Niang Brewery Co is the latest local craft brewery to join Singapore’s craft beer ranks. A hobby turned passion project turned career switch, Niang Brewery Co is the brainchild of beer geek Mark Chen. After several attempts at formulating his own unique craft beer at home, he eventually launched his two signature beers. A Cheng tng-inspired pale ale (Confection Cure) and a farmhouse ale infused with local spices, aptly named “Warming Spirit”.
We sat down with Mark over at Good Luck Beerhouse and had ourselves a few laughs, learned more about his journey from hobbyist to brewmaster and drank plenty of beer in the process.
Formerly an architect by trade, Mark developed a craft beer obsession and got around to brewing experiments at home. He harnessed various ingredients you’d commonly associate with Singaporean cuisine and successfully infused them into his brews.
A brewery committed to telling Singapore’s story through the introduction of native ingredients into their beers; providing a window into the many cultures predominant in Singapore through specific flavour components reminiscent of actual delicacies and bringing people from all walks of life together through the universal joy that is beer… We’d say Niang Brewery Co is definitely off to a good start!
Niang Brewery Co’s Confection Cure Pale Ale
Inspired by a Chinese dessert classic, Cheng Tng, the amber-hued Confection Cure Pale Ale is crisp, fresh, easy to drink. Yet, it maintains a complex profile that will have you pondering over each individual note with each subsequent sip. Incredibly juicy, you’ll find layers of familiar flavours such as red dates and longan—both quintessential components to the dessert—along with a balanced malt flavour and lingering sensation of bitter hops. Overall, a delicious pale ale that would pair very well with rich dishes such as sio bak (crispy pork belly); chicken karage; or even sweet decadent treats such as a chocolate fudge cake.
We drank ours with Good Luck Beer House’s Chicken Karage and boy, the beer and crispy fried chicken paired brilliantly!
Warming Spirit Saison Ale
A homage to Singapore’s diversity of cuisine, both owing it to the many spices available to us due to our country’s key position within the archipelago, the crisp and subtly spicy Warming Spirit Saison Ale is a farmhouse-style ale that’s both delicious with a crisp dryness similar to a freshly-popped bottle of bubbly. But with a lingering flavour comprising spicy aromatics such as black pepper, ginger, coriander seeds and bitter orange peel. This beer finishes dry on the palate which makes it ideal to go with foods such as seafood or even tart desserts.
We had our Saison paired with some dim sum and we were astonished to find that the peppery notes became apparent with each sip. Possibly due to the presents of pepper in the dishes themselves!
We’re excited for the next phase in Mark’s plan to expand his repertoire of craft beer. Honest, flavour-forward beers that are awesome for pairing alongside food or sipping on their own, we couldn’t be happier to welcome yet another new Singapore brewery to the scene.
Keen on trying a pint (or ten) of either the Confection Cure, Warming Spirit or both? You can find Niang Brewery Co’s beers on tap at Good Luck Beerhouse and Orh Gao Taproom; or in bottles at Temple Cellars. Alternatively, you can also order online here.
Disclaimer: We were guests of Niang Brewery Co & Good Luck Beerhouse, but all opinions remain our own.
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