What to look out for at Beerfest Asia 2017

SINGAPORE — Beerfest Asia, which started on Thursday (Aug 17) and runs till this Sunday (Aug 20). is back for its ninth edition, this time with more than 500 beers available, of which 100 are new labels at the fest.

Held at the Marina Bay Cruise Centre this year, there will also be 30 live acts, 14 workshops and numerous other activities scheduled.

Feeling overwhelmed? Here is a quick guide of what you should not miss.

1. Coffee-infused beer

Attention coffee lovers: Try the first coffee-infused beer to reach Singapore’s shores. The Rogue Nitro Cold Brew Indian Pale Ale (IPA), brought in by Beerstyle Distribution, has a relatively high alcohol content of 7.5%. However, the creaminess of the coffee still comes through strongly without any acidity.

2. For the ‘grammers, try Unicorn Beer

If you’re a beer drinker who enjoys pretty things, sample the Unicorn Beer (S$12) from Draft Denmark. The drink is made by layering various fruit-flavoured beers, creating an explosion of fruity flavours and colours in a cup.

3. Drink beer and exercise

On Sunday (Aug 20) at 6pm, lessen the guilt of boozy indulgence when you do beer yoga with yoga instructor Dawn Sim from Trium Fitness. Also look out for the golf simulator and the beer pong area to test your hand-eye coordination.

4. Support local beer brewers lah!

Flying the Singapore flag is Archipelago Breweries, which will be introducing four new labels of “Singlish beers”: the Ah Ka Ji Craft Lager, Tok Kong American Indian Pale Ale (IPA), Ki Siao Brown Ale and the Sibeh Ho Witbier (S$8). The beers have been crafted to suit the local population’s palette for lighter beers, said a spokesman from Archipelago Breweries.

5. Munch on some bites and sip on beer floats

Try the salted egg yolk chips (S$7) from The Golden Duck or grab a classic chilli dog (S$14) from Kontiki. When you get thirsty again, indulge in the beer floats from a collaboration between Stark Craft beer and local ice cream shop Creamier. One such tantalising offering is the Stark Lychee Ale with Creamier’s Raspberry Love ice cream (S$14).

6. Go for a hands-on beer masterclass

If you’re a serious beer enthusiast, get a chance to learn first-hand from master brewers. All workshops are complimentary for festival-goers based on a first-come-first-served basis, and each class is limited to 50 people. Don’t miss Ivan Yeo from 1925 Brewery as he shares about crafting new products from beer waste on Aug 17 and 19. On Aug 20, master brewer John Wei from local label Brewlander & Co will share his tips on home brewing, for which he has won many awards.

7. Live tribute bands

They may not be the real deal but with beer goggles on, these tribute bands could be very convincing. Catch bands such as Perth’s premier Guns N Roses tribute act, Gunners, as well as Slippery When Wet, a Bon Jovi tribute band. There will also be eight local bands curated by music lifestyle company Timbre and 16 DJs spinning tracks over the four days.

Each ticket is priced from S$28, and includes one complimentary welcome beer to be redeemed on festival grounds. Tickets for Beerfest Asia 2017 can be purchased at http://eventregist.com/e/beerfest2017 and more information can be found at www.beerfestasia.com