Cambodia's Craft Beers

Discussions about restaurants, cafes, coffee shops or bars in Cambodia. Feel free to write any reviews you have, whether its the best burger you've had in Phnom Penh or the worse pizza in Kampot, we want to read it! Discussions about Khmer dishes are also in here, or you can leave your own. If you own a restaurant, feel free to let the expat community know about it here so that we can come check it out. Found a favorite cafe or have a place we should avoid? Tell us about it. Asian recipes & questions are always welcome.
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cautious colin
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Re: Cambodia's Craft Beers

Post by cautious colin »

independencequarter wrote: Mon Jun 10, 2019 2:44 pm
cautious colin wrote: Wed May 29, 2019 10:21 pm
Flexxman wrote: Wed May 29, 2019 7:18 pm

But give me a good triple like Karmeliet or St Feuillien instead any time, some supermarkets in PP have quite a few Belgian beers in stock for around the $2 mark.
Where's the best selection around PP?
Without a doubt Embargo and The Box Office if you are looking for a variety of beers from different brewers.
I did mean best supermarket but thanks anyway. I tend to agree with Flexx, give me a decent Belgian beer over the craft stuff any day, or even a nice real ale (albeit served a lot colder than it is in the UK)
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Re: Cambodia's Craft Beers

Post by MarkRobinson »

Craft - beer is for wankers with too much available money .The best " craft - beer " is what those Aussies enjoy ~ V B 🎂 ( Victorian Bitter ,in green cans bottles ,green label)
"The Truth ,The whole truth " & nothing but the T R U T H ,Galbelly for the Defense.🍇
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Re: Cambodia's Craft Beers

Post by Jcml19 »

Concur with everyone... Peeps making $200 (if that) ain't dropping 3% of their disposable income on a single beer....

Backpackers don't bring the cheddar, Western fams are not getting drunk in cam, Asian Trav do not drink as much iPas bc differences in tastes...

From my exp, iPas were marketed and succeeded for those in the age group 24-40 in urban Western cities...
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hanno
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Re: Cambodia's Craft Beers

Post by hanno »

Jcml19 wrote: Sat Aug 31, 2019 12:51 pm Concur with everyone... Peeps making $200 (if that) ain't dropping 3% of their disposable income on a single beer....

Backpackers don't bring the cheddar, Western fams are not getting drunk in cam, Asian Trav do not drink as much iPas bc differences in tastes...

From my exp, iPas were marketed and succeeded for those in the age group 24-40 in urban Western cities...
If you say so. A recent visit to Wat Beast:

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independencequarter
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Re: Cambodia's Craft Beers

Post by independencequarter »

Jcml19 wrote: Sat Aug 31, 2019 12:51 pm Concur with everyone... Peeps making $200 (if that) ain't dropping 3% of their disposable income on a single beer....

Backpackers don't bring the cheddar, Western fams are not getting drunk in cam, Asian Trav do not drink as much iPas bc differences in tastes...

From my exp, iPas were marketed and succeeded for those in the age group 24-40 in urban Western cities...
Obviously it's not the Tuk Tuk drivers earning $200 a month that will ever be the main craft beer drinkers. With a growing Cambodian middle class and ever-increasing tourism, there's definitely room for some kind of craft beer market in Cambodia. It has happened in most of the neighbouring countries, Cambodia will be next.
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hanno
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Re: Cambodia's Craft Beers

Post by hanno »

independencequarter wrote: Sat Aug 31, 2019 1:52 pm
Jcml19 wrote: Sat Aug 31, 2019 12:51 pm Concur with everyone... Peeps making $200 (if that) ain't dropping 3% of their disposable income on a single beer....

Backpackers don't bring the cheddar, Western fams are not getting drunk in cam, Asian Trav do not drink as much iPas bc differences in tastes...

From my exp, iPas were marketed and succeeded for those in the age group 24-40 in urban Western cities...
Obviously it's not the Tuk Tuk drivers earning $200 a month that will ever be the main craft beer drinkers. With a growing Cambodian middle class and ever-increasing tourism, there's definitely room for some kind of craft beer market in Cambodia. It has happened in most of the neighbouring countries, Cambodia will be next.
This. 10 years ago in Vietnam, you couldn't find a craft beer for love or money, now there are more craft beer places than one can shake a stick at. And no, it is not TEFL'ers, embassy types, or Miggles, it is Vietnamese packing the venue. During a recent visit to Belgo in HCMC, 95% of the crowd were Vietnamese.
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Re: Cambodia's Craft Beers

Post by independencequarter »

hanno wrote: Sat Aug 31, 2019 2:08 pm
independencequarter wrote: Sat Aug 31, 2019 1:52 pm
Jcml19 wrote: Sat Aug 31, 2019 12:51 pm Concur with everyone... Peeps making $200 (if that) ain't dropping 3% of their disposable income on a single beer....

Backpackers don't bring the cheddar, Western fams are not getting drunk in cam, Asian Trav do not drink as much iPas bc differences in tastes...

From my exp, iPas were marketed and succeeded for those in the age group 24-40 in urban Western cities...
Obviously it's not the Tuk Tuk drivers earning $200 a month that will ever be the main craft beer drinkers. With a growing Cambodian middle class and ever-increasing tourism, there's definitely room for some kind of craft beer market in Cambodia. It has happened in most of the neighbouring countries, Cambodia will be next.
This. 10 years ago in Vietnam, you couldn't find a craft beer for love or money, now there are more craft beer places than one can shake a stick at. And no, it is not TEFL'ers, embassy types, or Miggles, it is Vietnamese packing the venue. During a recent visit to Belgo in HCMC, 95% of the crowd were Vietnamese.
Yup, but as it did in Thailand, as it will in Cambodia, it starts with a few locals and expats, and from there grows into something bigger. I concur that the locals need to start drinking it to actually make it big, but don't worry, they will. There are enough young Khmers with money to spend that love new stuff. They can spend 2-3$ on a coffee, and they can definitely spend 3-4$ on a good beer. There are even Khmers doing homebrew at the moment.
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Re: Cambodia's Craft Beers

Post by johnny lightning »

With the Vietnamese it has long been and still is a status thing. 20 years ago they drank Heineken because it was the most expensive beer. 15 years ago they were mixing expensive single malt Scotch with coke. 10 years ago they took to red wine and tried not to make a face like they had just sucked on a lemon. I doubt 5% of Vietnamese drinking a highly hopped dark copper aromatic 7% IPA actually like what they are putting in their mouths.

Your point about abundance is well taken though. Most of the time I eat in local joints and drink Saigon red or Saigon special. In Saigon I have to try to stay away from the craft beer places or I will drop my entire days food and drink budget on a few pints!
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Re: Cambodia's Craft Beers

Post by hanno »

johnny lightning wrote: Sat Aug 31, 2019 4:42 pm With the Vietnamese it has long been and still is a status thing. 20 years ago they drank Heineken because it was the most expensive beer. 15 years ago they were mixing expensive single malt Scotch with coke. 10 years ago they took to red wine and tried not to make a face like they had just sucked on a lemon. I doubt 5% of Vietnamese drinking a highly hopped dark copper aromatic 7% IPA actually like what they are putting in their mouths.

Your point about abundance is well taken though. Most of the time I eat in local joints and drink Saigon red or Saigon special. In Saigon I have to try to stay away from the craft beer places or I will drop my entire days food and drink budget on a few pints!
True for some but not all. Many Vietnamese have always enjoyed a good beer, having worked in what used to be the East Bloc. Others, like many of my colleagues lived and studied in the UK, USA, Oz, and have developed a taste for the finer things in life (and they can afford it).
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Re: Cambodia's Craft Beers

Post by Jcml19 »

Here's the deal... Annual income $40k and a craft beer @ $6 will cost a Westerner 0.00015%... there was definitely a market for it back home since it's only a buck or 2 mo that the buds/Carl's/Beck/guin (my apologies if I messed up the lager/pils of your home country)...

The point is 0.00015% ... Completely understand there is a growing middle class but considering 40k on an annual basis is like 1% of your local market it will be tough sell... Remember, booze u need volume. No one in there right mind should blow 10% of your annual income in a single night of drinking...

iPas can work in asean (esp sing and the wealthy ones) but it should focus on the elite class... To be generous there may be 150k customers classified as elite. No where close to Western drinking base back home. Shoot, I easily drink 7-10 iPas back home but I can afford it. $60 bucks is a lot to the middle class when it's one night of boozing. :beer3:

Good discussion imo... Lower the price and there is def money to be made
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