We always wanted to write an article called “Who gives an IBU anyway?” but once we found this fantastic piece from Jack Plexico, the man behind Origins Bia in Sài Gòn and the phenomenal Đa Kao DIPA, on Asia Brewers Network, we had nothing left to add! When looking at a craft beer menu, you […]

When we added Bia Hơi to the taps at Standing Bar back in 2017 we met a lot of disgruntlement about tapping Bia Hơi in a craft beer taproom. Well, we would beg to differ, and would claim that this liquid gold can arguably lay claim to being Vietnam’s very first craft beer! So let’s […]

“Variety’s the very spice of life, That gives it all its flavour.” – William Cowper A quick poll to determine the most common Hanoian food and drink is always likely to unearth the usual suspects – Nem (spring rolls), Phở (noodle soup) and Bún chả (vermicelli with roast pork) on the dining table plus Coffee, […]

In the modern day world of craft beer there are literally hundreds of different beer styles and still further unique classifications continue to appear. It’s been a challenge but we have made our best efforts to restrict our classification of beer types to those listed below to help your understanding We hope you enjoy this […]

Back in the “good old days” my memories of a visit to the pub involved the average punter making that all-important choice between lager and bitter, perhaps a pint of stout, or for those at the upper echelons of the age spectrum, particularly for ladies from Birmingham, an unfashionable bottle of mild. The emergence of […]

What is an XPA anyway? With the recent launch of Heart of Darkness’ new seasonal beer, Two Thousand Eyes XPA, we have repeatedly fielded the question “What is an XPA anyway?” So, let’s look at the basics… 1) “X” stands for “Extra”, this is an ‘Extra Pale Ale’ 2) The XPA is a recent (US) […]

Craft cider has steadily been establishing itself as a solid alternative to craft beer in Vietnam. After all, why not, when the local population has a preferred palate for lighter, fruity flavours in general, rather than the bold and robust IPAs which have spearheaded the craft beer revolution to date. Cider has long been traditionally […]

Mead is the oldest known alcoholic beverage in world history. It pre-dates both beer and wine by not hundreds, but thousands of years, and yet, here in the 21st Century, it has become one of the most, if not THE most, poorly understood alcoholic beverage produced. Its true roots are still often debated, with Egypt, […]