In Singapore, possibly the only way for an establishment be it a bar, restaurant or boutique to stand out from the crowd is to tout yourself to being the best, the highest, the longest and other superlatives we can think of. Most of the time, some of these places fall short.
So I was quite the skeptic when I was invited to taste some micro-brewed beer at the ‘world’s highest urban craft-brewery’. And how guilty I felt after I stepped out of the lift of Level 33, Marina Bay Financial Centre Tower 1 to be greeted by this:
The view is just awesome. So located on the 33rd floor of the Marina Bay Financial Centre is the ‘world’s highest urban craft-brewery’ after all and it’s called Level 33 (like duh).
Beautiful isn’t it?
The brainchild of a few enterprising Austrians and Germans, they aim to create a beer guzzling experience that is second to none. And from my first experience there, they seem to be well on their way.
Not only are the views great, the beer they brew are amazing as well. There are four signature brews on tap—33.1 (Blond Lager), 33.2 (Pale Ale), 33.3 (Stout) and 33.4 (Pale Ale)—all true to old, authentic recipes and original brewing methods, some even centuries old and they’re all brewed on site using some really fancy brewing equipment. Some of which are made to order due to the spatial constraints of the space.
Here’s a shot of the beer storage tanks located along the entrance:
The beers, in a nutshell, are delish. All thanks to brewmaster Christian Knoch. Of all the beers I tried, I particularly liked the Blonde Lager. A refreshing beer with fruity notes and a mild hoppy finish, this golden brew is perfect to down on a balmy evening.
I also got a chance to try one brew that’s still simmering in the still, the 33.4 House Porter. This one is made by mixing the 33.3 Stout with the 33.2 Pale Ale—resulting in a delicious, velvety, dark beer of about 4.5% alcohol.
There’s also a decent pub grub list if you’ve got the munchies. I particularly liked the cubed 120-day aged Angus beef, the fish and chip done hors d’œuvre style and the Blonde Lager marinated crispy whitebait. The bar also has a full-dining menu but I will get to that in a later post.
Level 33 is really a cool joint to chill out for those working in the Marina Bay Financial District. When I was there last night, the place was teeming with business types and suits. God knows how many million dollar deals were signed over a pint of India Pale Ale.
Contact info for Level 33 can be found here.
