Brewing Up a Storm: Vietnam’s Craft Beer Industry and where to drink them in Ho Chi Minh City
In 2020, Vietnam placed number 9 on the list of the world’s largest beer consumers (no. 1 in Southeast Asia) with an estimated consumption of 3,845 million kilo litres per year accounting for 2.20% of the global market share.
With a growing middle class and majority young population (25% of Vietnam’s population is aged between 16 and 30), sipping on an ice-cold beer is fast becoming a popular social activity and part of the nation’s food and drink culture. In fact, Vietnam’s current consumption grew a staggering 40% increase since 2010. With Vietnam’s thirst for beer on the rise, countless producers (more than 30 craft breweries as of 2018) have stepped up to produce the nation’s beloved beverage including commercial factories and beer hobbyists.
While traditional Vietnamese brands such as SABECO (Saigon Bia) and international ones (Heineken and Habeco) make up a big chunk of the market, smaller homegrown craft beer brands are becoming more popular amongst local Vietnamese.
An insight into Vietnam’s craft beer boom
However, craft beer’s journey into the hearts of young Vietnamese hasn’t been an easy one. In the beginning, Vietnamese wouldn’t drink craft beer due to its higher price (regular beer is about USD 30 cents per bottle, while craft beer in Vietnam ranges between 2.9 to 3.8 USD per bottle) as well as its “bitter and complex flavour” as compared to the lighter mouthfeel typical of Vietnamese beer.
It was not until 2014/15 that the craft beer trend picked up amongst local Vietnamese namely those living in Hanoi and Saigon with even big beer players such as Bia Saigon featuring images of hops and craft beer on their marketing campaigns instead of the usual images of people gathering and clinking their glasses together. Plus, more premium products (along with a higher price point) by large beverage conglomerates such as Beer Saigon Gold (50,000 VND per can) reflects market potential for better quality beers.
Bia Saigon Gold (Photo courtesy of Bia Saigon)
Vietnam’s beer market is expected to reach 9.5 billion USD in 2025 (an estimated CAGR of 6.44% between 2021 and 2025) fueled by the growth of the country’s middle class, which will account for more than 50% of the population by 2045.
Read more about Vietnam’s booming craft beer movement in my interview with Oliver Woods, Founder of Beer Asia
7 homegrown Vietnamese craft beer brews in Saigon
Heart of Darkness
Photo Courtesy of Heart of Darkness
Heart of Darkness was born in 2016 from CEO and founder John Pemberton’s love for craft beer that he acquired when he was living in New York. Together with a handful of craft brewers, Heart of Darkness was a pioneer in Vietnam’s craft beer industry.
Today, Heart of Darkness has produced over 300 beer styles (HOD produces over 100 new beers a year!) including distinct and unique flavours such as Strawberry Daiquiri Sour, Captain Pale Ale, Cold Fog Pineapple, Pineapple hazy IPA. Boasting a collection of medals around the Pacific Rim, you can find HOD’s award-winning brews in multiple venues across Vietnam as well as in Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Cambodia, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Finland and New Zealand.
Address: 31D Lý Tự Trọng, Bến Nghé, Quận 1 Ho Chi Minh City
Price: Average 80,000 VND (3 USD) per bottle
Website: https://heartofdarknessbrewery.com
Platinum
Photo Courtesy of Platinum
Platinum is Vietnam’s original Craft Beer and was launched by Irish-born, Brewmaster Michael Comerton. According to Platinum’s website, it is the “first official craft brewery in Vietnam” making its Platinum Pale Ale (2014) the “first official craft beer” in the country.
Platinum’s mission is simple: provide beer-drinkers in Asia with healthier, premium quality beers that “serve as a gateway into the multifarious world of craft”. Here, Platinum takes key elements of the local drinking culture and implements them into their brewing philosophy. The result is a range of 100% natural, flavorful and sessionable beers such as the Golden Citra (aromas of citrus and lime with tropical fruity notes from mango, lychee, gooseberry, and bright orange) and The East Sea Ale (hoppy aromas with refreshing spicy notes and grapefruit).
Address: 61 Phung Khac Khoan, District 1, HCMC
Price: A pack of 6 bud light platinum is about 10 dollars. Platinum golden craft 330ml costs about 2.2 dollars.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PlatinumBia
Website: https://platinumbia.vn/
East West Brewing
Photo Courtesy of East West Brewing
Founded by Loc Truong, a Vietnamese-American who worked at Anheuser-Busch InBev – the company behind brands such as Stella Artois and Corona – before striking out with his founding partners. Loc believes a lot of the “why” craft beer consumption is increasing amongst young Vietnamese lies in its better quality, greater awareness and also who’s behind it.
With a massive industrial-designed chic restaurant and bar with an impressive brewery boasting steel fermenting tanks and a barrel-ageing room located in District 1, East West Brewery is home to everything from lighter hops and fruity pale ales (East Sea Ale with fruity aromas of refreshing grapefruit alongside spicy and zesty notes) that act as a stepping stone to stronger types including Far East IPA, Coffee Vanilla Porter, or 12% ABV Independence Stout.
Address: East West Brewing, 181 - 185 Lý Tự Trọng, District 1, HCMC Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam 70000
Price: Average 55,000 VND (2.3 USD) per bottle
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/eastwestbrewery
Website: https://eastwestbrewing.vn/
Pasteur Street Brewing Company
Photo Courtesy of Pasteur Street Brewing Company
When founder John Reid shared his idea with Alex Violette, then Head Brewer at Upslope Brewing, Alex was immediately sold and moved to Vietnam to start Pasteur Street Brewing Company in 2014. Named after the street where their first tap rooms are located, PSBC, as its more affectionately known in the craft beer community, has enjoyed unprecedented growth since.
With over 200 distinct beers and 4 tap rooms, PSBC is one of the most widely-distributed craft beers in Vietnam. From tropical fruity flavours such as Jasmine IPA, pomelo, passion fruit and…durian (perhaps the first and only to produce Durian beer in Vietnam!), PSBC also ties up with local homegrown brands such as Marou Chocolate to produce flavours unique to Vietnam.
Address: Pasteur Street Brewing is located at 23A Ngo Thoi Nhiem, Ward 6, District 3, Ho Chi Minh.
Price: The price is 2.5 dollars per 300ml bottle, 13.23 dollars for 6 packs of cans - 30ml per can.
Website: https://pasteurstreet.com/
Winking Seal
Photo Courtesy of Winking Seal Beer Company
Winking Seal began over a beer in 2016 with co-founders Brian Kekich and Mark Nerney and is regarded as one of the pioneers in Southeast Asia’s craft beer industry.
Winking Seal brews “Indochine-inspired craft beer adventures” and features a selection of playful seasonal beers and ciders (pumpkin whiskey spiced ale, dragon fruit pale ale and blueberry lime) in addition to its signature brews, which can all be found in its flagship taproom (16 taps with 4 nitro) located in the heart of Saigon.
Address: 50 Dang Thi Nhu Street, Nguyen Thai Binh Ward, District 1 Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam 700000
Price: The price is from 2 dollars to 4 dollars by the glass
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/winkingseal
Website: https://winkingseal.com/en-vn
C-Brewmaster
Photo Courtesy of C-Brewmaster
Opened in 2016, C-Brewmaster is one of a growing number of Vietnamese-owned and operated craft breweries founded in 2016. Founded by Nguyen Van Cuong Woh graduated as a Master's Brewer from the Scandinavian School of Brewing (Copenhagen, Denmark).
C-Brewmaster breweries are located in Hanoi and Tiengiang and span an impressive 6,000m2 boasting state-of-the-art brewing equipment from Germany with the ability to produce 6000 litres per batch. Taking inspiration from the country’s local terroir, C-Brewmaster’s beers feature unique ingredients such as honey, acerola cherry, and ginger genie.
Address: 12/4C Nguyen Thi Minh Khai Street, District 1 Ho Chi Minh City
Price: 40,000 VND (1.7 USD per bottle)
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CBrewmaster/
Website: http://c-brewmaster.vn
7 Bridges Brewing Company
Photo Courtesy of 7 Bridges Brewing Company
Founded by Stanley Boots and Saori Ushimi in Danang, 7 Bridges is an award-winning craft brewery serving up “impact brews” that have a tangible social and environmental impact in the community. From being the first microbrewery in Danang in 2017, 7 Bridges Brewery has since snatched up a collection of awards at the Asian Beer Championship, Asia Beer Fest and the Hong Kong Interntionational Wine & Spirits Competition amongst others in just two years!
Today you can find 7 Bridges brews across multiple venues in the country and in their taprooms located in Danang, Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. PS, we recommend the Blonde Pale Ale.
Address: 15b/12 Lê Thánh Tôn, Bên Nghé, Quận 1 Ho Chi Minh City
Price: Approximately 2 dollars per bottle
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/7bridgessaigon/
Website: https://www.7bridges.vn/
Thirsty for more? Check out my interview about Vietnam’s booming craft beer industry with Oliver Woods, Founder of Beer Asia.
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