By Amanda Kaufman
Feb 3, 2021

“And he’s a bit strange, because he’s Khmer, and he seemed to know what he’s drinking. "

The craft beer scene in Cambodia has been steadily growing for a decade – but it’s always had a Western feel. Now, the guys behind the first truly Khmer craft brewery are injecting Cambodian flavours to the brews and looking to win over Cambodian drinkers

A fateful moment brought together the two owners of the first Khmer-produced craft brewing company in Cambodia. Ung Jason had returned to Cambodia in 2018 from Australia, where he’d gotten into the home brewing scene, with the hopes of turning this hobby into a business in his home country. He’d noticed that in the very nascent craft brewing industry in the Kingdom, none of the local brewers were Cambodians – something he decided to change.

Seeing Dore’s passion for good craft beers, and having experienced how hard it is to run a brewery solo, Jason suggested they team up and help each other.

Once united, the pair decided to shut the bar and start seriously focusing on their brews in March 2020. “We were still brewing 20 litres at the time,” said Jason. “And now we brew 100 litres. And it’s still that we don’t even have enough to supply to our customer”.

Those 100 litres are bottled and sold to six restaurants and bars around Phnom Penh, as well as three in Kampot and one in Battambang. The pair also made a strong showing at the 2020 Oktoberfest in Phnom Penh, where they say foreign and Cambodian customers alike were happily surprised to see “two black-haired heads standing among the crowd of blonde and red heads”.

As of Friday 5th February, Elite Cambodian Craft Beer will also be sold in its own taproom pub again, giving even more opportunity for new customers to discover their beer and stick close to the bar.

The refurbished taproom, with exposed brick walls painted a soft off-white, offset by the green of a few potted plants and a black chalkboard displaying the beers on tap, has an inviting, cozy atmosphere.

“Just a small space where people can come in and enjoy. That’s the idea”, said Dore, humbly accepting my compliment.

The decision to reopen the taproom to the public was spurred on when they were approached by a local bicycle tour group to become a designated pit stop, welcoming cyclists who’d worked up a thirst touring the city and its breweries.

Full.https://whatsonphnompenh.com/craft-beer ... er-people/

Overpriced shite.

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