Lager X-tra, Cheers Selection Riceberry, Cheers Selection Northern Strawberry and the – bizarre to my taste buds – Cheers Shogun Orange Lager. According to me, from this last series only Cheers Lager is also available in bottle because I've only seen the others canned.

Let us now dwell on what I consider for the sake of simplicity Local Beers name. A relatively new but ambitious player on the market Pattaya Lager Beer. It could of course also be my constitution, but after consuming three of these beers I started to suffer from regurgitation that quickly evolved into oversized burps… Maybe there is something wrong with the carbonation process because a week later it was back to normal again. that… Phuket Lager Bear – pointed it out Phuket Island Bear – is of a different category. Fresh with a fruity element and hints of lime and lemongrass. First released in 2002, it is brewed at the Bangkok branch of San Miguel and Cambodia's Phnom Phen Brewery. Due to the connection with San Miguel in the Philippines, Phuket Lager is, to my knowledge, the only Thai local beer that is now also available in the United States and some European countries (including France and Spain). Thai Amarit Classic Lager which is brewed exclusively by San Miguel, I also consider to be local because produced and mainly distributed in Pathumthani province. Thai Amarit Bangkok Beer is their most brewed lager and popular in Bangkok and the surrounding area, but unfortunately does not rise above the average.

Chao Siam Wheat Beer is a product of Chao Siam. I was told that as a tribute to the Flemish brewers and their world-famous wheat beers, it was effectively named wheat beer. Served wonderfully cold, it is not too strong (4,7%) and above all a tasty thirst quencher with a distinct citrus aroma. This beer comes from the Bangkok-based Thai-Australian Joint Venture Chao Siam brewery, which also owns the Chao Siam Pale Ale en Indian Pale markets ale.

Clearly Ouits inspired is the Tawandang German brewery in Bangkok. In addition to the traditional lager, you can also go here for a Dunkel & Wheat. I only had a chance to taste this last beer and I must admit that I liked this product quite a bit. There is no doubt in the aroma a hint of banana and in terms of taste there is also an unmistakable fruity component with what I think was a hint of corinader. Just a little too many bubbles for my taste, but otherwise a great thirst quencher.

Chalawan Pale Ale – MeSamong / Shutterstock.com

It is completely fruity Silom Jackfruit Porter from Silom Brewery, the most recent product (2017) from the Silom Brewery. This micro-brewery stands out for its quality and innovative brewing and that can only be applauded. Silom also has a Wheat and two hefty stouts on the market. The pitch black Pirate Naughty even has an alcohol content of 10%, making it one of the strongest Thai beers.

Fortunately, more and more smaller companies are no longer unsettled by the rigorous regulations and the quasi-monopoly of the big ones. And fortunately, because their efforts are appreciated by the true lovers of the sparkling barley drink. Take, for example, the products of Eleventh Fort Brewing. This brewery in Samutprakan, which started as a semi-illegal home brewery, is one of the youngest players in the micro-brewery business, having been founded in 2105. Despite its tender age, the quality of the products that leave the brew kettles here is already highly regarded by connoisseurs. highly rated. Incidentally, Elevent Forth not only brews beer, but it is also a coffee roaster. In view of my more than healthy aversion to this stinking stuff from hell, you should not expect a review from me here and I will limit myself to the barley juice they produce. They have three beers that are available all year round, both in bottles and on draft, which I especially like because of the full, honest taste of their dark Black India Pale Ale (8 %) was ported.

Full Moon Brewworks is not in Bangkok but on Phuket. This micro-brewery, with no less than 19 beers on offer, is also a very busy bee. It was the first Thai micto brewery to be awarded a gold medal for a domestic beer. In 2016 they got gold for their Chalawan Pale Ale on the World Beer Awards in London. And this was not wrong as I was allowed to testify myself because this is just a very nice pint ... This brewery produces various white beers, which unfortunately are not all of the same quality, and a handful of special beers. In the latter category, I got to taste a few glasses of a brew called FMX – 0809: a pineapple-based beer: surprisingly fresh with a full, dominantly fruity finish with a touch of pepper. A must for beer lovers. They even have aBelgian Indian Pale Ale and a season type, the Dusk till Dawn, an Belgian farmhouse ale a golden, almost creamy lager in their offer…

Dirty Forty originated from the brains of three friends, the Bootleg Brothers, two of which are the beer café The Counting Sheep run. They have both a lager (4,5%) and an amber-colored beer (5%) in their limited range. I only managed to taste the amber and I readily admit that it is a pleasant, soft drinking beer. An absolute asset is that these brewers go for pure nature and do not add any preservatives to their product. The guy behind the Taopihop Ale Project made headlines in early 2017 when he was arrested for running an illegal home brewery. Once released, he opened his own bar a few weeks later and in May of the same year launched his first legal Vietnam-brewed beer, Hurtster. A mild top-fermented beer grafted onto the Flemish seasonal type with a full hop flavour.

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Bannok Micro Brewery launched in October 2017 Kiss me Deadly (5%) a fresh lager with a clear lychee touch and an Indian Pale Ale, Honey Bomb (5%). I only have the Kiss me Deadly can consume. A pretty tasty beer, but a bit too sweet for my taste… One of the most recent craft beer on the Thai market Sivilai, a not-so-nice Vietnam-brewed lager (5%) launched at the beginning of this month. The father of this beer is the owner of legendary Let the boy oe Beer Bar in Bangkok. It is an ambitious lager because with a retail price of 69 baht it is offered at a significantly lower price than most craft beer. Moreover, it will be available in supermarkets such as Tops, Central, Foodland and Makro within a few weeks.

There are several dozen other beers on the market from Thai microbreweries, often brewed in neighboring countries like Laos and Cambodia, but I won't review them because I haven't been able to get my hands on them yet. Nevertheless, Dear Reader, after this limited overview, you have undoubtedly gained the impression that there is still hope and we may very well be allowed to speak of a real Thai beer culture one day… Plaice!