Bia Craft on Xuan Thuy Street, District 2.
Lun Ma Lao, a “short but arrogant blonde ale” at Bia Craft.
Some of the wares at Pasteur Street Brewing Company.
By Harry Hodge
When noted Saigon barbecue purveyors Quan Ut Ut held a gathering of craft brewers from around Saigon in January, opening a bar to sell the stuff wasn’t what they originally envisioned.
Fast forward to September in District 2, and Bia Craft pub is doing steady business on Xuan Thuy Street. The kicker is Tiger, Heineken, Bia Saigon and the other standards at every bar in town are notably absent from the chalkboards behind the counter. Not only are the beers from smaller indie firms like Fuzzy Logic and Phat Rooster, they come in varieties that are largely unseen at the city’s beer clubs. Behind the counter sat a number of newly minted brews, including Lun Ma Lao, a “short but arrogant blonde ale.”
Pilsners? Porters? IPAs? What’s going on?
“Every independent brewer in town was interested (when Bia Craft opened),” said Mark Gustafson, one of founders of Quan Ut Ut who helped spearhead the new pub by partnering with Zebrafish, a beer emporium. “We get thanked on a nightly basis.”
Pasteur Street, a microbrewery in District 1, also has some of their wares for sale at Bia Craft. If a brand does well, Gustafson lets the Pasteur Street boys know. The collaborative effort is all part of a bigger plan to grow the craft beer community in Vietnam, where lagers rule and variety is minimal.
“We couldn’t have done this alone,” Gustafson concedes.
And while Hoa Vien Brauhaus, Nha Trang’s Louisiane Brewhouse and other bars and eateries nationwide serve microbrews, few have a drink menu loaded exclusively with craft beers and bereft of products from the big breweries.
Pasteur Street has been making in-roads around the city as well, with their products now available at a number of restaurants, including acclaimed eatery Pizza 4Ps. Bringing staff from acclaimed craft breweries in the United States, Pasteur has been able to spur growth in the city with the introduction of their wheat beers, IPAs and seasonals. Use of local elements such as coconut and jasmine offer distinctive differences that may be unfamiliar to those accustomed to lagers.
“Ingredients and water are very important,” said Daniel Gehrig from Hobby Brewer Vietnam, which sells home brewing kits. Western-style brewing often demands items, such as malt, that can make production of certain variations challenging. As well, not all types of beer are what Vietnamese drinkers are looking for.
“My wife always complained (IPAs) are too bitter,” Gehrig said.
Indeed, getting expats to drink Fuzzy Logic’s Dirty Blonde or Phat Rooster’s brown ale are not issues, Gustafson agrees. It’s introducing these to Vietnamese drinkers who are often force-fed Sapporo or Bia Saigon because the big beer clubs have ironclad contracts with the big breweries to promote their brands.
“We knew the expats would like (different craft brews),” Gustafson said, adding that the Vietnamese invitees to beer tastings have also had positive commentary.
Pasteur Street Brewing Company is located at 144 Pasteur, District 1. Bia Craft is located 90 Xuan Thuy, District 2.
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