Hops & Dreams: Our Favourite Saigon Craft Beer Bars
15 September 2023
If you’ve ever spent any time in Vietnam, you’ll know that the country is beer crazy. From the classy beach bars of Hoi An and Nha Trang to the street corner plastic stool bia hoi joints of Hanoi and Saigon, it can often seem to visitors as if the whole country has a glass in its hand, joining in a deafening communal chant of một, hai, ba, dô! (one, two, three, YO! - basically, a countdown to taking a big swig).
Believe it or not, Vietnam is the world’s 9th biggest beer consumer, with the country’s citizens knocking back just over a million litres of the amber nectar in 2020 – only a few thousand litres behind those much more notorious drinking nations, Japan and the UK.
As in the rest of Southeast Asia, beer arrived with the French colonists in the 19th century, and rapidly captured the hearts, minds and livers of the locals, with regional brews – Bia Saigon in the south, Huda and Larue in the centre, and Halida in the north for example – battling it out with popular imports such as Tiger and Heineken. And let’s not forget bia hoi, the fresh brewed street beer that is the fuel behind many a big night out and, with its lack of additives, allegedly free of hangovers (though our experience suggests this is not always the case).
In recent years, Vietnam’s strong beer culture has seen the country become a regional leader in craft beer, with local craft breweries popping up all over and winning global praise for their brews. There’s nowhere better to check out Vietnam’s tastiest craft beers than Saigon, a city known for its nightlife and love of the ale, so join us on a mission to find the city’s top five craft beer bars…
Heart of Darkness
In our opinion, HOD are not just doing the best brews in Vietnam right now, but arguably the best in Asia and maybe even beyond. That’s how good their beer is. Try a glass of their Loose Rivet or Kurtz’s Insane IPAs and tell us otherwise.
Founded in 2016, they’ve kept things simple with just two bars – one in Singapore, and the original in downtown Saigon which is rammed every night with beer connoisseurs guzzling down glasses of their signature brews, which are designed for those who like BIG flavours.
Biacraft
If there’s one brewery that can claim to have taken craft beer to the locals, it’s Biacraft. Figuring that the best way to tap the local market is to speak its own language, they were the first craft brewer in town to give their beers Vietnamese names, often irreverent ones based on Vietnamese insults or expletives such as Lun Ma Lao (Short but Arrogant) Blonde Ale or Biet Chet Lien (F**ked if I Know) Double IPA.
Factor in some very creative bar snacks (chicken skin nachos? Yes please), the biggest range of beers in town, and multiple locations – the laid back canalside Truong Sa outlet is our favourite – and it’s easy to understand why, on any given night, locals far outnumber foreigners.
Pasteur Street Brewing
Founded in 2015 in a tiny upstairs room on – obviously – Pasteur Street, this brewery is one of the Saigon craft beer OGs and now has seven outlets across the country. Head to any of their Saigon bars – we liked the small, intimate branch on Le Thanh Ton, just a short stagger from Heart of Darkness – and you’ll enjoy a friendly, laid-back atmosphere.
Their beers are renowned for being light and fruity, with their signature Jasmine IPA one of Saigon’s quintessential craft brews. But if those are too light for you, and you’re feeling brave, try their delicious Cyclo Imperial Chocolate Stout, which comes in at a whopping 13% ABV. You may need to retire to your hotel after that one.
Deme
Let’s briefly move away from District 1 and head up Hai Ba Trung street, duck down an unassuming little alleyway, and wander into a charming modernist shophouse decorated with classic Socialist Realism posters. Climb up to the top floor and you’ll find Deme, one of the newer kids on the block, selling a mix of their own brews and beers from other brewers.
The vibe here is more youthful and stripped down than at the city’s other craft venues – think plastic chairs, Vietnamese hip-hop on the sound system, and hipster students enjoying some of the cheapest craft beers in town. The staff are super friendly, the atmosphere is relaxed, and we thoroughly enjoyed our visit. And if you’re on a crawl, it’s just a short motorbike or taxi hop to Biacraft on Truong Sa.
East West Brewing Co
If you’re looking for somewhere a bit more classy and upscale, then East West is the craft beer bar for you. Situated very close to the city’s iconic Ben Thanh market, their taproom doubles as a microbrewery, and you can also take a tour of the brewing facilities and enjoy a tasting as part of your visit.
Think creative, locally-influenced brews such as Pineapple IPA, served up with superb food (we simply had to try the duck wonton nachos and weren’t disappointed). Probably the most sophisticated entry on this list.
You can explore Saigon’s incredible beer scene by yourself, or we can arrange a hosted bar crawl accompanied by a local brewing expert to make sure you get the most from your experience – and that you make it back to your hotel afterwards.