One of the leading craft beer breweries in Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh City-based Heart of Darkness Brewery has finally landed in Singapore with a range of craft beers that aim to set the standard in Southeast Asian brewing.
Speak with any beer industry observer about the craft beer scene in Asia, and the chances that Vietnam gets mentioned is very high. And no wonder – Saigon, or Ho Chi Minh City has seen at least a dozen craft beer breweries open up in just the past three years alone, a boom that was sparked by Pasteur Street Brewing Company and Platinum Premium Beers when they both opened up in 2014.
Heart of Darkness Brewery, founded in late 2016 by John Pemberton, may be one of the newer kids on the block but it’s grown rapidly in the past year to supply an expanding number of outlets in south, central and northern Vietnam. Earlier this year it’s even begun exports to Thailand.
Hear of Darkness is now set to enter the Singapore market and its beers are distributed by new Singapore-based distributor Beer & Whiskey Ltd (BR&W) who will be bringing in a range of eight different beers – Pitiless Folly Pale Ale, Sacred Fire Golden Ale, Kurtz’s Insane IPA, Patient Wilderness Wheat, Excited Magpie Irish Stout, Loose Rivet New England IPA, and seasonals Conquistador’s Mexican Pilsner and Bright Earth Irish Red Ale. It will be the second Vietnam-based craft beer brewery to enter the Singapore market, with Pasteur Street Brewing Company launching here in September last month.
“At Heart of Darkness, we focus on quality, consistency and brewing traditional styles of beers while embracing the US craft beer spirit of adventure and pushing the boundaries of creativity,” says CEO of Heart of Darkness Brewery, John Pemberton. “There is an amazing world of hops, malt, yeast and water profiles to explore and to that extent, we focus primarily on these elements. We will only add fruit and spice to the styles that traditionally use these added flavors,” he adds.
“We are pleased to be working with Heart of Darkness as they have truly elevated Asian craft beers to a new level of excellence. Heart of Darkness will revolutionise the way you think of, taste, smell, and see beer - and the experience is now available in Singapore,” says Tam Ly-Hieu, co-founder of BR&W.
Heart of Darkness officially launches in Singapore this week, and will see various tap takeovers at four craft beer venues in Druggists, Smith Street Taps, Freehouse and Good Luck Beerhouse being the first in Singapore to serve up eight taps with eight different beers each night.
