Time flies. Over two months have passed since I had the privilege of attending Brew Asia 2024 in Singapore ˗ months that came and went in the blink of an eye. Or so it seems in hindsight. In the heat of the moment, on the 3rd and 4th of October, time slowed down just about enough to allow all those present to enjoy the gathering while it lasted. I say just about enough because, as far as I’m concerned, it could have lasted much longer.
Brew Asia 2024 marked the 10th anniversary of the conference and further entrenched its role as a leading international platform for brewers, suppliers, and industry professionals. A full decade of highs, plateaus, and lows, also gone in the blink of an eye. The past few years in particular have been filled with challenges, and the light at the end of the tunnel has often turned out to be a train. The theme for this celebratory edition ˗ ‘Shaping a Stronger Brewing Industry’ ˗ thus highlighted the importance of further innovation and collaboration across the entire sector.
All the components of the sector were represented at a trade fair that covered close to 3,000 m² and featured over 80 globally established industry players. From hop growers to yeast producers, retailers of the latest brewing systems to the developers of advanced packaging solutions, no technological development or emerging trend was left unexamined. More than 800 attendees united by a love of beer congregated at the fair, eager to be enlightened.
The Premiere
Seeing as I had missed out on the previous nine editions, you might say that I was intent on making up for lost time. Within a couple of hours of landing at Seletar Airport on a tropical Wednesday afternoon, the foremost half of the Beer Asia contingent ˗ the vivacious Oliver Woods ˗ and I had made our way to Brewerkz at Riverside Point for the unofficial opening ceremony. At this spacious, breezy venue overlooking the Singapore River, old friends from previous editions came together to share the latest news from their respective corners of the region over a few complimentary brews. The mood was pleasantly uninhibited, the tone of conversation candid ˗ I felt at home straight away!
The evening ended on a high note when, after the next event on the social calendar had been checked, Oliver and I enjoyed a late dinner with the two Goa-based brothers behind Maka Di Beer. It would prove to be the start of one of many new friendships, all of which had a couple of days to grow.
Day 1
The following morning, the proceedings were kicked off with an inspired opening address courtesy of Brew Asia founder Charles Guerrier. Brew Asia 2024 was officially underway, and the larger of the two halls adjacent to the trade fair had filled to the brim.
Next, all those present were treated to a refined, at times borderline spiritual keynote presentation by Paul Jones, Founder and CEO of Manchester’s Cloudwater Brewing Company. Cloudwater are also celebrating their 10th anniversary this year and find themselves ˗ like so many others ˗ in the previously uncharted terrain of a post-boom landscape. Paul eloquently spoke of cultivating a certain sense of resignation to the circumstances affecting craft beer businesses far and wide, no matter how challenging they get, and consolidating efforts to adapt to ever-changing trends and demands more fluently. These points were accentuated with pertinent quotes ascribed to various ancient Eastern philosophers. Again, this is right up my street and I was very much intrigued.
I attended several other sessions that day, including an interesting presentation by Fermentis’ Simon Jeanpierre titled ‘Adventure Into Lager: Exploring Diversity, Improving Efficiency & Quality’ and an insightful talk about the trials and tribulations of managing a craft beer business in India by Manu Gulati, Founder and CEO of Effingut Brewery. There was also a Panel Discussion ˗ moderated by Oliver ˗ on how to grow a craft beer brand that I found especially enjoyable. During this free-flowing conversation between three charismatic panel members, the significance of good branding in tumultuous times was emphasised and the role of digital marketing in strengthening modern brands considered.
A Confederacy of Merrymen
In between sessions, which also included numerous hands-on workshops, attendees flooded out of the halls and into the trade fair. There, more serious discourse was continued by some while others, myself included, mainly partook in jovial banter. A handful of taps had been set up across the fair grounds and there was always a compelling character nearby. The largest of these ˗ the so-called Micro Matic Taproom ˗ was operated by Singapore’s very own Smith Street Taps.
In the morning, I tried a number of brews on tap at the Fermentis stand with Brett Pover, also known as Botak (bald), a living legend in the Singapore craft beer scene; over lunch I was introduced to the lovely couple that run Tenggara Brewing Co. in Indonesia. That afternoon, I had the honour of hanging out with The Guam Brewery entourage and others who had flocked to the Micro Matic Taproom, including the larger-than-life Mike Wayne, head brewer at Papa Bolo in the Philippines.
That evening, the social calendar comprised back-to-back events at various locations where there was beer in abundance and more witticisms to absorb. Cruising around Singapore in group transit vehicles ordered via Grab, the atmosphere went from amiable to exuberant. As midnight approached, I even felt compelled to share what must have seemed like my entire life story with the aforementioned Simon Jeanpierre and Neil Wood, brewer at Heart of Darkness in Vietnam. Thankfully, I wasn’t the only one in the mood for exchanging anecdotes and I am pleased to say that I now know these fine gentlemen a bit better as a result.
Day 2
After Charles had raised the curtain on the second day, all those who had risen early enough were treated to another clear-sighted keynote presentation. Delivered by Andrew Cooper, Executive Director of Coopers Brewery, Australia’s oldest and largest independent brewery, the theme of the hour was resilience. Much like Paul, the previous day’s speaker, Andrew illustrated the need to acknowledge that, in the pursuit of building a long-lasting business, many a storm must be weathered. It is inevitable. The most one can do is take any likely eventualities into account and structure a business accordingly. This is essentially how Coopers has withstood the many tests of time, the brewery’s 162-year history being a testament to that.
I sat in on most of the sessions held in the main hall that day, the range of topics varying from the application of AI in a beer business to the merits of expanding into distilled spirits. During the latter, presented by Andrew Brunson, head brewer at The Guam Brewery, attendees were encouraged to try some of the yam vodka and lemongrass gin of which he spoke. Just like the vast majority of the brews I had tasted over the course of the previous 48 hours, including some of The Guam Brewery’s own range, these spirits were exquisite.
The panel discussions that took place touched on community building and the shape of things to come for the industry. Technological innovations are obviously something to get excited about, the need to adapt to a growing demand for low to non-alcoholic beers and fruit beers possibly less so ˗ for the purists among us, in any case. Nevertheless, a business must be durable in order to achieve its ideals and a popular fruit beer could potentially create room in the books for a niche triple IPA.
The After Party
When the Asia Beer Championship 2024 ˗ held in Singapore the month before ˗ awards had been presented and the location of next year’s Brew Asia announced (Bangkok!), the halls and trade fair quickly cleared out. Before I knew it, the stands were also being taken down and removed. While all of this was going on, I enjoyed a couple of cans of something delicious with Saigon-based Matt Cowan, the driving force behind The Bureau Asia. Matt is a writer, editor, podcaster, and videographer who acted as Brew Asia MC for the second year running. We ended up sharing a Grab back to the hotel, at which point we had already started brainstorming about a promotional video for Brew Asia 2025 and decided that a reconnaissance trip to Bangkok was imperative.
Not long after, Oliver, Matt and I were on our way to the spacious beer garden where the Brew Asia crowd was out in force, singing along to 90’s hits performed by the excellent house band and congratulating one another on a most splendid anniversary. A group transit vehicle then transported us to a taproom where a pair of DJs inspired us to clear the dance floor and keep on going, deeper into the night. There was an unfortunate incident involving a lost rucksack containing bank cards and personal documents but, luckily, it was retrieved in the end.
The next day, on the Saturday, there was one more event on the social calendar: A tasting session on the ground floor terrace of a HDB block organised by Botak’s homebrewers association. Having already paid a visit to some of the city’s most polished craft beer bars, it was a nice change of pace and scenery for winding down a wonderfully intense few days.
The Hangover
More than two months have passed since Brew Asia 2024 took place in Singapore and I’m still recovering. There was never any headache to speak of, let alone bouts of the sweats and nausea. A physical hangover is easier to prevent if the quality of the drinks consumed is high, as was the case in Singapore. Should one exceed their limits, a day of rest will sort them out. A hungover soul, on the other hand, requires more time to soothe.
Attending Brew Asia 2024 proved to be a marvellous experience is so many different ways, from sampling some of the finest brews the region has to offer to meeting the people who are creating them. Real people, each with their own story to tell. Stories of victories and defeats, mundane existences and life-altering decisions; of how time has a tendency of creeping up on us and confronting us with choices. Stories of finding the faith to go with a feeling and succumbing to one’s passions in order to realise them.
More than anything, I regret I am not in a position to engage with some of the individuals I met at Brew Asia 2024 on, say, a weekly basis. I expect it would do wonders for my faith in humanity. Thankfully, the dates for next year’s edition have already been set ˗ on the 16th and 17th of October, 2025, you will find me in Bangkok along with hundreds of other beer lovers, quenching our thirst and replenishing our souls. I would strongly urge you to join us.
