Hopulist Issue 7

or night. Beach Road is one of the epicentres of trade and
splendour in Singapore and the next bar I’d highlighted just
happened to be right in that proverbial mixer. The Armoury
described itself as a lively craft beer and gastro bar with exotic
beers – I’ll be the judge of that, I thought. And so I was.
The bar’s exterior impressed, boasting colonial-era heritage of
its former life as an actual armoury. I dashed through the front
door, narrowly avoiding a monumental soaking from a rainstorm
that had just started as I approached the bar. It’s a common part
of living in this part of the world, with the all-year-round warmth
comes tropical showers that can soak you to the bone in seconds.
Immediately I was struck by a definite ‘professionals after work’
vibe, but also a laidback ambience that made me feel comfortable
to pull up to a table at the back and order a Freshly Squeezed IPA
from Deschutes Brewery of the United States.
The Armoury has a great range of American craft from names
like Rogue and Stone and also some Japanese favourites like
Hitachino. I tried one of the excellent burgers on offer 0and
decided to make a hasty exit as a live band was setting up for the
night – it was a Friday, so I envisaged things getting a little more
rowdy than I was up for.
Luckily the next stop was only a short (and thankfully covered)
walk away – The Alchemist Beer Lab. The name sounded
promising and when I learned while researching it that it only
serves beer it brews in its own infusion beer towers, I was sold.
The bar benefits from the inquisitive genius of award-winning
brewmaster Steve Spinney, who together with owner Francis Khoo
have experimented with making beers that are often curious and
never dull. It seemed only right that I sampled as many beers as
possible here, so I ordered a flight comprising of Sister Golden
Ale, Whiter Shade of Pale Ale, Stars and Bars American IPA and
Flaming Lips ginger beer. Each beer was a slight tweak on a classic
and they were all made more enjoyable by the fact I sat outside on
the bar’s patio and watched the seemingly never-ending world of
Singapore high-flying business go by around me.
“The international
feel of Singapore
is everywhere
you go. It’s in the
architecture, the
wide range of
languages spoken,
the religions
practiced and,
thankfully for us, the
beer drunk.”