Clark Quay at night.

As far as signature drinks are concerned, Singapore has an alliterative gem with the Singapore Sling. However, I’d heard about the emerging craft beer scene in Singapore and I was eager to sample the suds on this shiny city offers.

Brewerkz XIPA

After a morning of wandering around town, I headed to Brewerkz  Riverside Point. Situated on the river (as the name suggests), this restaurant and brewery has a large selection of craft beer from seasonal (a Honey Apricot Ale and a Belgian Pale Ale, to name a few) to signature brews (the Oatmeal Stout looked tasty) and is an ideal location for enjoying the breeze on a hot day.

I tried the XIPA, a World Beer Cup Gold Medal Winner, which was excellent. A balanced blend of malt and hops, it’s big and bold but not overpowering. Of course, the 7.5% abv isn’t too shabby, either, but all in all it’s a great pint to sample and watch the people go by.

Brewerkz also pours a few beers from other breweries and I was eager to try the Tropical Wheat from Jungle Beer. A small craft brewery that uses local ingredients, Jungle Beer is making a name for itself with concoctions like Tropical Wheat (choose from Mango & Orange, Mango & Rose and Pink Guava and Soursop) and a Belgian blonde ale with pineapple, cardamom and sour plum. I tried the Mango & Orange Tropical Wheat and it was mighty tasty. Not too sweet, it carried the best parts of the fruit flavor without being overpowering. I wish it were available in the US as it’s a great summer beer.

Also located in Clark Quay is the Pump Room, a microbrewery/club. I tried one of their Scottish Ales while waiting for a friend. It was good, but not anything extraordinary in the world of Scottish Ales. However, the Pump Room is an excellent venue for people-watching at Clark Quay.

Jungle Beer: Tropical Wheat

Other suggestions about suds:

• Though not a craft beer, the Tiger Brewery is located in Singapore and is open for tours. It’s a pretty good ways out of the city, so allot an hour or two to get there with public transportation. The tour is 45 minutes and there is a 45 minute “beer appreciation session” after the tour. I didn’t make it out there, so I can’t comment on the quality of the tour, but I did drink a lot of Tiger during my time in Singapore and Malaysia.
• Beer, like just about everything in Singapore, is more expensive than in other Asian countries–in a bar in Clark Quay, you can expect to pay anywhere from $16-$20 SGD ($11.25 – $16 USD) per pint. As a result, happy hour is  a good thing and many bars have happy hour specials.
• My favorite spot for beer in Singapore, though, is the party bridge. Stretching over Clark Quay, this bridge has a wide support where, at night, groups perch and socialize. Conveniently, there’s a tiny 7/11 convenience store on the far side of the bridge that sells Tiger beer for $8SGD. It’s an experience in and of itself to clamber up on the side of the bridge, open a can and watch life in Singapore stroll by.