Vietnam’s first large-scale craft beer emporium, East West Brewery, will prove a test of whether the time’s right for craft brewing to expand beyond poky tap rooms, to taking a slice of the city’s heaving local beer market.
These guys are serious. They’ve traded cosy, artisanal atmosphere, for scale. You could probably fit all of Saigon’s little tap rooms into this cavernous space.
East-West is the first player to be licensed to brew on-site too.
Don’t let the little paradox of industrial scale craft beer bother you. It’s what’s happening to artisanal stuff the world over. Most of the other craft beers in Saigon have ambitions well beyond the garage too.
Vietnamese are the biggest beer drinkers in the region. The owners of East-West seem to be calculating that if they can persuade a small percentage away from Tiger and Heineken to their Pacific Northwest style craft beer, they’ll be set.
This isn’t a place for an intimate drink. It’s a huge, high ceilinged cathedral of craft beer.
East West opened in early 2017 and they look to be off to a strong start. They serve only their own brews. They’re also serving up an East West menu. We haven’t tried the food yet.
Smoking’s permitted indoors and out - though not in the restaurant area adjoining the bar.
Disclosure
Rusty Compass recommendations are always independent. We list the places we think you should know about. That’s it. No inducement of any kind was received for this listing.
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