The beer necessities

It is crisp, full-bodied and aromatic with citrus scents. And no, it is not a trendy sauvignon blanc or even an unoaked chardonnay.
Sniff and sip the new wine: beer.
Beer, that foamy, burp-inducing beverage more usually associated with sweaty menfolk chugging it back in casual surroundings, has gone upmarket.
A bevy of new premium beers is now available at bars, retail outlets and restaurants, and as a result, the drink is becoming the toast of the town.
These flavoured craft beers and imported bottled beers are drawing a strong following of sophisticated, well-travelled drinkers in their 20s and 30s, including women.
Corporate banker Susan Tan, 32, says: 'Beer is no longer a rugged man's drink. Crafted drinks, like wines and champagnes, have wonderful flavours.'
The trend is being driven by several factors, including the growing number of microbreweries, specialist beer stores and beer-driven events here such as the recent Beerfest Asia 2010.
These events include tastings, pairings and brew launches.
The next one on the calendar is the Archipelago Beer Fiesta at Lau Pa Sat Festival Market in Shenton Way on Aug 14.
Archipelago Brewery will unveil the latest handcrafted beers, pairing them with local fare such as satay, oyster omelette and char kway teow. A chef will also whip up dishes cooked in beer, such as orange-infused seared prawns with fresh sage and beer, and braised chicken with beer, aromatic herbs and greens.
The opening of trendy beer venues such as the three-month-old Malted Milk at Studio M Hotel in the Robertson Quay area are also helping fuel a taste for the fine stuff.
At Malted Milk, the coolers are stocked with more than 50 types of imported beer. Different categories sell for $40, $50 and $60 for five bottles.
The wide variety of imported beers has piqued the interest of drinkers about where and how a beer is brewed, its flavours and notes used - the same criteria used to enjoy wine.
At bars, you can enjoy a range of crafted beer or a unique, obscure import for between $4 and $15 each.
Beer is certainly being enjoyed more, going by numbers from Singapore Customs. The amount of beer imported here last year was up by over 40 per cent from 2003.
Beer drinkers downed enough to fill 37 Olympic- sized swimming pools - 93 million litres - over a 12-month period between April last year and March this year.
Wines, on the other hand, saw less than 8 million litres imported during the same period, although imports have risen steadily each year.
According to industry observers, the local beer industry is valued at over $1 billion. It is not known how many litres of imported beer consist of premium varieties.
But at three Timbre live music venues, for example, overall sales of German Erdinger beer have surpassed those of well-known mass tipple Heineken and popular mixer drinks such as bourbon and coke. The beer is priced at $14 a bottle.
Beer is on a roll all over the world. The global beer market is expected to grow at an annual rate of 1.8 per cent to reach a value of $810 billion by 2014, according to global analysis firm Business Insights.
Last year, the global beer market was valued at around $742 billion - a 1.5 per cent increase over 2008.
Emerging countries such as China, India and Thailand are expected to play a critical role in the development of the global beer industry, due to the rise in purchasing power of their middle-class populations, and investment in the food and beverage sector.
In Singapore, the beer culture is also fuelled by more than 10 boutique breweries here.
To cater to demand, 13-year-old brand Brewerkz, for example, now brews more beer and sells about 10,000 litres of beer a week, says brewmaster Scott Robertson.
The microbrewery features up to 30 different beers throughout the year.
Another microbrewery, three-year-old RedDot BrewHouse in Dempsey Hill, has done so well that the operators opened another outlet in June in Boat Quay. It draws up to 700 people on Thursdays and Fridays.
The popularity of such venues is occurring as beer, like wine, becomes a status drink, says Mr Gerry Yeo, director at Beer Importers and Distributors.
He says: 'Consumers are willing to pay up to 20 per cent more to drink premium beer at bars. Drinking and carrying the right beer label in your hand projects your lifestyle.'
RedDot's director and head brewer Ernest Ng says more women are also drinking beer. About 40 per cent of his customers are women.
Also helping the appeal of good beer is that bar snacks served with them are also going upmarket.
Forget chicken fingers and greasy wings.
Malted Milk, for example, features an extensive beer-friendly menu of grilled and barbecued items, from pizzas to steaks and burgers.
It is the first beer-oriented bar for the Timbre Group, which also runs three Timbre music venues in The Arts House, The Substation and Old School.
The group co-organised the successful Beerfest Asia 2010 in June with Sphere Exhibits, a subsidiary of Singapore Press Holdings. The five-day event drew about 30,000 people and organisers are planning another festival next year.
Timbre chief creative director Danny Loong says: 'These days, you can 'travel' the world tasting different beers from even lesser-known places such as Armenia and Laos. The wide variety of brews and its hip image will continue to draw new fans.