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The craft beer craze, you might be surprised to learn (or not), has spread well beyond the confines of the U.S. or Europe. While most craft breweries will be found right here at home (the U.S. has roughly 10,000 breweries) or in places like Belgium, Germany, the U.K., and so on, you’ll also find developed or developing scenes in places like Japan, New Zealand, Thailand, Cambodia, Nigeria, China, South Korea, and, yes, Vietnam. It’s that last one we’ll be talking about today (partly).
If, like me, you’re the type of craft beer drinker who looks up breweries in every country they visit, then I think you’ll find this guide to the scene in Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City, though locals use both names) quite useful.
First, a quick history. I got interested in alcohol fairly late. My first alcoholic beverages were bastardized cocktails consumed well after my 21st birthday on riverside campsites in California or on a friend’s back porch. My perception of alcohol for many years was this: it was for getting buzzed, and the only way I was gonna do that is if it tasted like a fruit. For years, I’d go into a bar or restaurant and order a drink by saying “make me something that tastes like a fruit.” If I drank anything else, it was for social reasons and not because I actually liked it.
