If you were looking for craft beer in Phnom Penh a year ago you would have found the usual suspects.
You would have found brewers like Riel Brewing, Cerevisia, Himawari Microbrewing, Flowers Nanobrewery, and maybe even The Local from Siem Reap.
Of course they have been improving their recipes and released a few new beers, but in general, the craft beer scene has looked very similar until the beginning of 2019.
This year, however, things have started to change regarding craft beer in Cambodia. We have seen several new craft beers entering the market and it has definitely been very exciting. In this article, we will list the most important newcomers to the Cambodian craft beer market during 2019.
Fuzzy Logic Brewing
Fuzzy Logic Brewing is a brewery from Vietnam. First, they entered the Cambodian craft beer market with a few bottles. This was their Celestial Blonde and Revolution Rye IPA among others.
Within a few weeks, Fuzzy Logic could be found in many restaurants around Phnom Penh and it was directly clear that they are going to play a big role in the development of the scene.
Lately, their draught beers have also been seen around the city. Their draught beers have definitely made a better impression than their bottles and especially their Thunderslap IPA has been a success in places all over the city.
Fuzzy Logic is now also setting up a craft beer brewery in Siem Reap so the likelihood that we will be seeing more of them in the future is huge. Don’t forget to try their Hop Baby DIPA if you have the chance.
Heart of Darkness Brewing
Heart of Darkness is also a craft beer from Vietnam. In my opinion, they probably produce the best craft beer in Vietnam. Considering the sheer amount of different beers they make the quality is fantastic. Many brewers manage to make a few good beers, but Heart of Darkness consistently manages to do it.
From their Loose Rivet NEIPA to their cucumber pilsner Futile Purpose, most of their beers are of great quality. We’re very happy to finally be able to find this kind of quality craft beer in Phnom Penh.
Elite Craft Beer
When I first heard about Elite Craft Beer I got really excited. The reason for this is that it’s the first fully Cambodian craft beer I have ever ran into. The brewmaster is Cambodian Jason that was living in Australia for years until he finally came back to Cambodia to start his own business.
The only beer I’ve had from Elite Craft Beer so far is the Raspberry Weizen. It’s a very light beer but it’s very drinkable. At the moment he is only brewing about 20 litres at a time so it’s very difficult to get a hold of his beers, but I hope we will see more from Elite Craft Beer in the future!
Stone Head
You might be surprised when I say that Stone Head actually has been brewing in Cambodia since 2016. It was one of the first breweries to be brewing for the Thai craft beer market. They set up their brewery in Koh Kong on the border to Thailand and from there they have been brewing their beer for export to Thailand.
Lately, their craft beers have been found all over Phnom Penh and it’s clear that they are putting a lot of effort on their marketing for the Cambodian craft beer market. Popular beers include their Lemongrass Kölsch, Tuk Tuk Cream Ale and Gancore IPA.
