Above image: Brewlander’s founder John Wei at their state-of-the-art brewery in Singapore
Pioneering homegrown brewery Brewlander is continuing its mission to lead the craft beer charge in Singapore with an all-new festival dedicated to, well, craft beers.
Brewnanza Fest – taking place over four days from Aug 3-6 at the Bayfront Event Space located right beside Marina Bay Sands – is perhaps the festival true blue beer geeks have in mind when it comes to a gathering of this scale.
Most impressive is the fact that there is no fluff when it comes to the curation of vendors. Brewlander founder John Wei has managed to secure the likes of DD4D from Japan and Trillium Brewing from the US to take part in the festivities.
Super cool Matsuyama-based brewers and clothiers DD4D may only be celebrating their 4th year as a small, independent brewer, but you won’t be able to tell from their remarkable lineup of beers – including ones made from various indigenous sake yeasts.
Then there’s Trillium Brewing from Massachusetts. The decade old New England farmhouse-inspired brewery needs no introduction among craft beer drinkers, and Brewnanza will be one of the rare times where their brews (especially their famed NEIPAs) will be available in Singapore.
We’re also excited to see UK’s Cloudwater making an appearance (their drops always get snatched up), Hong Kong’s hip and savvy Heroes Beer Co dishing out a Pu’er English Strong Ale, and Australia’s Rocky Ridge Brewing Co unveiling a collaboration West Coast IPA with organisers Brewlander.
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Highly unique is the presence of a strong contingent of Thai brewers. Very rarely found here, the likes of Pattaya’s Wizard Beer, Bang Saen’s Triple Pearl, and nomadic brewers The Brewing Project, among others, will all be making a showing at the festival.
And of course, Singapore-made beers will be a highlight at Brewnanza too. Lifestyle label Off Day Beer Company will have their brand of easy-drinking yet satisfying brews available, while fans will undoubtedly make a beeline for cult favourite Alive Brewing Co, who will be offering their head-turning Buah Keluak Imperial Stout.
Brewlander themselves will be pulling out all the stops with an extensive selection of special edition beers. There’s the curiously named Alison, I’ll Drink Your Wine, a juicy and tropical New England IPA being touted as a must-try at the festival, while the 58 Shades of Red is a celebratory brew (a rare red IPA style) made to commemorate Singapore’s 58th birthday.
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For nosh, the festival’s got you covered as well. From all-natural vegan ice cream by Kind Kones, to comforting burgers by none other than Shake Shack, there’s lots to fuel up on in-between beers.
Beyond food and drinks, Brewnanza will also be a platform for local musicians. Helming the DJ lineup for the first three days from Thursday through Saturday is homegrown music and party collective Ice Cream Sundays. Expect selectors and collectives like Darker Than Wax, Revision Music and Mugic to be taking the stage.
Meanwhile on Sunday, Sweetness Follows Records will be bringing an afternoon showcase of punk rock, alternative, emo-math pop, indie-folk and R&B bands the likes of Bellied Star, Death Valley Community Club, Forest, and Mary Sue featuring fxrxzx.
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Ticketing options are varied. A mix of day passes, all-access passes, and bundled passes will be available, ranging from S$25 to S$132, inclusive of a free beer and entry into festival grounds.
Ticket holders will also get exclusive access to week-long partner bar activations happening in the lead up to Brenanza Fest.
Brenanza Fest takes place from Aug 3-6. For more details, head to Brewlander’s website or their ticketing page.
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.