Best Craft Beers in Cambodia – August 2018

A few years ago Phnom Penh and Cambodia had almost nothing to offer when it came to craft beers. This is, however, slowly changing and today there are a few interesting options to be had in Cambodia, especially the craft beer selection in Phnom Penh is very good. Let’s have a look at a few of our favourites.

Riel Beer IPA

Riel brewing is really pushing the hops to the maximum with their flagship IPA. They are not telling many details about their beer, just that they are using “hops from all over the globe, and a lot of them”.

We cannot give the exact bars where you can find this beer, but we know that Embargo and Seabird’s are big on Riel Brewing’s beers. Embargo has one of the best selections of Craft Beer in Phnom Penh, and Seabird’s is a cool little dive bar serving Cambodian Craft Beers, both are definitely places to check out. You should also try Riel Brewing’s different experimental beers.

Indochine IPA – by Kingdom Breweries

Indochine Beer that’s brewed at Kingdom Breweries has quite a few interesting beers. Especially their IPA was probably one of the best Cambodian Craft Beers I tried on my last trip to Phnom Penh.

Unlike a lot of popular IPA’s these days, the Indochine IPA is not made of tropical American hops, instead, it’s brewed with traditional English hops, i.e. East Kent Golding and Fuggles which gives the beer a very unique character. This is one of the most popular craft beers in Cambodia and you should find it in most places in Phnom Penh that serves craft beer.

Cerevisia Amber Ale

The Amber Ale is a classic a classic beer style which, to be fair, is not a very difficult one to make. Unfortunately, it’s not very often represented in the Phnom Penh Craft Beer scene, but that’s exactly the reason why Cerevisia’s Amber Ale is a welcomed addition in Cambodia. In accordance with the style, this Amber Ale is heavy on the roasted malts. You can find it at Botanico Wine & Beer Garden.

Himawari – Apsara Gold

Himawari’s Apsara Gold is a Golden/Blonde Ale which is not exactly the most common craft beer style in Cambodia. It’s brewed with the New Zealand hop Nelson Sauvin and the American hop Cascade, which is a very classic tropical flavoured hop. It’s maybe not the best Craft Beer in Phnom Penh or Cambodia, but definitely, one to try. You can find it at Himawari Hotel Microbrewery.

Stone Head Brewery

Stone Head Brewery is actually a Thai Craft Beer brewery, but they have their own brewery in Cambodia. They are not on their list because of their amazing beer quality, but rather because they are offering a quite diverse range of different craft beers. You can, for example, find beers like Stone Head Hazelnut Chocolate Stout, Coconut Cream Ale, Butterfly Wheat Ale etc.

Previously many of the Thai craft beer brewers were brewing at Stone Head. Previously Stone Head was brewing beers for Beat Brewing, Soi Beer, Taopiphop, Yaksa Brewery and What the Pug. These days many of these brewers are instead brewing at Kingdom Breweries in Phnom Penh. (Update: 2021 most Thai breweries are brewing in Vietnam but options to brew in Thailand are also opening up).

Are there any Good Craft Beers in Cambodia?

While we still haven’t found any amazing options of craft beer in Cambodia, the local craft beer scene is definitely going in the right direction. Especially, the Riel’s IPA is of a very good standard and we hope that in the future the Phnom Penh nightlife will see more of these kinds of beers. If you need some help with finding these beers, you can always have a look at our piece Best Craft Beer Bars in Phnom Penh.