If you’re hoping to stumble upon a homebrewing shop while visiting a shopping mall in Singapore, forget it. Equipment and ingredients needed for homebrewing are considered niche, and the scene is still so nascent that there are only a grand total of (wait for it..) four homebrewing stores to be found in the whole country.
Thankfully, they provide everything you could possibly need, and even offer online delivery options as well, so your supply of grains, hops and yeast are always just a few clicks away.
Below, find out a little about each of them and what products and services you can expect when paying their store a visit.
iBrew
It’s safe to say that the homebrewing community in Singapore has been cultivated by the folks behind iBrew. Having been around since 2004, they are perhaps best known for organizing the annual iBrew Challenge. It’s a festival and competition where homebrewers gather to both showcase their beers and to have a taste of what’s been brewing in other people’s homes. A panel of judges also award a Best of Show accolade to the best home brew that took part. The 2019 edition marked the 13th year running of the iBrew Challenge, with the Covid-19 pandemic putting a halt on 2020 and beyond.
Homebrewers look to iBrew for all their quintessential supplies. They’ve got the basic stuff like beer and wine brewing kits, carboys, brewing extracts, yeast, sanitizers, bottles, you name it. But they’ve got the fancy stuff as well. Whether you’re looking for specialty grains and hops, yeast nutrients or temperature control equipment (especially needed in Singapore), they’ve got you covered. They even provide a custom draft system installation service, if you’re thinking of having a tap bar at home.
Best of all, they are a mighty friendly bunch. Simply WhatsApp, call or email them to find out more and make a purchase. Or pop by their Clementi shopfront and peruse the wonderful world of homebrewing for yourself while shooting the breeze with fellow homebrew enthusiasts.
Homebrew Co-op
Founded in 2014, the Homebrew Co-op was started with the idea of fostering a homebrewing community, or co-operative, in mind. To that end, they wish to instill the idea that homebrewing is a fun and rewarding hobby (it is!) to as many people as they can. And they do so by conducting workshops for all levels of beer buffs. Start with a simple Beer Appreciation Workshop to taste and learn about various beer styles, before moving on to basic extract-based brewing or just get on with the more advanced all-grain brewing workshops.
You’ll find very different brands carried at Homebrew Co-op compared to iBrew. This is good for us, as that means greater variety available in the market. Like iBrew, all your bases are covered here, including starter kits, malts, hops and yeasts. Or go truly DIY and build your own brewing system with their wide range of fermenters, airlocks, bottling equipment, faucets, valves and more. They even stock oak staves in case you’re thinking of doing some ageing of your own.
They’re located in an industrial area at MacPherson, so it’s slightly more central compared to iBrew. Feel free to head on over to check ’em out or just browse their e-store.
BrewCat
This cute homebrew supply store is relatively new (started in 2020), and found at an accessible location along Tannery Road. So far, BrewCat is shaping up well, offering homebrewing and craft beer appreciation workshops held on-premise (when regulations allow) as well as online. Their selection certainly isn’t as vast as iBrew or Homebrew Co-op, but is certainly substantial and streamlined easily for beginners to browse.
Their location and branding also lends itself well to attracting a new, younger generation of homebrewers who may wish to simply get their feet wet first, before deciding if they would want to take the plunge into the wonderful world of homebrewing.
Fermentables
The newest homebrewing shop to arrive in town, Fermentables does things differently from the rest by essentially only selling their own starter beer kits, making their selection highly suitable for those new to homebrewing. Their all-grain kits are assembled themselves (not those ready-made commercial ones), with each box containing everything a newcomer will need to brew their first batch.
They do sell homebrewing equipment and ingredients separately, but are angled more as replacements and refills for your kit, since there isn’t a wide range to choose from. This focus on just a few key products makes Fermentables probably the most fuss-free option. Each kit even comes with its own illustrated brewing guide and portions sorted neatly, so you’re all set to have your very first brew day the moment the package arrives.
Other homebrew stores?
If you’re looking to get started with homebrewing in Singapore, the abovementioned places are your best bets. However, with e-commerce so ubiquitous, a world of other resources are at your fingertips. Places like Amazon and Lazada carry lots of stock and are worth looking at too for homebrewing supplies.
[Read more: A basic guide to home brewing beer for beginners]
About the Author
Dannon Har is the Managing Editor of Spill. Discovering his innate gift for drinking only at a ripe age, he spares no time trying to find more delicious drops to imbibe during his time on Earth. When he’s not minding every detail at Spill, he spends his time concocting luscious libations and sharing them with folks that visit his home bar.