A special pint of beer
On Sunday, Christine, Bobby, and I knocked back a few pints at 3rd Culture Brewing Co.
First, a little back story. Back in the old days (2009-2012), it wasn't that easy to get a good pint of craft beer in Singapore. Certain restaurants catering to Western expatriates may have had some imports, but by design, these restaurants are expensive. Back in my student days, I wasn't going to spend much time at such places. I mostly hung out in the coffee shops and hawker centers drinking the local brew, Tiger. Tiger is not bad, and it is cool and refreshing on a hot day or night. But in the US we are spoiled for beer choice, and it may be hard to live in a mono-beer culture when you've grown used to a culture where craft beer proliferates, with each sip tastier than the last.
Well, craft beer is coming to Singapore. There are now a number of microbreweries around (there was only one -- that I knew about -- when I was a student here). Proper restaurants may still, of course, offer some good (and expensive) beers within their air-conditioned confines. But innovation is changing this: the hawker center craft beer stall has arrived. There are a few around now, and one of them, 3rd Culture Brewing Co, was opened by my Singaporean friend, Manbeer, from my days as a Singaporean law student. Yes, his Mom gave him that name, and he is a man who now serves beer for a living.
Drinking in Singapore generally trends a bit expensive for a few reasons. Taxes on beer are relatively high compared to the U.S. One could guess this is to discourage binge drinking, or it could be that it is just lucrative to tax booze. Many booze items are also imported (and in relatively small quantities to boot because Singapore is a small country) and require a lot of refrigeration, so this also adds to the purveyor's cost, which is passed onto the customer (me).
Craft beer may seem anathema to the hawker center institution. The hawker center would be where the old uncles sit arguing about soccer and petrol prices while imbibing in low cost food and drink indulgences. Craft beer in Singapore is always going to be sold at a price point above Tiger because it is produced in lower volumes (among other reasons). Nevertheless, Singaporeans' tastes are expanding, and there are now several hawker stalls selling craft beer. While a bowl of noodles at a hawker stall would average about US$2.50 or a Tiger about $4.00, a pint of sweet, delicious, cold, craft beer may cost at least US$6. By Chicago standards, that price isn't bad, but when compared to the local food, you can see that it seems relatively expensive. Of course, when Singaporean cars and houses are so expensive, craft beer looks cheap by comparison. You do the math.
Remember that the point of a hawker stall is that the hawker may only offer one or two dishes, but those dishes will be his specialty. By the economic theory of comparative advantage, he is focusing on what he is absolutely the best at, something he can produce cheaper than the competition while charging a relatively high price. By focusing, he seeks to maximize his profits, which he can then use to buy the goods and services that he does not produce himself because it would be too costly for him to do so.
The specialty of 3rd Culture Brewing Co is craft beer, and it does craft beer oh so well. It has a high tech dispenser system that ensures the beer always comes out super cold. Manbeer buys only small kegs and rotates his selection constantly (as his happy customers quickly clean out the kegs' contents). He cleans his tap lines regularly. It is hot in Singapore -- every day -- and this beer always comes out fresh and ice cold. You can picture how refreshing it is.
Most of his customers are Caucasian expatriates, but there are some local customers and Asian tourists. It may be a while before craft beer catches on in Singapore like in the U.S. -- maybe it never will -- but the trend is looking very positive, my friends; very positive.
Right across from 3rd Culture is the Tian Tian chicken rice stall that was made internationally famous by Anthony Bourdain (and now it even has a Bib Gourmand award from the Michelin Guide -- high praise indeed). Tourists and Singaporeans are constantly lined up for this chicken rice. You can imagine those sweaty ang mohs, waiting in line, tourist guide books in hand, looking over at the ice cold beer being poured at 3rd Culture, and just dreaming of a sip. This location across from Tian Tian makes the beer stall very visible to travelers. After all, Anthony Bourdain's show speaks to travelers, travelers who may be heading to Tian Tian and may be missing their craft beer from home (if they're lucky enough to be from a country where craft beer proliferates or if they've encountered such a place on their travels). Not a bad location strategy.
Hence, what I see developing is an international culture of craft beer. The craft beer phenomenon is not limited to the U.S. (and now Singapore). In South Korea, an adventurer must go out of his way to find craft beer, but when he does, it can be very, very good (Magpie in Seoul is awesome.). Japan also has some craft brews, too -- Hitachino is sold in the States and is worth ordering at any price. Next month I plan to scour Tokyo for local craft beer along with Bobby. I haven't been to China since 2009 but sadly did not see any craft beer while there.
In some ways, Europe has always had a craft beer culture because there are many small producers, many of whom have been brewing for a very long time, even centuries. I understand that laws in Europe can constrain beer innovation, however. Beer in Germany can only be made using old methods, similar to wine in France -- though this may be loosening.
And thus, the traveler can use his adventures to join the international beverage appreciation culture, comprised of people who love beer innovation and general deliciousness in beverages.
First, a little back story. Back in the old days (2009-2012), it wasn't that easy to get a good pint of craft beer in Singapore. Certain restaurants catering to Western expatriates may have had some imports, but by design, these restaurants are expensive. Back in my student days, I wasn't going to spend much time at such places. I mostly hung out in the coffee shops and hawker centers drinking the local brew, Tiger. Tiger is not bad, and it is cool and refreshing on a hot day or night. But in the US we are spoiled for beer choice, and it may be hard to live in a mono-beer culture when you've grown used to a culture where craft beer proliferates, with each sip tastier than the last.
Well, craft beer is coming to Singapore. There are now a number of microbreweries around (there was only one -- that I knew about -- when I was a student here). Proper restaurants may still, of course, offer some good (and expensive) beers within their air-conditioned confines. But innovation is changing this: the hawker center craft beer stall has arrived. There are a few around now, and one of them, 3rd Culture Brewing Co, was opened by my Singaporean friend, Manbeer, from my days as a Singaporean law student. Yes, his Mom gave him that name, and he is a man who now serves beer for a living.
Drinking in Singapore generally trends a bit expensive for a few reasons. Taxes on beer are relatively high compared to the U.S. One could guess this is to discourage binge drinking, or it could be that it is just lucrative to tax booze. Many booze items are also imported (and in relatively small quantities to boot because Singapore is a small country) and require a lot of refrigeration, so this also adds to the purveyor's cost, which is passed onto the customer (me).
Craft beer may seem anathema to the hawker center institution. The hawker center would be where the old uncles sit arguing about soccer and petrol prices while imbibing in low cost food and drink indulgences. Craft beer in Singapore is always going to be sold at a price point above Tiger because it is produced in lower volumes (among other reasons). Nevertheless, Singaporeans' tastes are expanding, and there are now several hawker stalls selling craft beer. While a bowl of noodles at a hawker stall would average about US$2.50 or a Tiger about $4.00, a pint of sweet, delicious, cold, craft beer may cost at least US$6. By Chicago standards, that price isn't bad, but when compared to the local food, you can see that it seems relatively expensive. Of course, when Singaporean cars and houses are so expensive, craft beer looks cheap by comparison. You do the math.
Remember that the point of a hawker stall is that the hawker may only offer one or two dishes, but those dishes will be his specialty. By the economic theory of comparative advantage, he is focusing on what he is absolutely the best at, something he can produce cheaper than the competition while charging a relatively high price. By focusing, he seeks to maximize his profits, which he can then use to buy the goods and services that he does not produce himself because it would be too costly for him to do so.
The specialty of 3rd Culture Brewing Co is craft beer, and it does craft beer oh so well. It has a high tech dispenser system that ensures the beer always comes out super cold. Manbeer buys only small kegs and rotates his selection constantly (as his happy customers quickly clean out the kegs' contents). He cleans his tap lines regularly. It is hot in Singapore -- every day -- and this beer always comes out fresh and ice cold. You can picture how refreshing it is.
Most of his customers are Caucasian expatriates, but there are some local customers and Asian tourists. It may be a while before craft beer catches on in Singapore like in the U.S. -- maybe it never will -- but the trend is looking very positive, my friends; very positive.
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| My friends Ruizi, Manbeer, and Bobby at 3rd Culture Brewing Co at Maxwell Food Centre. |
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| A couple of satisfied customers at 3rd Culture. |
Hence, what I see developing is an international culture of craft beer. The craft beer phenomenon is not limited to the U.S. (and now Singapore). In South Korea, an adventurer must go out of his way to find craft beer, but when he does, it can be very, very good (Magpie in Seoul is awesome.). Japan also has some craft brews, too -- Hitachino is sold in the States and is worth ordering at any price. Next month I plan to scour Tokyo for local craft beer along with Bobby. I haven't been to China since 2009 but sadly did not see any craft beer while there.
In some ways, Europe has always had a craft beer culture because there are many small producers, many of whom have been brewing for a very long time, even centuries. I understand that laws in Europe can constrain beer innovation, however. Beer in Germany can only be made using old methods, similar to wine in France -- though this may be loosening.
And thus, the traveler can use his adventures to join the international beverage appreciation culture, comprised of people who love beer innovation and general deliciousness in beverages.
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