Asia’s relationship with beer stretches back centuries, yet until recently, the continent’s beer scene was dominated by light lagers produced by large corporations. The past decade has witnessed a remarkable transformation as craft breweries have emerged across the region, creating distinctive beers that blend Western brewing techniques with local ingredients and cultural influences.
This craft beer revolution has been particularly vibrant in urban centers where young entrepreneurs, many trained abroad, have returned home to pioneer brewing movements that reflect their cities’ unique characteristics and culinary traditions.
Here is a list of 20 surprising cities across Asia where craft beer scenes are flourishing in unexpected ways.
Taipei
Taiwan’s capital has transformed from a light lager stronghold to a craft beer powerhouse in less than a decade, with over 30 independent breweries now operating across the city. Pioneering establishments like Redpoint Brewing and Taihu have created beers incorporating indigenous ingredients such as Taiwanese mountain tea, longan fruit, and unripe green plums harvested from the surrounding countryside.
Bangkok
Despite restrictive brewing laws that have forced many brewers to produce their recipes at partner facilities in neighboring countries, underground brewing collectives operate throughout the city, creating innovative beers inspired by Thai cuisine in brews served at secretive taprooms announced through social media channels. The annual Bangkok Craft Beer Festival has become Southeast Asia’s largest beer gathering, transforming a Buddhist temple’s grounds into a showcase for the region’s most creative brewing talent.
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Kyoto
Japan’s ancient capital has quietly developed a distinctive craft beer identity separate from Tokyo’s better-known scene, with breweries housed in converted machiya townhouses that date back centuries. Local brewers like Kizakura and Kyoto Brewing have created a uniquely Kyoto approach emphasizing subtle flavor profiles that complement rather than overwhelm the city’s refined cuisine.
Seasonal brewing traditions align with the city’s cultural calendar, with special editions released during cherry blossom season.
Beijing
China’s capital has witnessed explosive growth in its craft beer scene, where Hutong Alleyway breweries produce adventurous beers typically unavailable elsewhere in the country. Great Leap Brewing pioneered the movement with their landmark 6 RMB IPA featuring Sichuan peppercorns, followed by dozens of operations now creating beers with distinctively Chinese characteristics like rock sugar, osmanthus flowers, and oolong tea.
The city hosts an annual craft beer festival in the 798 Art District.
Ho Chi Minh City
Vietnam’s southern metropolis has transformed its beer culture from cheap mass-market lagers to sophisticated craft options in just seven years, with pioneering operations like Pasteur Street Brewing creating internationally awarded beers using local ingredients. The city’s signature brewing style incorporates Vietnamese coffee, pho spices, and tropical fruits like dragon fruit and rambutan into traditional Western beer styles.
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Singapore
The city-state has overcome space limitations and high operating costs to develop a thriving craft beer ecosystem where scientific precision meets creative experimentation. Breweries like Brewlander and LeVeL33, the world’s highest urban microbrewery, produce technically flawless beers using advanced equipment rarely found in craft operations elsewhere.
The annual Singapore Craft Beer Week transforms the traditionally strait-laced city into Asia’s most exciting beer destination, with collaborative brews featuring ingredients from the city’s diverse culinary traditions.
Kuala Lumpur
Malaysia’s capital has cultivated a distinctive craft beer identity despite religious restrictions that limit marketing and consumption among the Muslim-majority population. Pioneering operations like Taps Beer Bar and Ales & Lagers have created safe spaces for the multicultural city’s beer enthusiasts to explore craft options outside the mainstream lager market that dominated for decades.
Mumbai
India’s financial capital has recently experienced a craft beer renaissance after Maharashtra state modernized its brewing regulations, allowing microbreweries to operate legally for the first time. Gateway Brewing pioneered the movement with beers designed specifically for the Indian palate and climate, focusing on sessionable styles that pair well with spicy local cuisine.
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Busan
South Korea’s second city has developed a craft beer identity distinct from Seoul’s better-known scene, with a focus on ocean-inspired brewing that reflects the coastal city’s maritime heritage. Breweries like Gorilla and Wild Wave create beer styles specifically designed to pair with the city’s renowned seafood, often incorporating ingredients like kelp, local citrus, and Jeju Island black garlic into their recipes.
The annual Busan International Beer Festival transforms the Haeundae beach area into Asia’s most picturesque beer destination.
Manila
The Philippines’ sprawling capital has embraced craft beer with characteristic enthusiasm, transforming from a San Miguel monopoly to a diverse beer landscape in less than a decade. Pioneering operations like Engkanto and Nipa Brew have created distinctively Filipino beer styles incorporating local ingredients like calamansi limes, ube purple yam, and coconut throughout their product lines.
Chengdu
China’s spice-loving Sichuan capital has developed a distinctive craft beer scene centered around breweries that incorporate the region’s famous numbing peppercorns and chili heat into their creations. Operations like WE Brewery and Harvest Craft create beers specifically designed to complement the city’s famously fiery cuisine, often collaborating with local chefs to develop pairings for specific dishes.
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Phnom Penh
Cambodia’s capital has transformed from a beer wasteland dominated by international lagers to a creative brewing hub where locally-owned operations express distinctively Khmer flavor profiles. Breweries like Cerevisia and Flowers incorporate traditional Cambodian ingredients like Kampot pepper, palm sugar, and local herbs typically used in the country’s cuisine.
The annual Kingdom Beer Festival showcases creations from across the country alongside educational components designed to develop locals’ appreciation for craft beer in a market previously limited to mass-produced options.
Yogyakarta
Indonesia’s cultural capital has developed a thriving craft scene centered around small-batch breweries operated as creative extensions of the city’s artistic community. Local operations like Djendral Brewery incorporate traditional Javanese ingredients, including local coffee varieties, snake fruit, and spices typically used in jamu herbal medicine.
Hanoi
Vietnam’s northern capital has embraced craft beer as a complement to its renowned street food culture, with small breweries emerging alongside traditional bia hoi fresh beer operations throughout the Old Quarter. Furbrew and Turtle Lake Brewing pioneered the contemporary craft movement, creating beers specifically designed to pair with local specialties like bun cha and pho using ingredients such as Vietnamese cinnamon, star anise, and locally-grown coffee.
The city hosts a monthly craft beer street festival where brewers set up alongside food vendors.
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Seoul
South Korea’s capital has transformed from a macro-lager market dominated by two major corporations to a vibrant craft scene with over 50 independent breweries operating across the sprawling metropolis. Pioneering operations like Magpie and Amazing Brewing incorporate traditional Korean ingredients, including omija berries, yuja citrus, and locally-grown barley, which are rarely used in brewing elsewhere.
The city hosts Asia’s largest annual craft beer week, with events spread across multiple neighborhoods showcasing Seoul’s characteristic energy and enthusiasm for embracing global trends while adapting them to distinctly Korean sensibilities.
Siem Reap
Cambodia’s tourism hub has developed a craft beer scene catering to both international visitors and increasingly interested locals, with breweries operating in colonial buildings and converted traditional wooden structures. Operations like Siem Reap Brewpub create beers using locally sourced ingredients, including Kampot pepper, local honey, and dragon fruit grown in the surrounding province.
The city hosts a monthly craft beer market aligned with its popular Night Market.
Shenzhen
China’s technology hub has developed an appropriately innovative beer scene, where breweries incorporate cutting-edge techniques and unexpected local ingredients rarely used in brewing traditionally. Operations like Bionic Brew and 18 Breweries create beers featuring Chinese medicinal herbs, local teas, and fruits from the subtropical region surrounding the city.
The annual Shenzhen Craft Beer Festival transforms the modern city’s urban villages into exploration zones where visitors can sample hundreds of innovative creations emerging from China’s most forward-thinking brewing community.
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Fukuoka
Japan’s gateway to Kyushu has cultivated a distinctive craft beer identity focused on incorporating the island’s renowned agricultural products into traditional brewing styles. Local operations like Suginoya and Brewery Revo create beers using Kyushu-grown citrus, sweet potatoes, and barley varieties developed specifically for the region’s climate.
The city hosts a quarterly craft beer festival coinciding with local agricultural harvests, creating a natural seasonal rotation that reflects the Japanese appreciation for products at their peak freshness and flavor.
Thimphu
Bhutan’s capital represents Asia’s most unexpected craft beer destination, where strict regulations on foreign influence have created a uniquely Bhutanese interpretation of craft brewing. Namgay Artisanal Brewery, the country’s first and most prominent craft operation, creates beers incorporating indigenous red rice, locally-grown wheat, and traditional herbs used in Bhutanese medicine.
Ulaanbaatar
Mongolia’s capital has embraced craft beer as an extension of the country’s rich tradition of fermented mare’s milk, with breweries creating hybrid styles that bridge nomadic heritage and contemporary brewing science. Operations like Chinggis Brewery incorporate traditional Mongolian ingredients, including local barley varieties, foraged herbs from the surrounding steppes, and sea buckthorn berries, into recipes that reflect the country’s extreme seasonal climate variations.
The annual Mongolia Craft Beer Festival coincides with traditional Naadam celebrations, creating cultural connections between ancient traditions and the country’s emerging contemporary beer scene.
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The East Pours Forward
Asia’s emerging craft beer movements represent far more than a simple imitation of Western brewing trends—they embody the continent’s remarkable cultural diversity and innovation through liquid form. What makes these 20 cities particularly fascinating is how they’ve developed distinctive brewing identities reflecting local ingredients, culinary traditions, and cultural values rather than merely reproducing established styles from Europe or America.
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