Craft Beer Has Landed In Chiang Mai...

[IsaanUSA]

I'm guessing Craft beer cnx imports them by air if they cost $10 (300 baht?) a bottle.

[Craft beer cnx]

Maybe you should have a beer tasting event where we can taste all these beers, I would not buy a 6 pack on the chance I might like it but if I had a swig and liked it I might, if it was not to expensive that is.

we are working on a tasting event somewhere in July...

we keep you informed !

[Craft beer cnx]

I'm guessing Craft beer cnx imports them by air if they cost $10 (300 baht?) a bottle.

Our products arrive with the boat !

Import Taxes are very High ...

Retailers sell mostly around 220-240 a bottle ( bars) supermarkets around 189 - 199 a bottle !

[junglechef]

Maybe this clears up some of the confusion (taken directly form Craft Beer CNX Facebook page):

Description

a craft beer is any well-made, interesting beer that tends to cost more than the big macro-brands, even when it is of the same beer style category

[millwall_fan]

Do you wholesale mixed cases CraftBeerCNX? I saw them in Rimping, but as they add a 30% mark up, many people would probably prefer to buy them direct.

[Craft beer cnx]

Do you wholesale mixed cases CraftBeerCNX? I saw them in Rimping, but as they add a 30% mark up, many people would probably prefer to buy them direct.

Sure mixed cases we can do ! always 24 bottles in a case...

We can even deliver.

For inquiries and orders please email @ [email protected]

[Craft beer cnx]

For the First time in Thailand !!! Don't miss it ...

LAGUNITAS BEER ...

Available only and exclusively,starting on july 3 @ Number1 Bistro/Cafe ! http://www.number1barthailand.com

For retail only @ The Bottle Shop : https://www.facebook.com/TheBottleShopinThai?ref=hl

These beers will not be available in Rimping,because of limited supply !

Cheers !

[AngelsLariat]

For the First time in Thailand !!! Don't miss it ...

LAGUNITAS BEER ...

Available only and exclusively,starting on july 3 @ Number1 Bistro/Cafe ! http://www.number1barthailand.com

For retail only @ The Bottle Shop : https://www.facebook.com/TheBottleShopinThai?ref=hl

These beers will not be available in Rimping,because of limited supply !

Cheers !

Sure enough, the did have those today at the No 1 bar. But when I asked pointed to them in the refrigerator and asked "how much" no one could tell me. So after 5 minutes of confusion I ordered a Leo instead. I'm going to guess that I saved about 150 baht by making that switch, but I bet that even tomorrow there won't be anyone there who knows how much the Lagunitus IPA costs.

[cloudhopper]

For the First time in Thailand !!! Don't miss it ...

LAGUNITAS BEER ...

Available only and exclusively,starting on july 3 @ Number1 Bistro/Cafe ! http://www.number1barthailand.com

For retail only @ The Bottle Shop : https://www.facebook.com/TheBottleShopinThai?ref=hl

These beers will not be available in Rimping,because of limited supply !

Cheers !

Sure enough, the did have those today at the No 1 bar. But when I asked pointed to them in the refrigerator and asked "how much" no one could tell me. So after 5 minutes of confusion I ordered a Leo instead. I'm going to guess that I saved about 150 baht by making that switch, but I bet that even tomorrow there won't be anyone there who knows how much the Lagunitus IPA costs.

I don't always drink Leo, but when I do, I usually find myself thinking - hmmmm not too bad!

[AngelsLariat]

For the First time in Thailand !!! Don't miss it ...

LAGUNITAS BEER ...

Available only and exclusively,starting on july 3 @ Number1 Bistro/Cafe ! http://www.number1barthailand.com

For retail only @ The Bottle Shop : https://www.facebook.com/TheBottleShopinThai?ref=hl

These beers will not be available in Rimping,because of limited supply !

Cheers !

Sure enough, the did have those today at the No 1 bar. But when I asked pointed to them in the refrigerator and asked "how much" no one could tell me. So after 5 minutes of confusion I ordered a Leo instead. I'm going to guess that I saved about 150 baht by making that switch, but I bet that even tomorrow there won't be anyone there who knows how much the Lagunitus IPA costs.

I don't always drink Leo, but when I do, I usually find myself thinking - hmmmm not too bad!

Me either, but when they finally confronted me at the bar, asked me if I wrote that post, and told me that the IPA was 230 baht, I politely paid the bill for my Leo and left the joint thinking "my, that was a damn good Leo". I won't be back to that place again, but they won't miss me either.

[wolf5370]

Never heard of it what is Craft beer is it made by the people who make the cheese

Perhaps bottled real ale might better describe it for the Brits among us.

Oh ok that sounds more like it

Gonna be expensive I would of thought all those imported beers are way out there on the price, at number 1 some are 300 baht that like $11 for half pint good job I LIKE Chang

I don't know about bottles but when we have a beer a nice girl serves us one of these for 300 baht

290 actually heheh...You can get them filled with any of the usual, Chang, Leo, Singha, Asahi

AND she keeps coming back & filling our glasses for us.....Thailand hard to beat

tower.jpg

except between 2 and 5pm

[IsaanUSA]

The Facebook Bottle Shop url is not working for me at all

[Shaunduhpostman]

I noticed a few bars in Bangkok are selling crap beers... I mean craft beers for 300 a bottle or so last time I was down there. I really desperately wanted to try one but it's too expensive. They had 4 different Rogue beers at the Londoner and at that new bar called Players near the Nana BTS station.

You can get a nice pint of Hoegarden for 300 or for 100 baht a pint at happy hour you can get the nice bitter that they brew at the Londoner. But thats been the case for years, its a bit old. Cactus Bar in Soi Cowboy has dust and 2.35 nude girls with their backs turned and you sitting there in the bar alone with about 10 different classic Belgians maybe a few German classics thrown in there. Those were running 220-250 a bottle.

What needs to happen is Thailand gets more local brewers doing the kind of excellent beer that the rest of the world drinks, in theory that would make good beer available at a reasonable price to everyone and his dog. But the laws are such that microbrewers must brew something like 200,000 liters per month minimum but not more than 275,000. I forget the exact numbers but there are some other requirements as well and it makes it very tricky. The other option is that you are Boon Rawd Inc. and you can write the laws yourself.

[AngelsLariat]

You can get a nice pint of Hoegarden for 300 or for 100 baht a pint at happy hour you can get the nice bitter that they brew at the Londoner. But thats been the case for years, its a bit old. Cactus Bar in Soi Cowboy has dust and 2.35 nude girls with their backs turned and you sitting there in the bar alone with about 10 different classic Belgians maybe a few German classics thrown in there. Those were running 220-250 a bottle.

Leaving the issue of Hoegaarden aside, the pricing of the US craft beers just seems to be completely out of calibration here. In Chiang Mai, 330ml bottles of American craft beer seem to be selling for 215 to 230 Baht in bars & restaurants. But at those same places you can usually get a 500ml bottle of Fullers or of one of the big German brands for less than 200 baht. The Rogue Porter, for instance, is a nice beer but it's not worth more money than Fullers London Porter. I'll often spring for the cost of a Fuller's or a Weihenstephaner, but buying US craft beer to not going to be a regular thing for me until/unless the prices come down to the same levels as the Euro imports.

[Shaunduhpostman]

500 ml. Fullers for 200, eh? Agreed that's a nice beer too. The California craft beers while different, are not going to be any better than Fullers. Sounds like I need to make a trip to Chiang Mai in the near future.

[AngelsLariat]

500 ml. Fullers for 200, eh? Agreed that's a nice beer too. The California craft beers while different, are not going to be any better than Fullers. Sounds like I need to make a trip to Chiang Mai in the near future.

Give or take 20 baht. The London Pride, London Porter, and ESB are available at few places in Chiang Mai that I can think of. 200 baht is about what a pint of Guinness costs here too.

Edited July 6, 2013 by AngelsLariat

[CMKiwi]

I was in the No1 bar last night and also saw all the fridges full of this craft beer, but like a lot of other TV members was a bit shy when it comes to price difference. Leo is ok for me, its cold, its brown and it tastes fine for a beer. Maybe when it warms up a bit and I feel like a treat I may try one.

But then at that price I could just go to 7/11 and get 4 large Leo's. Yes it must be hard running a bar in that area.

Edited July 10, 2013 by CMKiwi

[Chiengmaijoe]

500 ml. Fullers for 200, eh? Agreed that's a nice beer too. The California craft beers while different, are not going to be any better than Fullers. Sounds like I need to make a trip to Chiang Mai in the near future.

Give or take 20 baht. The London Pride, London Porter, and ESB are available at few places in Chiang Mai that I can think of. 200 baht is about what a pint of Guinness costs here too.

I haven't got around to trying the craft beers but if they're over 210b for a small bottle then I think they're a bit pricey compared to 180b or less for a Fuller's, Erdinger or Weihenstephaner weissbier, or even a Weston's cider (165b) - all 500ml. I might try one out of curiosity but at that price I wouldn't be drinking them all night. Good to have the choice though.

[IsaanUSA]

Craft beer cnx, are you able to buy the beer cheaper than retail or is it higher than retail? I do not work in retail, but do you have to pay sales tax when you purchase the beer? If you're shipping by boat, then the shipping cost should be very low per bottle. $7 USD for a 12oz bottle might seem a bit high to some people, but this is a craft beer imported from the US. Erdinger or Weihenstephaner are HUGE breweries that export huge volumes of beer around the world. Very large economies of scale at work.

buying US craft beer to not going to be a regular thing for me until/unless the prices come down

Buying craft beers is not generally a regular (daily) thing in the USA. We drink plenty of regular lager, same as Thailand, but many of us have a "fancy" beer or two on the weekends or when out for dinner at a restaurant.

Edited July 10, 2013 by IsaanUSA

[chaiyaphumlove]

I think in the US the words "craft beer" and "micro brew" are used interchangeably. The beer snobs probably have all sorts of tiered name calling idioms, but I would say that Deschutes is not a craft brewery. Regarding Deschutes, Wikipedia states, "As of 2010, it was the fifth-largest craft brewery and eleventh-largest overall brewery in the United States".

Anyways, Deschutes makes some fantastic beers and the Lagunitas IPA is great!

Now that is the most informed comment on the thread so far. Thanks.

I didn't realize the beer drinking culture was so different between the USA and Great Britain. Also I wrongly assumed the ThaiVisa negativity wouldn't be so strong even in a VERY positive thread regarding beer.

Are you really surprised? I think anything over 40 baht a bottle would shock most of the people on here , I've read on here about people arguing over the cost of a spade handle that amounts to a $2 difference in price .

Oh,yes...I have open arms/hands for a dam_n good craft beer. Fortunately I holiday a few months of the year back home where great beers grow on trees..... Unfortunately it seems impossible for them to arrive upon the shelves of CM at a price that makes sense.....$10 for a beer!! However, I'am hopefull since wine used to be a ridiculous price too but has settled down to reasonable levels.

As for Chang/Singha....I don't care how cheap that klong water is....NO THANKS!

This guy gets it. Great post and I agree.

[IsaanUSA]

Are you really surprised?

Yes. I thought an announcement saying "hey guys, we are going to import some craft beers that have never been to Thailand before!!" would generate nearly all positive replies.

How much do you pay for a bottle of Rogue or Deschutes in your home country? I can't even buy Deschutes in the state where I live. I would have to drive a couple hours to another state to buy it (and some people do!). We just got Rogue a few years ago in my state, but I've paid extra to check my bag back from Portland where I picked up some rare Rogue brews.

Edited July 10, 2013 by IsaanUSA

[AngelsLariat]

How much do you pay for a bottle of Rogue or Deschutes in your home country? I can't even buy Deschutes in the state where I live. I would have to drive a couple hours to another state to buy it (and some people do!). We just got Rogue a few years ago in my state, but I've paid extra to check my bag back from Portland where I picked up some rare Rogue brews.

It's been a 5 or 6 years since I've lived there, and it varied from sate to state, but I seem to recall a case of 24 330ml bottles of brands such as Rogue, Stone, and Three Floyds selling for around $40 to $50; Sierra Nevada and some of the in-state microbrews selling for about $25, and Pabst/Miller/Coors/Bud selling for about $10 to $15 (or less when on promotion). Imports would vary a lot brand to brand, and often would be older and less fresh stock than domestic beer, but it I think that they usually ranged from about $25 to $50 for common Eurolagers and more than that for Belgian ales and other specialty beers. In that market, I found American craft beers to be a good option and bought them frequently.

I'm not claiming that anyone is making an unjustified profit on the craft beer in Thailand, what I'm saying is that the price differential vs Fullers, Paulaner, Weihenstepahner, Guinesss, etc makes seem them much less interesting to me than they would be with price parity. Doesn't matter if the extra baht is to cover shipping, because there are too many middle man in the distribution chain, or is extra profit to somebody, either way it affects the competitiveness of those brands.

About the Deschutes (and Lagunatis), those weren't sold in the state that I lived in. I'd like to try them sometime. While they are good brewers, honestly I don't think that Rogue and Anderson Valley are among the most distinguished craft beers, they are just among the first the ones to get big enough to be distributed in every State in the US and to make the decision to try to push into the Asian market.

Edited July 11, 2013 by AngelsLariat

[AngelsLariat]

Buying craft beers is not generally a regular (daily) thing in the USA. We drink plenty of regular lager, same as Thailand, but many of us have a "fancy" beer or two on the weekends or when out for dinner at a restaurant.

It was a regular thing for me when I lived in the US. But at $6/bottle it wouldn't have been.

Edited July 11, 2013 by AngelsLariat

[Jobo]

500 ml. Fullers for 200, eh? Agreed that's a nice beer too. The California craft beers while different, are not going to be any better than Fullers. Sounds like I need to make a trip to Chiang Mai in the near future.

Give or take 20 baht. The London Pride, London Porter, and ESB are available at few places in Chiang Mai that I can think of. 200 baht is about what a pint of Guinness costs here too.

And where are those "few places"?

[AngelsLariat]

500 ml. Fullers for 200, eh? Agreed that's a nice beer too. The California craft beers while different, are not going to be any better than Fullers. Sounds like I need to make a trip to Chiang Mai in the near future.

Give or take 20 baht. The London Pride, London Porter, and ESB are available at few places in Chiang Mai that I can think of. 200 baht is about what a pint of Guinness costs here too.

And where are those "few places"?

Probably the safest best would be The Red Lion on the east end Loi Kroh near the Night Bazaar. The seem to pretty consistently have stock and the owner is a gregarious chap to boot. I’ve also had Fullers at The Duke’s riverside location, though since then they’ve brought in several other imports & carft beers so I’m not 100% sure that they’ve still have the Fullers. Had Fullers also at the now defunct Olde Bell and at “The Pub” on Huai Kaeo Rd. The Pub also occasionally gets in a selection of Mortland/GreeneKing ales that they sell at a reasonable price (not necessarily recommended those ales, just stating that they often have them and sell them at a good price). There may be other places as well.

[Chiengmaijoe]

500 ml. Fullers for 200, eh? Agreed that's a nice beer too. The California craft beers while different, are not going to be any better than Fullers. Sounds like I need to make a trip to Chiang Mai in the near future.

Give or take 20 baht. The London Pride, London Porter, and ESB are available at few places in Chiang Mai that I can think of. 200 baht is about what a pint of Guinness costs here too.

And where are those "few places"?

Probably the safest best would be The Red Lion on the east end Loi Kroh near the Night Bazaar. They seem to pretty consistently have stock and the owner is a gregarious chap. I’ve also had Fullers at The Duke’s riverside location, though since then they’ve brought in several other imports & carft beers so I’m not 100% sure that they’ve still have the Fullers. Had Fullers also at the now defunct Olde Bell and at “The Pub” on Huai Kaeo Rd. The Pub also occasionally gets in a selection of Mortland/GreeneKing ales that they sell at a reasonable price (not necessarily recommended those ales, just stating that they often have them and sell them at a good price). There may be other places as well.

The red lion has all of the Fullers that you mentioned and a few German and Belgian beers and English ciders all for 180b or less for 500ml. Guinness is only 180b too.

[Craft beer cnx]

End of the month promotions from our biggest seller: Number1 Bistro / Cafe !

http://www.number1barthailand.com

Mixed 6 packs,mix as you prefer ...

Price per pack of 6 = 1,050,- bht.

Choose out : Rogue - Anderson Valley - Lagunitas

Cheers ...