Draught imported beer

[Rob5060]

I know Beer Republic but not many other places that serve draught imported beer in Chiang Mai

Any other suggestons

Cheers

[kaptainrob]

Wine Connection

[narkeddiver]

House of Beer on Nimman does some as well I think, plus Number One bar on Soi 1(?) of Loi Kroh might do as well - they certainly had import bottles last time I was there

[heybruce]

I think Neighborhood on Nimmanhamin soi 17 has some draft imports, and they also have pretties. House of Beer and Beer Republic have the biggest selections that I know of. It's pretty expensive wherever you go, usually 250 to 300 baht a pint.

[keo]

HOBS on Nimman (in front of Kantary Hills) has Brew Dog Punk IPA on tap, but I don't think they really know what they are doing with it, as the last two times I've been there they've served me flat pints. They also seem to have both Imperial and US pint glasses, which again suggests to me they have no idea what they are doing. They've got a couple of other bog standard draft imports (Stella, Heogarden, etc...).

Wine Connection has a couple of bland German/Belgian draft beers. Nothing to get excited about IMO.

Beer Box on Nimman soi 7 has Hitachino Nest, which is ok.

There's a few places that carry some interesting import beers in bottles (Baird, Deschutes, Rogue, etc...), but when it comes to import draft beer, Chiang Mai kinda sucks!

[heybruce]

HOBS on Nimman (in front of Kantary Hills) has Brew Dog Punk IPA on tap, but I don't think they really know what they are doing with it, as the last two times I've been there they've served me flat pints. They also seem to have both Imperial and US pint glasses, which again suggests to me they have no idea what they are doing. They've got a couple of other bog standard draft imports (Stella, Heogarden, etc...).

Wine Connection has a couple of bland German/Belgian draft beers. Nothing to get excited about IMO.

Beer Box on Nimman soi 7 has Hitachino Nest, which is ok.

There's a few places that carry some interesting import beers in bottles (Baird, Deschutes, Rogue, etc...), but when it comes to import draft beer, Chiang Mai kinda sucks!

The Punk IPA is why I go to HOB once or twice a month, and you're right, it's hit or miss whether it will be fresh and good or old and flat. However it's the only place I know in Chiang Mai where I can get the hopped up pale ale that I like, so I go and take a chance at 300 baht a pint.

In my experience imported bottled beer in Thailand is more likely a miss than a hit. Good beer doesn't travel well, and I don't think the Thais know, or possibly don't care, that letting it get hot will ruin it.

[kalbo123]

El Patio next door from Beer Republic has imported draft Beers.

Edited June 18, 2015 by kalbo123

[TheAppletons]

El Patio next door from Beer Republic has imported draft Beers.

Same owner. And you can order from Beer Republic and have it served while sitting at El Patio.

[DGS1244]

The Pub normally has a few

[CNXTim]

Thanks for the promomfest.

O'Malley's in Anusarn Market used to have some imports on tap. I'll check it out, and report back

.

If you really want to know what can and can't be done, ask Sandy at the UN Irish .

He actually KNOWS about beer in Thailand

[little mary sunshine]

Why not Chang or Leo...after the second they all taste the same.

[keo]

HOBS on Nimman (in front of Kantary Hills) has Brew Dog Punk IPA on tap, but I don't think they really know what they are doing with it, as the last two times I've been there they've served me flat pints. They also seem to have both Imperial and US pint glasses, which again suggests to me they have no idea what they are doing. They've got a couple of other bog standard draft imports (Stella, Heogarden, etc...).

Wine Connection has a couple of bland German/Belgian draft beers. Nothing to get excited about IMO.

Beer Box on Nimman soi 7 has Hitachino Nest, which is ok.

There's a few places that carry some interesting import beers in bottles (Baird, Deschutes, Rogue, etc...), but when it comes to import draft beer, Chiang Mai kinda sucks!

The Punk IPA is why I go to HOB once or twice a month, and you're right, it's hit or miss whether it will be fresh and good or old and flat. However it's the only place I know in Chiang Mai where I can get the hopped up pale ale that I like, so I go and take a chance at 300 baht a pint.

In my experience imported bottled beer in Thailand is more likely a miss than a hit. Good beer doesn't travel well, and I don't think the Thais know, or possibly don't care, that letting it get hot will ruin it.

Bruce,

I don't think it's related to the freshness of the beer. The Key Kegs are set up like a wine box, where no gas or air comes into contact with the beer. Under the right conditions, they will keep for months once tapped. HOBS problem is more likely incorrect system set up, too low C02 pressure (the key kegs need a higher pressure than conventional kegs), resulting in excessive foaming. You'll notice it takes them forever to get the pint out to you, likely due to the excess foam, constant topping up. I think they also turn their cooler off when they close the bar, absolute rookie mistake!

There's a couple of foreign run beer suppliers in Bangkok who use cold shipping. We use them for our draft system at work. Some of the beers we've had over the last year have been absolutely off the hook (Deschutes, Anderson Valley, Baird, Nogne, Amager Bryghus). If you ever get the chance - check out Amager Bryghus - Winter in Bangalore. If you like Punk IPA, it'll be right up your street.

Check out Beer Box on Nimman soi 7. They've got big cans of Modern Times which are pretty tasty. Unfortunately I think it'll be a few years yet before CNX catches up with BKK in terms of craft draft!

[bangmai]

the green bottles do especially poor in the heat/sun, that's why Heineken cans are better than the bottles. The green bottles allow a photo-chemical reaction of the hops. Brown bottles do not let that light in. Nothing should be stored at 105F....including Oreos, cell-phones, ketchup....you are basically slowly cooking it. There are still boxes of beer floating around town from pre Songkran...go ahead drink it, so they will quit offering it to me. Clean glass, fresh, cold....that's all I ask, but it often seems like it would be easier to order dog brains on a stick. The pretties are great, but if they can't do the first three; I won't be drinking there anyways.

[heybruce]

HOBS on Nimman (in front of Kantary Hills) has Brew Dog Punk IPA on tap, but I don't think they really know what they are doing with it, as the last two times I've been there they've served me flat pints. They also seem to have both Imperial and US pint glasses, which again suggests to me they have no idea what they are doing. They've got a couple of other bog standard draft imports (Stella, Heogarden, etc...).

Wine Connection has a couple of bland German/Belgian draft beers. Nothing to get excited about IMO.

Beer Box on Nimman soi 7 has Hitachino Nest, which is ok.

There's a few places that carry some interesting import beers in bottles (Baird, Deschutes, Rogue, etc...), but when it comes to import draft beer, Chiang Mai kinda sucks!

The Punk IPA is why I go to HOB once or twice a month, and you're right, it's hit or miss whether it will be fresh and good or old and flat. However it's the only place I know in Chiang Mai where I can get the hopped up pale ale that I like, so I go and take a chance at 300 baht a pint.

In my experience imported bottled beer in Thailand is more likely a miss than a hit. Good beer doesn't travel well, and I don't think the Thais know, or possibly don't care, that letting it get hot will ruin it.

Bruce,

I don't think it's related to the freshness of the beer. The Key Kegs are set up like a wine box, where no gas or air comes into contact with the beer. Under the right conditions, they will keep for months once tapped. HOBS problem is more likely incorrect system set up, too low C02 pressure (the key kegs need a higher pressure than conventional kegs), resulting in excessive foaming. You'll notice it takes them forever to get the pint out to you, likely due to the excess foam, constant topping up. I think they also turn their cooler off when they close the bar, absolute rookie mistake!

There's a couple of foreign run beer suppliers in Bangkok who use cold shipping. We use them for our draft system at work. Some of the beers we've had over the last year have been absolutely off the hook (Deschutes, Anderson Valley, Baird, Nogne, Amager Bryghus). If you ever get the chance - check out Amager Bryghus - Winter in Bangalore. If you like Punk IPA, it'll be right up your street.

Check out Beer Box on Nimman soi 7. They've got big cans of Modern Times which are pretty tasty. Unfortunately I think it'll be a few years yet before CNX catches up with BKK in terms of craft draft!

You may be right about HOB, I was thinking of bottled beer when I posted about shipping and heat problems, I assume kegs are less subject to temperature variations (greater mass means greater thermal inertia) and are more likely to be consumed quickly. When you let a bottle of good beer get hot, you no longer have a bottle of good beer.

Perhaps some places have their beer shipped and stored properly, but even under ideal conditions the aromatic hops rarely last more than a few months. I also know that many places don't air-condition the rooms where they store their beer; those storage areas get hot, and I assume quality beer is ruined in a few days or less when stored without air-conditioning in the hot season. Many times I've bought beers that I know are very good when fresh and been disappointed with what I got.

I'll check out Beer Box, and if you can recommend a few other places that ship and store quality beer properly I'd be happy to be proven (partially) wrong.

[Rob5060]

Thanks for the advice so far

A few new ones to try

Cheers

[MaeJoMTB]

Draught Stella at the club on top of Maya.

And at 'The Harbour' on Huay Keow a bit up from Maya.

Edited June 18, 2015 by MaeJoMTB

[Chicog]

Why not Chang or Leo...after the second they all taste the same.

You're right, they both taste like dog piss.

[keo]

HOBS on Nimman (in front of Kantary Hills) has Brew Dog Punk IPA on tap, but I don't think they really know what they are doing with it, as the last two times I've been there they've served me flat pints. They also seem to have both Imperial and US pint glasses, which again suggests to me they have no idea what they are doing. They've got a couple of other bog standard draft imports (Stella, Heogarden, etc...).

Wine Connection has a couple of bland German/Belgian draft beers. Nothing to get excited about IMO.

Beer Box on Nimman soi 7 has Hitachino Nest, which is ok.

There's a few places that carry some interesting import beers in bottles (Baird, Deschutes, Rogue, etc...), but when it comes to import draft beer, Chiang Mai kinda sucks!

The Punk IPA is why I go to HOB once or twice a month, and you're right, it's hit or miss whether it will be fresh and good or old and flat. However it's the only place I know in Chiang Mai where I can get the hopped up pale ale that I like, so I go and take a chance at 300 baht a pint.

In my experience imported bottled beer in Thailand is more likely a miss than a hit. Good beer doesn't travel well, and I don't think the Thais know, or possibly don't care, that letting it get hot will ruin it.

Bruce,

I don't think it's related to the freshness of the beer. The Key Kegs are set up like a wine box, where no gas or air comes into contact with the beer. Under the right conditions, they will keep for months once tapped. HOBS problem is more likely incorrect system set up, too low C02 pressure (the key kegs need a higher pressure than conventional kegs), resulting in excessive foaming. You'll notice it takes them forever to get the pint out to you, likely due to the excess foam, constant topping up. I think they also turn their cooler off when they close the bar, absolute rookie mistake!

There's a couple of foreign run beer suppliers in Bangkok who use cold shipping. We use them for our draft system at work. Some of the beers we've had over the last year have been absolutely off the hook (Deschutes, Anderson Valley, Baird, Nogne, Amager Bryghus). If you ever get the chance - check out Amager Bryghus - Winter in Bangalore. If you like Punk IPA, it'll be right up your street.

Check out Beer Box on Nimman soi 7. They've got big cans of Modern Times which are pretty tasty. Unfortunately I think it'll be a few years yet before CNX catches up with BKK in terms of craft draft!

You may be right about HOB, I was thinking of bottled beer when I posted about shipping and heat problems, I assume kegs are less subject to temperature variations (greater mass means greater thermal inertia) and are more likely to be consumed quickly. When you let a bottle of good beer get hot, you no longer have a bottle of good beer.

Perhaps some places have their beer shipped and stored properly, but even under ideal conditions the aromatic hops rarely last more than a few months. I also know that many places don't air-condition the rooms where they store their beer; those storage areas get hot, and I assume quality beer is ruined in a few days or less when stored without air-conditioning in the hot season. Many times I've bought beers that I know are very good when fresh and been disappointed with what I got.

I'll check out Beer Box, and if you can recommend a few other places that ship and store quality beer properly I'd be happy to be proven (partially) wrong.

Bruce,

I don't get out that much, as most of my drinking is done at the office. The only other place I can really think of is Riverside - the part of it that is not on the river side of the road. They are supplied by Beervana, who cold ship. Unfortunately no draft - only small bottles which are pretty expensive. Check out Deschutes Chainbreaker White IPA, or Deschutes Freshly Squeezed. Both nice drops!

Cheers,

[SiSePuede419]

Why not Chang or Leo...after the second they all taste the same.

Chang or Leo taste like Guinness in a can with nitrogen balls?

http://thankheavenforbeer.com/2008/11/23/whats-that-thing-in-my-can-of-guinness/

5555+

[carlo19026]

why dont you try Aroy Garden in San Kampheng with its german draft beers.

[WinnieTheKhwai]

Nam Ton House Bar.

Near Gymkhana on the Old Lamphun Road.

Nice place, too.

https://www.facebook.com/namtonshousebar/photos_stream

[JCauto]

The Pub normally has a few

Last three times I've gone they've not had the Guinness or Kilkenny. About given up on them. You can get draught Guinness at Beer Box and it's properly maintained. And a very nice selection of other bottled beers and some other draughts.

[TheAppletons]

The Pub normally has a few

Last three times I've gone they've not had the Guinness or Kilkenny. About given up on them. You can get draught Guinness at Beer Box and it's properly maintained. And a very nice selection of other bottled beers and some other draughts.

Same here and I have given up on that place long ago.

[chingmai331]

Had a pint of draught Kilkenny at The Pub just last night. Mighty cold and tasty. Baht210. I will be back. They had Guinness too.

[CMKiwi]

Although not draught, I see in Rimping they are now stocking a German beer called Kaiserdom. I havent tried it yet but have a can cooling down in the fridge right now. They have 4 varieties: Dark lager, Pilsner, Wheat bier and one called Unfiltered.

Whats so special about these? Bit of a novelty as they are in 1 litre cans..... I expect you would need ice before you finish a can! Price is 199 baht, dont know if thats good or not but will have a better idea later this afternoon when I open a can.

Might be the next beer brand that I prefer.... so far Ive a preference for Lao Dark and if not available then I make do with Chang Draught or Leo.

JMOFWIW

[anonymouse]

Although not draught, I see in Rimping they are now stocking a German beer called Kaiserdom. I havent tried it yet but have a can cooling down in the fridge right now. They have 4 varieties: Dark lager, Pilsner, Wheat bier and one called Unfiltered.

Whats so special about these? Bit of a novelty as they are in 1 litre cans..... I expect you would need ice before you finish a can! Price is 199 baht, dont know if thats good or not but will have a better idea later this afternoon when I open a can.

Might be the next beer brand that I prefer.... so far Ive a preference for Lao Dark and if not available then I make do with Chang Draught or Leo.

JMOFWIW

I tried the Kaiserdom 1 Litre cans last year when they had them at Central Festival and was really impressed with the Unfiltered beer, the dark wasn't bad as well. I was disappointed when they stopped selling them so glad to see they are at Rimping..which branch btw? 199 Baht is a pretty good price for over here in my opinion.

[CMKiwi]

I got mine at the new San Sai branch.....which is some ways outta town. Not sure if they are at other branches but I'd guess they be easy to get for you if you ask them. Just one of the things I do like about Rimping, even if sometimes it costs a bit more. Sure beats driving or riding everywhere trying to find a product.

Oh I tried the Dark Bier tonight. Not a bad drop, very similar to Lao Dark. Will buy a couple of the unfiltered tomorrow for a try.....should have tried all types by Friday. So far so good.

[Chiengmaijoe]

I got mine at the new San Sai branch.....which is some ways outta town. Not sure if they are at other branches but I'd guess they be easy to get for you if you ask them. Just one of the things I do like about Rimping, even if sometimes it costs a bit more. Sure beats driving or riding everywhere trying to find a product.

Oh I tried the Dark Bier tonight. Not a bad drop, very similar to Lao Dark. Will buy a couple of the unfiltered tomorrow for a try.....should have tried all types by Friday. So far so good.

For the guys that don't live in the suburbs, Rimping Nawarat has them.

[anonymouse]

I got mine at the new San Sai branch.....which is some ways outta town. Not sure if they are at other branches but I'd guess they be easy to get for you if you ask them. Just one of the things I do like about Rimping, even if sometimes it costs a bit more. Sure beats driving or riding everywhere trying to find a product.

Oh I tried the Dark Bier tonight. Not a bad drop, very similar to Lao Dark. Will buy a couple of the unfiltered tomorrow for a try.....should have tried all types by Friday. So far so good.

I'm in Doi Saket so San Sai isn't too far a stretch....I must be behind the times here where is the new Rimping in San Sai?

[CMKiwi]

Take the 1008 north till you reach the outer ring road 121, turn right into the ring road and about 1 km along on the left is the new HomePro complex. Rimping is located inside this complex. It's not a big store but has most of the imported goodies we all miss.