You’ve probably noticed we have somewhat of a healthy obsession with Thai craft beers. After this article we’ll promise to cut it down a bit.

It was a hot and glorious afternoon last Sunday. A large crowd of beer lovers gathered at Chit Home brewery on Koh Kret to drink some beers. Ribs were being smoked, kegs of beers delivered by boat and taps installed as the event started overdue.

Six beers were on tap. Three from Chit and (drumroll) three from Nøgne. Beervana’s lovely people imported some of the Norwegian brewery’s renowned beers and happily helped to organise a beer event with the godfather of Thai brewing.

Asia Pale Ale, God Paske and Wit were going for two hundred baht a plastic cup as were Chit’s beers. All three Nøgne beers were on the more light and refreshing side. Not a bad choice for a hot day but it would have been nice to have seen some more variety. The beers didn’t prove disappointing however. The Asia Pale Ale, made with lemongrass, had strong floral and lemongrass notes with a little dryness on the side. God Paske was the most complex beer of the three and the darkest in color with citric and herbal flavours. The Wit is a very well executed wheat beer. Quite minimal in flavours, refreshing and slightly tart with hints of dry wheat.

The Chit beer was on point as well with an outstanding passion fruit brew that boasted some funky, off-fruit and musty flavours. Chit even surprised the crowd with an outstanding beer he brewed in cooperation with the Japanese brewers from Baird Beer. The resulting flavour was interesting but this beer reporter forgot to take note of. A beer only tasted by a few, it’s flavours forever lost.

Enough poetics, more beer as Shakespeare once said. After a while of savouring, Nøgne’s founder who graced the Thai home brewery with his presence shared his wisdom with the crowd. The ex-pilot was supportive of the Thai craft brewing scene and seemed pleased with the crowd’s enthusiasm and attention. Nøgne started as a small basement company and remained a small company for quite some time. He said that their focus on flavour and quality got them where they are today.

Khun Whichit took the microphone for a short while as well, spurring on the craft beer revolution and thanking everybody for coming out.

After this all the Thai craft brewers pulled out their bottles for tasting their latest beers. The amounts were limited and the crowd large but everyone enjoyed the novelty beers . Everyone was far too intoxicated at this point to do flavour analyses. Yet I recall tom yum flavoured beers, beers fermented in the heat and beers made from brown sticky rice. Another splendid afternoon.