South Asia and Central Asia are not exactly beer hotspots. There are good reasons for this, but also some reasons for optimism that the situation could change. I think for beer geeks Sri Lanka is the most attractive country in the region, not just for Lion Stout but for all of the other different stouts [...]
Japan has long been Asia’s beer powerhouse. When I first got into good beer, there might not have been a single craft brewer in all of Asia. When Japan legalized microbrewing, that changed. I have heard criticisms of Japan’s scene as being stagnant, with few new breweries, but since most of us haven’t been there, [...]
Southeast Asia outside of Singapore and Vietnam is not entirely a wasteland, but it can often resemble one. Drinking in the region is often relegated to tourist-oriented bars or to karaoke bars, KTVs, corner restaurants and other Asian drinking establishments not normally frequented by Westerners. Most of the latter group serve very little of interest, [...]
Chinese culture – drinking culture included – extends far beyond the strict borders of the PRC. Although Hong Kong can be accessed via the subway from Shenzhen, it requires customs clearance and operates very much like an independent nation. The city-state should be home to a healthy beer culture. Where Chinese and English colonial influences [...]
China is the world’s largest beer market, but that means little when it is considered that most Chinese beer is pale, weak and cheap, and that individually Chinese people don’t really drink that much at all. The growth in China’s wealth has, however, attracted a fledgling craft beer industry, albeit a struggling one. Craft beer [...]
Perhaps one of the most surprising beer scenes in Asia right now is that of Vietnam. When word first began trickling out – I believe via Tim Webb – that Vietnam was home to a multitude of brewpubs the beer world began to take notice. The numbers are actually pretty impressive. By my count, there [...]
With the exception of Japan, craft beer in Asia is more a curiosity than anything else. One happy exception is Singapore. Singapore is an anomaly in South-East Asia not just for its modernity, but also for its strong brewpub scene. The city has the second-most brewpubs in the region (behind Hanoi) and the quality level [...]
Rapidly modernizing Asia is a potential hotbed of great beer activity, but for the most part this potential is just that. There are a lot of challenges to building beer markets here – economic development, lack of beer culture, Islam and complex regulatory regimes. Yet from ex-pat entrepreneurs to companies like Paulaner, craft beer progress [...]
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