Leyd Brewing Co. has launched Malaysia’s first canned craft beer, a major development for the country’s brewing industry.

The Sarawak-based brewery has launched two of their core range of beers, Juicy Pale Ale and Haka Pilsner, in 320ml cans nationally around Malaysia.

The development builds on Leyd’s expansion into Semananjung (West Malaysia): the first instance of a Sarawakian craft brewery achieving internal export within Malaysia, demonstrating the interstate commercial viability for East Malaysian beverage producers.

“From the very beginning of Leyd Brewing Co., canned beer was always part of our vision,” shares co-founder Jaan Yeh.

“We’re beyond excited that our canned beers have finally made their way across the sea to West Malaysia.”

Following positive demand from retailers and bars, the brewery plans to brew around ten new styles including an IPA, NEIPA and Gose both in draft and packaged in the second half of 2025.

Malaysia maintains one of the region’s most restrictive craft beer frameworks through high taxes, highly restrictive brewery licensing requirements and laws banning the majority Malay ethnic group from consuming alcohol.

However, Sarawak, a state in East Malaysia, has a relatively high degree of autonomy from Malaysia’s federal authorities in many areas including brewing and liquor licensing and has a long established indigenous culture of alcohol consumption. 

Indeed the state now is the leader nationally in terms of craft breweries: besides Leyd, 1602 and Zebrew are both also brewed in Sarawak.

The emergence of domestically canned craft beer creates an opportunity for local producers to bypass restrictive on-trade tap contracts controlled by Heineken and Carlsberg, while also addressing distribution challenges that have historically limited craft beer accessibility even for imported breweries.