This year’s Beerfest Asia, taking place over four days from Aug 17-20, is shaping up to be not just bigger, but better than last year’s edition for all you hopheads out there. While the far flung Marina Bay Cruise Centre venue might be a turnoff for some, the amazing beer selection (some brewed just for the festival) and fringe activities happening this year makes the Grab ride there totally worth it.
New to the ninth instalment of the annual beer extravaganza are over 100 new beers available for the first time in Singapore, including Pressure Drop Wu Gang Chops The Tree, Guinness Bright Stout, Krusovice Imperial and Erdinger Sommerweis. But we already know which beers we’re gonna go for first—the malty Ki Siao Brown Ale by our very own Archipelago Brewery, the creamy Stark Dark Wheat Beer by Indonesia’s Stark Beer and the refreshing Brooklyn Naranjito by Brooklyn Brewery in the US.
Besides the new labels, feel free, of course, to have your fill of all-time favorites and other specialty brews (there’s a grand total of over 500 beers to choose from).
Making its way to the festival for the first time too is beer yoga, conducted by founder of Trium Fitness, Dawn Sim, who is one of the pioneers of the fitness trend here. At Beerfest Asia 2017, Sim intends to hold the country’s largest outdoor beer yoga session at 6pm on Aug 20. Remember to come dressed appropriately, because while it sounds like one, beer yoga is no joke, as any practitioner of the sport will tell you.
Like previous Beerfests, this year’s entertainment lineup is filled with live acts by tribute bands of Bon Jovi, Def Leppard and Guns N’ Roses. You can also expect covers of top 40s by local bands such as Reverie Acoustic, The Day Trippers, SweatShop Jam and Supersonic, as well as original compositions by up-and-comers curated by Timbre Group. Later into the night, DJ sets by the likes of Brendon P, Stephen Day, Dowager and Reiko will keep the airwaves upbeat till the wee hours of the morning.
On the food front, the selection seems to be less dismal than previous installments with vendors like Handle Bar, Kontiki, The 1925 Brewing Co. and Little Part 1 Cafe setting up booths this year. But we’ll still recommend grabbing a bite first before heading down to Marina Bay Cruise Centre, unless you’re on a strict liquid diet.
Oh, and besides drinking, eating and making merry, this year’s festival will mark the introduction of daily beer workshops organized by brewmasters and various brand ambassadors who will shed light on beer appreciation and homebrewing.
Entry to Beerfest Asia 2017 range from $16 for single-day tickets to $184 for VIP four-day packages, and can be bought here. All tickets are inclusive of at least one complimentary beer.
