Craft beer bars seem to be aggressively expanding their foothold in tiny Singapore, with more and more bars popping up across the island. The East side has always been known for its food – and increasingly hipster vibe – so it’s no surprise that you’ll find more craft beer bars popping up on this side of the sunny island.
How do you define a craft beer bar? For starters, they’ve got to have more than a few taps dedicated to beer that’s not just mainstream (ie. Tiger, Heineken, Guinness, etc) but have multiple other varieties and brands. Plus, you’re allowed to actually have a small taster of any beer you want before you commit to a full pint. Also, you can usually get a sampler flight where you’ll get to taste about 3-5 different beers.
Here are some craft beer bars – both old and a lot of new – you can find in the East (for clarification, we’ve defined it as Kallang to Changi).
Kallang
American Taproom, 73 Geylang Road
The second outlet of American Taproom at Waterloo Street, this is a spiffier location at the corner of Geylang Road boasting indoor and outdoor seats (albeit a bit busy with traffic). It’s got a whopping 40 beers on tap (compared to 32 at its original outlet), with a wide variety beers from porters to sours, fruity beers, and IPAs. They also have a pretty decent lineup of grub, with pizzas, burgers, and salads.
Ziggy Zaggy, Kampung Bugis
Located at the foot of Kallang Riverside Condominium next to Kallang Riverside Park, it’s pretty much a hidden space. Its indoor area is an inspired retro space (the bar is made of 3.5″ floppies) and outdoor seats facing the green is where you can play a spot of Cornhole! It has about 15 beers on tap, as well as a food menu with pizzas, grills, all-day breakfasts, and the like.
Brewerkz, Singapore Indoor Stadium
Founded in 1997, Brewerkz is Singapore’s granddaddy of craft brewery, with multiple locations across Singapore. Overlooking the Kallang River right across the Tanjong Rhu Suspension Bridge, it’s a casual place to enjoy a beer. On tap are Brewerkz’ usual beers, from their signatures like Golden Ale to Singapore series, and Islander Brew series with uniquely-flavoured beers.
Hello Ren Min, Old Airport Road
Unlike other “bars,” Hello Ren Min is actually a stall located tucked in a far corner Old Airport Road Food Centre facing Cassia Link. Despite its size it has 10 beers on tap, including beers from their own microbrewery (Ren Min) as well as a selection of other beers. Expect to find a number of IPAs, along with hazys and even sours and porters. Food isn’t available, but you have your pick of food options from all the stalls at Old Airport Road.
Geylang
The Tuckshop-Assembly, 403 Guillemard Rd
This riverside bar has outdoor seats that face the river. It specialises in beers from Archipelago Brewery – the craft beer arm of Heineken – with a number of brews like IPA, Irish Ale, and Belgian Wit. As with all of Archipelago-supplied bars, Tuckshop carries its own Archipelago Tuckshop Edition which has flavours of calamansi and gula melaka. Its menu is small but varied, with items ranging from pizzas to sio bak and pork collar.
Stickies, 71 Geylang Lor 33
More of a place for cheap beers than a “craft beer” experience, Stickies is located in an industrial building. Beers under the happy hour go by the hour – if you arrive at 2pm, it’s $2! The beers they serve are from a local craft brewer called Trouble Brewing, which has only three types: Summer Ale, Lager, and IPA. They also serve bottled Amber Nectar which is another local brewery.
Locality Craft Beers, The Millage
Located within the Millage’s condo complex next to Geylang Serai Market, this small “bar” has about 6 beers on tap. It specialises in local brews from craft brewers like Specific Gravity, Brewlander, Alive Brewing, Sunbird, District Brewers, and Pink Blossoms. While you can drink on site and have a chat with the owner, you can fill up their 1.9-litre growler for takeaway from just $35.
Grand 8 Bistro, Grandlink Square
For those missing Red Dot beers on tap since their Boat Quay taproom closed, this bistro in Grandlink Square now serves all their usual signatures, including the Sauvignon Ale and Monster Green Lager which is Spirulina-infused beer. The indoor space is small, but complemented by a casual outdoor space. The food menu is has appetisers, grills, and pastas as the staple.
Pink Blossoms Brewing, 50 Ubi Ave 3
This is a tasting room for this local brewery. They have five of their regular brews (from milk stout to NEIPA) on tap, with a selection of rotating interesting brews like smoked saison, gingerbread stout, coffee stout, and many, many more. They don’t serve food, so you can basically bring your own meal there or order your food to get it delivered. Situated on a quiet road, most patrons sit out in the carpark to drink.
UB3 Bistro, 51 Ubi Ave 3
With 12 craft beers on tap, they specialise in Asian beers (with a lot of Singaporean ones) where you’ll get a range of stuff from mead to maibock, lagers to sours. The bistro is a casual space that serves Creole and Cajun inspired burgers and appetisers, as well as a selection of freshly-baked pies. The bistro, right across from Pink Blossoms, has both indoor and outdoor seats, and a friendly vibe.
Joo Chiat
The 1925 Brewing Co, 261 Joo Chiat Rd
Also known as Blue Smoke, it bills itself as a contemporary Asian smokehouse with dishes like Indonesian crackers, Thai grilled pork, as well as Teochew-inspired Duck Breast and Kurobuta Pork Belly. The beers are 1925 Brewing’s specialties, with bottled beers and brews on tap – including the popular Lychee Lager and Liang Teh Lager. You can also book yourself a brewery tour and find out more about their brews.
Cider Pit, 328 Joo Chiat Rd
While the name inspires more of a cider menu (they do have the most number of ciders on tap in Singapore), they do have a selection of craft beer available on tap – mostly from British breweries – as well as a bigger range in cans and/or bottles. This casual place seems a bit older than most other breweries, and it’s got a fish-and-chips kind of vibe.
Picotin, 382 Joo Chiat Rd
Picotin is an outdoor restaurant and bar set in the compound of a colonial bungalow with a casual vibe. It specialises in European fare, and on tap, it specialises in its own Picotin Brewhaus beers with IPA, Lager, Wheat, as well as unique flavours like Green Hulk and Cherry Bury. The location at Katong is way more casual than the one in Fullerton Boathouse, and you can see the tanks of beer outside.
Smokey’s, 73 Joo Chiat Pl
Another institution in the Joo Chiat area is this casual outdoor smokehouse that’s known for its ribs. It’s also got about a selection of 8-9 easy-drinking craft beers on tap, mostly from the US (like Sweetwater, Rogue, and Heretic). On Wednesdays, they have a $1 wing night (with a minimum of a drink purchase), so you can come here and stuff yourself with chicken wings and enjoy the beers on tap.
East Coast Road
In Bad Company, 66E East Coast Rd
Located on the 5th floor of the rather quiet The Flow@East Coast, it can be hard to spot this cozy place. They have various craft beers on tap, from brands and varieties that are rarely found in Singapore. They also have fridges stocked with more unique beers. It serves gourmet food, from small plates like stuffed squid and lotus chips to mains like Wagyu and Lobster Bisque Linguine.
Freebird, Katong Shopping Centre
Freebird boasts 12 taps which features a number of unique beers both local and international. They also have a variety of beers in cans and bottles in their bottle shop a few doors down. Its menu features fusion dishes like Hainanese Chicken pasta, peanut butter chicken, and Sichuan pork dumplings. Head there on Tuesdays for deals on food and beer.
Beer Basket, 57 East Coast Rd
With its cool, minimalist decor, Beer Basket has a large collection of craft beer – bottles and cans – in their wall of fridge. There’s only 4 craft beers on tap, which includes at least one local brand. There’s a small outdoor area where you can watch the world go by. They serve casual food, from pizzas to burgers, tacos, and pastas, alongside a long list of bar bites.
Tap Out, 103 East Coast Rd
Also along East Coast road, Tap Out has 20 taps which rotate frequently, and includes the usual favourites like IPAs, lagers, and sours. They have a healthy selection of local craft beers. The food here consists mainly of burgers and skewers (which are ideal for sharing), and a decent selection of starters (bar grub).
good intentions
This 2-story joint is an all-day dining cafe and bar, with draft beers and cocktails. Their taps feature mostly local microbreweries, like Niang Beer, Civilization Brewing, Alive Brewing, and more. They also have locally-made cask ales, pumped out through a unique tap typically found in classic English taverns. Food-wise, they have a range of burgers, appetisers, and a weekend brunch menu.
Malthouse
A mainstay in the Siglap area with both indoor and outdoor seating, Malthouse has 14 rotating taps featuring a wide variety of brands from around the world, from South Korea to Scotland, Australia, USA, and more. Depending on when you go, you may also get non-alcoholic craft beer on tap. Malthouse also serves bar bites (like chicken wings), tacos, pizzas, burgers, and more.
LKF Taproom, 914E East Coast Rd
Established in 2020, LKF – Lan Kwai Fong for short – is inspired by Hong Kong. Most of their beers on tap are sourced from Hong Kong, with brands like Moonzen, Tai Wai, and Carbon Brews. They also have a rotating tap of 1925’s brews, as well as a selection of international brands. Come on Mondays and Tuesdays for 1-for-1 beers all night. Their food is a mixed bag of Asian flavours, from baos to nasi lemak and skewers.
Changi
Little Island Brewing, 6 Changi Village Rd
Tapping into the laid back ocean vibes with outdoor seats, Little Island is unique in that you tap your own beer – from any of their 30 taps – and that all the beers are brewed on site. You procure their RFID card (either pre-paid or with a credit card holding) and fill your own glass with the beer of your choice. This means you’re charged by the ml instead of an entire pint. They have a huge range of food – mainly grills, pizzas, and burgers – depending on whether it’s lunch or dinner, weekday or weekend.
