Brewpubs in Vietnam

Vietnam is one of the biggest surprises in the world of beer – it actually has a beer scene. There are upwards of twenty brewpubs here, including 12-15 in Hanoi depending on how you count them. None of them cater to the tourist crowd. They’re all for locals.

Vietnamese brewpubs are typically Czech in inspiration – some sort of deal was worked out whereby the Czech government sold the Vietnamese government on the idea of brewpubs, including equipment and brewer training. Today, beer loving visitors to Vietnam are the beneficiaries of this arrangement.

Most places are giant beer halls, which can be rather disconcerting when you’re the only customer. The Goldmalt locations in Hanoi are an exception – much more drinking-friendly and cozy. Invariably the range will have a Vang (pale) and Den (dark). If there is a third beer, it is likely a variant of a pale lager. Though the pales purport to be pilsners, they are seldom very hoppy, the one at Hoa Vien being an exception.

Quality levels vary. Some are pretty grim, others not so bad. A few are even quite good. There is little variety, but we tried to see them all anyway. There are so many in Hanoi, however, that we just knew they had not all been discovered. We found a couple of low-grade spots that seem to make their beer with an extract kit…or maybe they rebadge a local low-grade brew. Tough to say sometimes, since I don’t speak Vietnamese.

The highlights of the Hanoi beer scene are as follows. The best beer is at Hoa Vien, both pale and dark. Windmill has good beer, too. Both of those places also have a solid atmosphere. Windmill has a lovely courtyard, while Hoa Vien is in a magnificent showpiece building.

Legends is the one everybody can try, right by Hoan Kiem Lake in the heart of town. Their beer is okay, and watching the traffic from the outside balcony is a good time. Also in the old town, Gammerbier isn’t very good and neither is Big Boss, but you’ll probably check them both out anyway.

Some of the brewpubs are very far-flung, like Cientos and Lac Vien. Both are easy to reach on the bus system. The buses are easy to figure out, are well-signposted and cost 16 cents per trip.

There are further brewpubs to the south of the country as well, and those will be explored in due time.