Brewery collaborations are all the rage in the craft beer world, and have been for some time now, but Bangkok’s Mahanakhon Brewery are trying something different – a Beer & Art collab.
They have teamed up with popular Thai graphic designer Wawawawin and artist Poorboy Life to capture the spirit of Bangkok both on the inside and the outside of the can.
Avi Yashaya, Mahanakhon’s CEO, explains “We are always trying to find new ways to express the spirit of Bangkok through our beers, using the latest hops optimized to bring out intense, citrusy, tropical aromas and flavors.”
“Making more sessionable recipes that help put out the fire or pair with the city’s best street food. With this collaboration we have taken this a step further working with a local visual artists to flesh out what the brand means to us, and the city, with his unique perspective on Bangkok.”
Connecting Beer & Art
First, Mahanakhon reached out to Wawawawin to create an illustration that connected their product with the more quirky side of the Thai Capital.
Wawawawin is currently making great strides pumping out wild, character driven NFTs so his approach to the project was to produce an off-kilter, fantastical mosaic of Bangkok as a craft beer lovers paradise, with hop vines running through the city’s most iconic imagery and Mahanakhon Beer at it’s heart.
Seeing his ultra creative representation of Mahanakhon, the brewery team then commissioned a series of labels for their new seasonal Single Hop Series with fellow local artist Poorboy Life.
Poorboy Life’s trademark street art mixed with Saturday morning cartoon designs have been called upon by big brands like Vans, the North Face, and KFC.
A beer that takes you on a ride
The brewery team then set to work producing a beer that could reflect such bold imagery, the result being an expressive, complex Single Hopped Cashmere IPA that takes the drinker on a wild Tuk Tuk ride through the chaotic dreamscape of Krungthep Mahanakhon (the new official name for Bangkok).
The beer label produced by Poorboy Life for Mahanakhon’s Cashmere Single Hop IPA
Mahankhon have recently launched their beers across Taiwan, their first overseas venture, but they are keen to stress their passion is firmly rooted in the Land of Smiles.
“We feel that Craft beer is a patchwork of local identities and personalities. A strong visual identity is key to allow craft brewers to connect with the imagination and innovation behind what’s in the can / glass. Hopefully, through projects like these we can help shine a light on some amazing local Thai talent while getting customers excited about our own passion, the beer” explained Avi.
The Mahanakhon Single Hop series will be available in Thailand from late August with plans in the works to collaborate with more local artists to showcase the spirit of modern Thai art and brewing.
