# Beer In Bali



## benno1973 (2/8/11)

We're on a family holiday in Bali, and I was prepared for the worst, having been told that Bintang and Bali Hai were the only beers available (aside from dire imports like Corona and Heinekin). Anyway, I was pleasantly surprised to find Storm beers, a local microbrewery, which make more than bland pilsner style beers. And while not amazing, they're pretty good and well past the Bintang and Bali Hai beers. And at about AUD$1.50-2 a bottle, it's pretty good value too.

There's a Pale Ale, Summer style ale, Amber ale, stout, and apparently others. All tasty with some nice hops and malt.

Anyone else tried them?


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## Acasta (2/8/11)

Yeah I had the Golden ale "sand storm". Wasn't bad at all, decent malt, lacking in hops but a decent English flavour. I could only find this one by them. They also had the foreign extra stout, but its so hot over there, I could myself drinking a few bali hai's.

Also just noticed they'll deliver a cold slab to you anywhere in south bali. :kooi:


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## Nick JD (2/8/11)

I'm a bit of a fan of the Indo Lagers! Probably has more to do with the price, the scenery and the heat though. 

Sitting above the Bukit Penisula cliffs at sunset with an ice cold Bali Hai - couldn't think of a better beer for the occasion!


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## Glenn Brown (2/8/11)

Personally I like to drink Bintang by the truck load when I am in Bali, but I certainly think Storm Beer is a good quality drop and a nice change from Bintang/Bali Hia. I found the Pale Ale a bit too full on to have more than a few but I rate the Golden Ale quite highly.


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## benno1973 (2/8/11)

No offense to Bintang - its a bland lager that perfectly suits the heat and humidity of Bali. And I'm quite happy to drink it by the truckload by the pool, especially when it's $1.50 for a 660ml bottle. It's just nice to have some choice of a tasty ale occasionally, especially after a long day with the kids when the first beer after they're in bed needs to be something special!


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## Glenn Brown (2/8/11)

Yeah, I hear you mate. Although my first daily beer while on holiday is generally closer to breakfast than dinner :icon_cheers:


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## jimi (2/8/11)

Bintang T-shirts are far more popular than the beer


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## chug!chug! (2/8/11)

Noticed at CircleK two wheat beers a light and dark called "Stark". Haven't tried them yet. I have 
my first Chappo Ginger Beer on the go at the moment fizzing away with bread yeast. Hope its not :icon_vomit: 
Ginger is $2.50/kg here in Bali.


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## ledgenko (2/8/11)

Nearly every person in WA has one of those Bintang tee shirts, boardshorts or whatever .. I really dont see the draw of Bali when you have so many other awesome places to go ... But I guess for a weeks holiday for less than AU$1500 for 4 its attractive ... but so is Thailand, Phillipines or Fiji !!!

Bintabg gold was the only beer I found over there to be palatable ... but a AU$10 slab of 30 cans of Hainiken in Langkowi ... that is also very attractive .... as was the $10 bottles of smirnoff !!!


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## benno1973 (2/8/11)

ledgenko said:


> Nearly every person in WA has one of those Bintang tee shirts, boardshorts or whatever .. I really dont see the draw of Bali when you have so many other awesome places to go ... But I guess for a weeks holiday for less than AU$1500 for 4 its attractive ... but so is Thailand, Phillipines or Fiji !!!



Totally agree. I've never been before and never had a desire. But after checking the prices, it costs less to go to Bali for 2 weeks than Margaret River, and takes around about the same time to get there. And with 2 kids, the travel time is definitely a consideration! When the kids are older, we'd rather go to Vietnam or somewhere like that, but when the littlest is only just 2, it's just easier to take them to somewhere close to experience a different culture.


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## pbrosnan (2/8/11)

Been a couple of times. In terms of value for money it is hard to beat. Last time we stayed in Semanyak in a self contained villa with it's own pool. The food is generally good and relatively inexpensive. Beerwise it is a bit of a wasteland. The lagers are cheap and suit the climate, the Storm beers were OK but harder to find. A colleague and I made the trek from our digs to a place that was advertising itself as a Belgian style pub. Well the the menu was a bit Belgian but beerwise it was Hoegarden in bottles. They did have a fish tank in the roof however. Thailand was much better for beer. Chimay and Leffe in the fridge at the mini-mart next to our hotel in Phuket.


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## Glenn Brown (3/8/11)

Bali is what it is. Bintang, and not much else. When you are drinking cold stubbies in the sun for next to nothing, who can complain?


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## chug!chug! (3/8/11)

Beer prices are similar to oz...they whacked up the tax a few years ago...
Wine is killer. But everything else is peanuts of course. Eg my rent is $60 a month.


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## mckenry (3/8/11)

chug!chug! said:


> Beer prices are similar to oz...they whacked up the tax a few years ago...
> Wine is killer. But everything else is peanuts of course. Eg my rent is $60 a month.




Really?? I was there this time last year. Only $1 - $1.50 AU for a 660mL depending where you were.


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## Nevalicious (3/8/11)

chug!chug! said:


> Beer prices are similar to oz...



Rubbish...


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## benno1973 (3/8/11)

chug!chug! said:


> Beer prices are similar to oz...they whacked up the tax a few years ago...
> Wine is killer. But everything else is peanuts of course. Eg my rent is $60 a month.



Really?! A beer in a pub over here costs me $1.50-2. Back in Perth it's $9-10! That's a huge difference in my opinion!


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## flano (3/8/11)

I literally just got home...a week ago.

The Bintang supermarket in Seminyak has cans of bintang ( mo-ped fuel ) for about 1.20 a can.
I didn't bother buying any other brand....no point.

Even in the bars they were heaps cheaper than here. ( Syd )

I got a few large bintangs in a supermarket out of town and they were even cheaper again.

terima kasih


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## cdbrown (3/8/11)

When I was there last year I smashed down a good number of nice cold bintangs each day. I don't think I came across a place that was advertising anything else. It was cheap, cold and perfect to quench the thirst. Hopefully will be going back sometime next year as it's far cheaper to go there and live in relative luxury compared to spending any time in Aus with middle of the road accom.

In the little corner market there was a range of international beers, but didn't look like there was a large turnover of them and dread to think what they might taste like after being in the heat for so long. Guinness, Weihestephaner, Grolsch and some others.


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## flano (3/8/11)

I just went to G-Land and stayed at Bobby's surf camp.

Me and my mate got a superior hut which gets you air con ,fridge, all food and 8 beers per day.
We were there for 6 days.
At the end we owed 400,000.00 rupiah in extra bintangs.

It is a pilsner which I found kinda weird ..especially being so hot over there and pilseners are normally brewed quite cool I thought.
I went to Fiji the year before and Fiji Bitter is rubbish compared to Bintang.
It tasted different from beer to beer.

I reckon on average I had 10 bintangs a day for 3 weeks straight.
high five! :icon_cheers:


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## Glenn Brown (3/8/11)

Who would have thought that humble Bintang would cause such stir. 

Can you still get San Miguel over there??


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## flano (3/8/11)

Evil G said:


> Who would have thought that humble Bintang would cause such stir.
> 
> Can you still get San Miguel over there??




you can get heaps of diffent beers in the supermarket.
san miguel was probably one of them.
I did see cartons of corona...though they were a bit pricey.

I just followed the conga line of aussie pissheads to the Bintang section.


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## chug!chug! (3/8/11)

Buying by the case Bintang Large 16 X 620ml = 270,000 Rp approx $30 which is what I pay in Oz. Forgot there is 2 litres more in the Bintang case!
Too many Bintangs!


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## outbreak (3/8/11)

beernorks said:


> I just went to G-Land and stayed at Bobby's surf camp.
> 
> Me and my mate got a superior hut which gets you air con ,fridge, all food and 8 beers per day.
> We were there for 6 days.
> ...



Get any good waves at G Land??? What am I saying!?!?!.......... I am jealous you bastard.


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## jakester (8/8/11)

We just got back from Bali last week. Perfect weather for the two weeks so that meant perfect time for Bintang! If its hot, its Bintang time. I wouldnt even bother drinking it here but for me its a must while in Bali, everyone stocks it, walk through the markets and they have little fridges stocked with water and Bintang, perfect! Also tried a Golden ale and a stout whilst there, not too bad but they dont stock it everywhere so just tried them once. 
Oh and i nearly forgot, get a foot massage late at night and what do they offer you? Bintang. Ah wish i was still there.


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## MyWorldOfBeer (8/8/11)

Personally i think Bintang is a pretty good beer in the warm, humid weather of Bali. I also rate the Storm beers and was stoked to find them on a recent short trip to the island. Over in Timor we get Bintang and Bali Hai which suit the climate well too but luckily we also get a good selection of the Aussie brews like Coopers, James Squire and the regular culprits i dont care to mention here.

Good-Nick
My World of Beer
http://myworldofbeer.net


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## WitWonder (8/8/11)

Got back from Bali yesterday and didn't have many Bintangs due to club med only stocking Bali-Hai which I thought was also reasonable but, try as I might, found it very difficult to get drunk on the stuff. 

Bintang suits Bali perfectly and I couldn't believe when I read it had even won an award for "Champion smallpack Lager" (whatever that is) in the recent 2011 Brewing industry international awards (thanks to B&B mag).


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## Asha05 (23/8/11)

You've got to mix it up. Bintang then a shot of arak...that should sort you out...! Bintang + Arak = Bintanged...


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## Bribie G (23/8/11)

Enjoy it while you are there. There's some sort of Universal Principle going on here. For example last time I was in Italy it was around 38 degrees for a couple of weeks and we were camping South of Rome at the beach. I was drinking Birra Dreher supermarket variety at around a couple of dollars a 660 ml and it was the thirst quenching nectar of the Gods. In Turkey in the Summer, Efes Pilsen was pure liquid crack - the creme de la creme of beer. In the Sinai desert in 40 degree heat I sank countless gallons of delicious sustaining Bira Goldstar. I can still taste and feel the waves of pure beer relief washing over me.  

So now I go to Dan's and get a six of Efes or an Italian job and it's Meh. <_< 

Time and place
Time and place


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## C-MOR (23/8/11)

Bali Storm, Bali Hai and Bintang. In that order. You can find a bigger range in the mini-marts. A couple of the ones I tried were among the worst beers I've ever had, but that was half the fun.


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## Asha05 (24/8/11)

Up in Ubud, north of Kuta. Theres a Bintang Supermarket. The choice of beers there was good. Quite a varied variety. But the conditions defenitaley add to the beer. Hot/humid a bintang is nice. My Swmbo doesnt drink beer, but in that weather she happily drank a bintang with breakfast, lunch and dinner...


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## jurule (24/8/11)

San Miguel pilsner is a nice alternative, think it has a little more flavour. But either or, a nice Pilsner in hot weather always does the trick.


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## DJ_L3ThAL (18/3/14)

Any changes in recent times to the craft beer variability in Bali? Anyone been recently?


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## Spiesy (18/3/14)

DJ_L3ThAL said:


> Any changes in recent times to the craft beer variability in Bali? Anyone been recently?


Was there early last year. 

Bintang is not too bad, especially for the weather. It's made by Heinekin. 

Storm is your go to for craft beer. I tried all their beers, they were decent.


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## DJ_L3ThAL (18/3/14)

Cool, sounds like not much change over the past few years then which is OK, happy to try the Storm stuff. I smashed Bintang last time I was there (~3-4 years ago) and will certainly be smashing it again lol.

Are the Storm beers at most of the Circle K convenience stores?


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## Spiesy (18/3/14)

I had to hunt them down, mate. 

That was in Seminyak.


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## DJ_L3ThAL (18/3/14)

I'm prepared to hunt.


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## SmallFry (18/3/14)

Make sure to keep us notified. Will be in Seminyak in June.


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## mckenry (18/3/14)

You can get a hefe and a dunkle in Ubud. In a cafe / restaurant called Lotus. I cant remember the brand, but it was good. Weather was a *bit* cooler so a change from Bintang was appreciated.

Edit - I was there in 2011


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## mckenry (18/3/14)

I also heard Storm beer was closed down over some legal issue. I'm on my phone, so not going to google it, but you should if youre really keen on getting it as it may not exist anymore! I have an expat mate who told me it was goneski.


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## AJ80 (19/3/14)

mckenry said:


> You can get a hefe and a dunkle in Ubud. In a cafe / restaurant called Lotus. I cant remember the brand, but it was good. Weather was a *bit* cooler so a change from Bintang was appreciated.
> 
> Edit - I was there in 2011


Brewery is called Stark. I preferd the dunkel myself, but both were quite drinkable.


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## Axiom (20/3/14)

For those venturing further afield from the typical destinations of Kuta & Seminyak, there is a gigantic variety store chain called Hardy's in Sanur, and also Singaraja in the northwest for anyone heading to Lovina, and their supermarket section sells a surprising variety of beers, including a few stouts. They even carry ginger beer. Much more to choose from than just Storm and Bintang.


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## DJ_L3ThAL (20/3/14)

Nice thats good info, is there a hardys in the south near nusa dua or ulawatu?


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## mckenry (20/3/14)

Cant help you with supermarkets, but I seriously disliked the main tourist areas. Thats why I left to Ubud (still very touristy, but less cheesy) then left Bali for the Gili Islands. I really wish I knew about these before my trip. So much better than the rest. If you havent 'booked and paid' your entire holiday try to get there. No motors. All donkey and foot power on the islands. Beers are the standard though, but I really enjoyed a Bintang after a hot day snorkelling, diving, swimming and walking. DJ_L if youre really interested in the Gilis, pm me and I'll give you all the must know hints and tips. You can get ripped off a bit if youre not careful.


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## DJ_L3ThAL (20/3/14)

Thanks mckenry, will PM you for future reference, sadly though I'm "locked and loaded" for a wedding! At least we're on the 'nicer' side of Bali, kinda. I still enjoy the odd booze/rip my shirt off session though so good to be a motorbike away from kuta 

EDIT: you're inbox is full mckenry?


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## mckenry (20/3/14)

DJ_L3ThAL said:


> Thanks mckenry, will PM you for future reference, sadly though I'm "locked and loaded" for a wedding! At least we're on the 'nicer' side of Bali, kinda. I still enjoy the odd booze/rip my shirt off session though so good to be a motorbike away from kuta
> 
> EDIT: you're inbox is full mckenry?


 Ive deleted some messages. Not sure if you need to resend or whether it will arrive now?


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## shacked (3/8/15)

Best I could do; other than bintang.


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## jimmy_jangles (3/8/15)

got back from Bali in July, Beer and Co in kuta are a great lil bottle shop in kuta that you can sit down and have a beer at. Leffe, some german beers and some stouts plus some other ones i didn't get to try. Hit them up and ask for Brangas, he will sort you out


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## slcmorro (3/8/15)

jimmy_jangles said:


> got back from Bali in July, Beer and Co in kuta are a great lil bottle shop in kuta that you can sit down and have a beer at. Leffe, some german beers and some stouts plus some other ones i didn't get to try. Hit them up and ask for Brangas, he will sort you out


I can't fathom drinking a stout in 30c+!


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## Midnight Brew (4/8/15)

slcmorro said:


> I can't fathom drinking a stout in 30c+!


You'd be surprised but the Guinness export is rather refreshing.


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## Brice (4/8/15)

I found Panther Stout by Bali Hai Brewery to be surprisingly refreshing in the heat


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## Coodgee (21/8/15)

I just had a Stark Lager. Tastes like a coopers real ale kit brewed with a kilo of white sugar at 33 degrees. Seriously. Yuck!


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## properbeer (9/9/15)

Yep Stark is a big let down! Had it at their "brewpub" (more like a disco) on legian st the other week. Had the wheat & lager. Wheat from the tap was horrible under carbed & under fermented. Lager from the bottle reminded me of tooheys blue label- and that's being nice! The local Carlsberg seemed to be the best fallback brew for me. I wonder why no one has opened a pub in Bali like the great beer bar/taps in KL or Mikkeller in Bangkok. 100% of their beers are imported ales and lagers and seem to do good business. Must be some indo laws/monopoly preventing someone starting a proper brew house in Bali otherwise it would be a license to print $$/rp!


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## Moad (16/11/15)

Just arrived in Ubud and was going to try and track down a decent beer but I think I'll give the Mrs a break from beer adventures for the holiday. Already dragged her out to several beer venues on our Perth stopover.

I saw erdinger weisse for $15 at the supermarket!!!!


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