Being based overseas gives me the privilege of observing the beer culture in one of the quickest rising countries for craft beer. I am lucky to be living in Melbourne, the hotbed of Australian craft beer and that has let me see firsthand how this niche industry has developed.
Less than five years ago, craft beer in Australia was viewed as a drink for trendy hipsters who would stick their noses up to the beers coming out of the mega-breweries. In the short space of time since, the Australian craft beer scene has exploded and become a burgeoning industry with more dedicated craft beer pubs, bars and breweries opening to fulfil the growing demand for better beer.
You may be a strong supporter of some mainstream beer brands, but in the eyes of craft beer drinkers, the small batches of carefully put together beer recipes just taste better. This view is backed up by reviews of beers on sites such as BeerAdvocate (beeradvocate.com) and Ratebeer (ratebeer.com). Reviewers of these sites are regular beer drinkers and encompass beers from all breweries, large or small.
Mikkeller’s Yeast Series is given a rating of 14 out of 100 on Ratebeer while Stella Artois Lager has a rating of 86. Allowing for the fact that taste is ultimately subjective, sites such as the two mentioned above can serve as barometers of how particular beers are viewed by using a rating system. For example, a mainstream beer such as
One of the many things that separates craft breweries from the major brands is that craft breweries tend to be creative and experimental with a wide variety of ingredients. The average craft brewery produces a wide variety of beer from Pilsners to Imperial Stouts and everything in between. Producing in small batches allow them this flexibility but as a consequence can result in demand often outstripping supply. And I believe that it’s this wide range of flavours that has contributed greatly to the meteoric rise of the craft beer in many overseas markets over the last few years.
Australians have become discerning beer drinkers by understanding the complexities of beer over the years and have developed a palate for different styles and tastes. With this knowledge, there was an increase for varieties from restaurants and bars they frequent. A healthy market is one with competition. That benefits consumers by way of increasing choices and quality.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not being judgemental - I was, once upon a time, a rusted-on Carlsberg guy. I was convinced that it was the best beer in the world! But once I copped my first taste of craft beer there was no turning back – the amount of flavour was mind blowing and I couldn’t believe that it was a beer.
And while these days I wouldn’t go out my way to seek out a mainstream lager, I wouldn’t necessarily turn one down either if one was forcibly put in the palm of my hand (I’m only sort of kidding here). It’s just that if I would rather spend money on something with flavour – one more mainstream lager that I am drinking is one less craft beer that I can enjoy.
One suggestion I have for Malaysians is to stop being loyal to brands. That is the single biggest hurdle to overcome which is a problem that is not unique to Malaysia. The contents of the bottle should be the single most important aspect of a beer, not what a brand says about a person. Ditch the loyalty and attachment, be open-minded and you’ll be rewarded.
Ideally, I’d like to see beer elevated to same status as wine and other fine spirits and
The story of how Taps was born is pretty straightforward – my cousin and I were sitting in a bar one day and lamenting the absence of quality beer in Malaysia. Everywhere we went we confronted with the same boring beers and having lived in Australia for so long I was struggling to find anything worthwhile consuming.
One thing led to another and before we knew it we were knee-deep in planning for the bar.
A cynical person may say that the bar was opened solely for commercial reasons but I can tell you that it was anything but. Trust me when I say that there are much easier ways to make money than to open up a business that is such a departure from anything that was previously available in Malaysia. We always believed that there were people out there who wanted flavourful beer, which is why despite a tough first year we are starting to see the rewards for our persistence and perseverance.
At the time of writing, Taps is the highest rated beer destination in South East Asia according to Ratebeer and the only dedicated craft beer bar in the region. Our annual Better Beer Festival attracts people from surrounding countries with people coming from Thailand, Singapore and Indonesia just to attend the event.
And while we are extremely proud of what we have achieved so far, we are forever on the lookout for more good beer to share with our fellow Malaysians.
Finally, the last thing I’d like to see in Malaysia that is becoming increasingly common in Australia is for good restaurants to take on craft beer. For me at least, it’s extremely disheartening to walk into a five-star restaurant only to be confronted by a one-star beer list. Their wine lists may span pages but you’d be hard pressed to find anything other than generic lagers available when it comes to beer.
I understand the difficulty for many Malaysian restaurants that margins are important.
A couple of craft beers that goes with an outlet’s signature dishes will only make it stand out from the competitors. It helps that discerning diners are offered a different dining experience. After all, there is no better time in Malaysian history for restaurants to access good beer than right now as there are companies such as our distribution arm MyBeer Sdn Bhd that focus solely on the distribution of craft beer.
At the end of the day, the shift in beer culture in Australia was driven by ordinary people - from drinkers, to brewers and restaurateurs. The craft beer movement in Malaysia is still in its infancy and there is a long way to go but I believe that quality and flavour will eventually triumph over marketing and Like the Australians, Malaysians should demand more from their favourite restaurants and bars. It was this demand that led Australians to experiment with their beer lists.
You may disagree with the ratings on these beer site but what better way to find out than comparing them for yourself? You can try 14 different types of beer fresh on draught and over 50 other varieties in bottles at Taps Beer Bar.
Viva La Revolution!
Adrian Chong is a partner of Taps Beer Bar and aspiring beer nerd. He loves everything beer and has drunk over 5,000 beers to date.
The opinions expressed in this article are that of the author and does not necessarily reflect or represent the views of ThirstMag.
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