2020 got off to a less than auspicious start. Things quickly went from bad to worse with the spread of the coronavirus, and for a moment it looked like my chances for a regular social beer or two (for which I have been known to enjoy on the ‘odd’ occasion) were fading fast. Fortunately I was saved by the swift and measured response in Việt Nam which has led to an eventual reduction in cases despite the continual global rise.
Việt Nam’s response has been world-class – and in the spirit of full disclosure my opinion is definitely biased, I am fortunate enough to live here and soooo happy that I do. While some have been unable to leave their homes or even buy a beer over the past months, I have been to two beer festivals. Ha.
Vũng Tàu is a small city that sits on a peninsula a couple of hours south of Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City to outsiders) by water. It served as a critical port for both pirates and French colonials in the past. In modern times, the city became known as the oil hub of Việt Nam. A couple of previous visits attest to the fact that it is also a great, sleepy little beach escape from the big city and not a bad place to sink an ice cold beer or two.
Most importantly, Vũng Tàu recently hosted the first craft beer festival of this lunar year in Việt Nam, possibly Southeast Asia, maybe the world? Does it really matter as we are all stuck in our respective countries anyway!
After months of marinating in the sweltering Saigon heat, I leapt at the chance to get away. I ordered my high-speed ferry tickets jammed the essentials in my backpack and jumped on a Grab bike to the terminal. Coming out of lockdown, I wasn’t sure what to expect. I was certainly thirsty though.
What I found in Vũng Tàu was a beautiful outdoor bar and music venue, perfect for the small, friendly fest. Intimate but comfortable, with loads of motorbike parking (an essential for any festival in Việt Nam) – many thanks to host and organizer, “Peace & Love” for that.
On to the beer.
Four Saigon beer brands were present at the event with staff more than willing to ply the eager festival goers with their sweet amber nectar (we’re not talking about Bia Saigon here).
Arranged down the side wall of the cozy venue, from the street to the stage I stumbled across Fuzzy Logic, Steersman Brewery, East West Brewing Co. and Pasteur Street Brewing Co – a new arrival nestled among three stalwarts of the Saigon craft scene.
Fuzzy Logic is (very) arguably the first distribution craft brewery in Việt Nam, starting up about the same time as Platinum Beer and just before Pasteur, back in 2014. East West entered the fray a couple of years later with a shiny city centre brewery and taproom. Steersman is one of the new kids on the block, started up this year by Wayne, an enterprising Taiwanese expat.
The four breweries offered a wide enough selection of beers to keep the friendly crowd satisfied and all those who turned up for the festival seemed more than happy to get back to ‘life as usual’.
A wonderful perk of being a member of the Vietnam craft industry for the last 5 years is that most of my colleagues will not let me pay for beer – though this is not from a lack of trying on my part. This is far from limited to Asia though, it holds true around the world; once you have swapped product with a comrade in the craft community beer tends to become the medium of all future exchanges.
The first friend I met thrust a Pasteur into my hand. That was followed in fairly quick succession by a couple of Fuzzies, some Steersman, and an East West. Drain, fill, and repeat in no particular order.
The music and conversation continued into the night as the crowd ebbed and flowed. The venue stayed fairly full, but never felt crowded. Good people, good beer, and good vibes. Whatever mission I was on, accomplished.
The most surreal part of the entire evening was the lack of masks. No political statements, just people in a country with zero transmissions. It is amazing how quickly you can flatten a pandemic curve and get on with life if everyone does their part.
Cảm ơn Việt Nam! I appreciate the opportunity to get back to drinking … er … working.
