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stuartf

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Sitting in Bali on the way back from visiting a mate in Singapore and it got me wondering what beer do people go for in SE asia where the idea of a pint of bitter, DIPA or RIS is a remote possibility at best? After tiger beer slurpies in singapore and endless bland pints of asian brewed Heineken I have to say I find bintang has more of a pilsner hops flavour so is my current go to beer until I can get home and down a decent pint of bitter.
 
Last time i was there i found some starck beers at the bintang market. I grabbed a couple of dark wheat bottles and they were alright. Personally preferred bali hai over bintang. The inner bogan in me was instantly attracted to bali hai draught. Good sipping on gili beaches
 
Seen signs for bali hai everywhere but so far no bars serving it. The dark wheats sound interesting, bintang market is just around the corner so have to check it out.
 
In my week there I found bintang to be pick of the bunch

that was 3 and a half years ago and I still cant look at a bintang
 
Last time i was there i found some starck beers at the bintang market. I grabbed a couple of dark wheat bottles and they were alright. Personally preferred bali hai over bintang. The inner bogan in me was instantly attracted to bali hai draught. Good sipping on gili beaches

The dark wheat is the only passable Stark beer. The rest are absolutely **** house. I reckon when you're Bali just drink lager. They do it well and it's cheap :) The Japanese beer is good. They do lager well too.
 
I've stuck to bintang all week, easy to drink when it's hot and cheap. Bought 2l of gin while we were in Singapore so we've been buying cans of tonic to drink when back at the hotel. Back to sunny Melbourne tomorrow and can't wait to crack the top of a homebrew!
 
In Japan, Suntory premium malts for a fizzy beer. Most convenience stores sell a Belgian or something different. Found some craft in the Seibu basement booze shop near where we were staying. Kirin stout is everywhere and at least different.

In HK, if its fizzy and bland for the heat the usual BUL euro suspects plus white label Tsingtao draft (rice included). Last year our local 7-11 had Shepherd Neame Kentish Spitfire Ale in cans. Needless to say it got my frequent custom.

Currently in Shanghai (never do it in summer, it's unbearable), and pleasantly surprised by the range and how much craft beer is really big here. Plenty of craft bottloes and breweries in the French Concession. Most convenience stores have some German imported lager or wheat plus several stouts and black beers of pretty decent quality.

Piccy of part of my haul the other day (Brooklyn sour came from a bagel shop) :

 
Funny enough the best place I found for a range of beers was the hawker centre near my mate's place in Singapore. Bloke had a bunch of British ales and Aussie microbrew stuff which I really wasn't expecting plus it was all pretty good price for sing which was nice surprise
 

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Bintang is my pick in Bali/Indonesia it's everywhere and at the end of the day is a passable beer. Can get Erdinger and a few others at times at Bintang supermarket for something different but generally bars are fairly limited on what they stock. Singha is my go to elsewhere Chang goes alright but can be dangerous. Can find a fair variety of european beers in Singapore and in places in Malaysia
 
The Mikkeller sour was awesome, woody, blankety and dank.

Mrs had Rogue yellow snow ipa, hempy and piney. She loved it.

Tennants Scottish beer aged on whiskey oak barrels was a real treat. All the woody whiskey nuances on a very good Scottish Ale.
 
Funny enough the best place I found for a range of beers was the hawker centre near my mate's place in Singapore. Bloke had a bunch of British ales and Aussie microbrew stuff which I really wasn't expecting plus it was all pretty good price for sing which was nice surprise
there's a micro brewery in SP called LVL 33, be prepared to bring $$$'s though.
 
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In Yunnan Province in China recently and this was my go to. Very smooth, available in most parts there, and a welcome change to the alternatives.
 

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