It's Time for a Tiger!

Beer – a beverage that transcends cultures, ignores borders, speaks all languages, and….tastes really good on a hot day.  

There are some things I miss from the US and can’t easily find in Singapore, but American beer is not one of them.   Though the price of beer is ridiculously high here, there are numerous regional brands from which to choose – as well as a wide variety from all around the world.  Heck, you can pick up a six pack of Budweiser at the grocery store (for $20) if you’re really homesick.

For me, I’ve tried to enjoy what is not readily available back in the US, and have discovered some new favorites such as Singha (Thailand), Asahi (Japan), San Miguel (Philippines) and Bintang (Indonesia), with the latter being my favorite…albeit not often available in Singapore.  There are also several micro-breweries on the island (two within walking distance from our home) and they offer a decent variety as well.

Asia Pacific Brewery, Singapore

But if you’re in Singapore, and I hope more of you will come visit us (hint), you have to drink Tiger beer.  It’s the national beer of Singapore, and though it’s not my favorite, it’s available everywhere and it’s cold – which is often more important than taste in a country this hot.  It’s been brewed right here in Singapore since the early 1930’s, and as the history enthusiasts (beer drinkers) that Jennifer and I are, we decided to pay a visit to the brewery.

The kids still had school while my company observed Deepavali, so this was an adult only trip, though the kids probably would have enjoyed it as well.  After booking our tour via the brewery’s online booking system on my iPad, Jennifer and I booked a cab via my iPhone and were on our way.  I mention the automated, mobile device laden process of getting to the brewery, because like everything else in Singapore, the brewery is ultra-efficient. 

Upon arriving, we completed registration and exchanged our government ID cards for a Tiger Brewery visitor pass.  My plans to get free beer for life through an undetected, untraceable “Strange Brew - mouse in the bottle maneuver” were thwarted right away!  Still, I looked forward to the tour and the 45-minute tasting session that would follow.  We were joined on the tour by only two other visitors, Brian and Clive from Australia.  Brian had been on this merry-go-round once or twice before, and was eager for the tasting.  Clive seemed more interested in the workings of the brewery.  We liked Brian.

The tour began with the history of the brewery, now part of the Asia Pacific Brewing Company, a joint venture between Heineken and Fraser and Neave.  We heard about the various brands produced by the Singapore brewery since 1932, including Tiger, Tiger Crystal, Anchor, Heineken, Baron’s Strong Brew and Archipelago – all would be available during the tasting.  Brian was happy.

We learned about the various awards the brewery and Tiger beer has received, and our guide shared some interesting stories about brewing during WWII, the changes that were made to the product, and how bottling changed during that time due to limited materials and resources available.  We were guided through several other exhibits displaying the malt, hops, water, and other ingredients used for the various brands, all with emphasis on high quality and purity. 

We had a quick stop to see the fermentation tanks, though it was rather uneventful as the tanks had recently been emptied and were being cleaned before the next batch was started.  Still, it was amazing to see all the automation in the brewery and to hear that less than 300 employees managed the 24/7 operation of brewing, quality control, bottling and packaging.  The emphasis was clearly on investing in quality ingredients and rigorous quality control, and automating the rest of the process.   As expected, the place was spotless and looked practically brand new even after years of production.

Pouring a perfect Tiger

After a brief video that described the bottling operation (starring our favorite video tour guide, Fred) I got a chance to learn how to pour a perfect Tiger beer.  Apparently, very few Singaporeans have ever tapped a keg or poured their own beer from one (probably because a keg has to cost at least $1,000 in this country!).  I received high marks in the eyes of our tour guide during my turn.  Afterwards, ahhh, my first taste of Tiger direct from the brewery.

At this point, we were free to take a look around at some other exhibits displaying the brewery’s history, awards, old school brewing equipment, etc. – and I whooped Jennifer’s butt in a table top game of “spot the faulty beer bottle”….twice.  A few minutes later we were escorted to the “Tiger Tavern” and the opportunity to taste a variety of Asia Pacific Brewery beers, as well as other beers and ciders from around the world.  Brian smiled.

Tiger Tavern

The Tiger Tavern was really pretty cool.  Think Irish pub in the tropics.  Leather seating, a dark wood bar, a pool table and a dart board provided the Irish feel, while multi-lingual signs and photos of several local golf courses with swaying palms made sure you didn’t forget where you were on the globe and just how hot it was outside.  We sampled a little bit of everything including each of the beers brewed onsite, as well as a few others that were brewed elsewhere and that I had never tried before.  We also had a very enjoyable conversation with Brian and Clive, learning about their travels and recommendations both in Australia and the rest of South East Asia.

At the end of the tour and tasting, we stopped by the Tiger Den, a small shop loaded with Tiger Beer paraphanalia.  Don’t be surprised if a few of you find something under your Christmas tree this year from “the den”.

Though I still prefer a bottle of Bintang, Asahi Superdry, or even a can of San Miguel Light over a Tiger, I did thoroughly enjoy our visit to the Tiger Brewery and have somewhat of a new appreciation for it.  For those of you who visit, rest assured there will be a cold one waiting for you in the fridge and this tour will be among several experiences we hope to share with you to get a “taste” of Singapore.