Thailand's Craft Beer Outlaws

[Jonathan Fairfield]

Thailand's Craft Beer Outlaws

The global craft beer boom started in America, where it’s now a 14 billion dollar industry. Europe, Australia, and East Asia have embraced the culture as well, and the newest contender is China, home to a staggering 1,000 craft brewers.

In Thailand however, home brewing is illegal, it can even land you in jail--but I’ve heard the kingdom is on the verge of a craft beer revolution. Coconuts TV set out to meet the home brewers that are defying Thailand’s draconian alcohol laws.

[gandalf12]

As long as you are not selling it I dont see what the problem would be

[northernphil]

I agree gandalf12 , same as uk ,brew shops everywhere but illegal to sell.

[HerbalEd]

Home brewing and craft beers are not necessarily the same thing ... but there may be confused terms in this article/video.

Edited October 13, 2015 by HerbalEd

[watso63]

Freely available real ale would make Thailand that bit better. Bring it on.

[springheeled jack]

absolutely right my old friend Gandalf 12 I used to do a bit of home brewing myself a long time ago I don't really see why it should be illegal here in Thailand. by the way have you been away?

[csabo]

So knowledgable but yet pronounces "Singha" incorrectly.

[Nowisee]

what a backwards country... I HATE the local beer... do they not know their beer sucks?

[gandalf12]

absolutely right my old friend Gandalf 12 I used to do a bit of home brewing myself a long time ago I don't really see why it should be illegal here in Thailand. by the way have you been away?

I was away for a while in Canada and then Dubai been back for a few months now and bored to death. I want to get back into a jungle or desert lol

[jacko45k]

Craft beer started in America!

I was more of the impression that America gave beer a bad name and then saw the light.

[Taco]

Keep the brewing ball rolling who ever it might be! I have a handful of baht ready to buy good beer.

Without the increased distribution of beer lao (which I can happily say is even available at the local 7-11's in Koh Phangan I would be forced to drink more of the watered down with fruit juice, overpriced, crap boxed wines as the local beers are poor at best. Not to mention how overpriced beer is Thailand. Even at Changs price level 685 a box=$19.25. If it cost them a dollar to make that swine I would be shocked.

Reminds me of a friend who was an English teacher in bkk about 10 years ago. One of his private clients was a water filtration salesmen. He told my friend that Singha and Chang don't use and wouldn't buy a proper water filtration system for their beer water. So you got rice, dirty water and bad headache the next day.

[thaiturkey]

The REAL ALE Renaissance , to give it it's proper title, began in England during the 70s. Shortly after, CAMRA was formed by a

group of beer enthusiasts, to promote their cause. The brewing industry at this time was dominated by a handfull of huge companies. Real Ale was so successful that small breweries sprang up and thrived. Even the big companies were forced to offer traditional type beers, instead of the pressurised kegs which had become their main products.

The Americans joined the trend later, they did NOT initiate it.

There used to be a standing British joke, that American Beer is "like making love in a canoe" (it's <deleted>??ING CLOSE TO WATER!)

[gk10002000]

Sure the laws are draconian. The Thai alcohol elites want their monopoly.

[mrwebb8825]

The REAL ALE Renaissance , to give it it's proper title, began in England during the 70s. Shortly after, CAMRA was formed by a

group of beer enthusiasts, to promote their cause. The brewing industry at this time was dominated by a handfull of huge companies. Real Ale was so successful that small breweries sprang up and thrived. Even the big companies were forced to offer traditional type beers, instead of the pressurised kegs which had become their main products.

The Americans joined the trend later, they did NOT initiate it.

There used to be a standing British joke, that American Beer is "like making love in a canoe" (it's <deleted>??ING CLOSE TO WATER!)

Homebrewing in America Colonial Roots

Homebrewing has been going on as long as beer has been made. In colonial America many of our forefathers were homebrewers including George Washington, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, and Ben Franklin.

Prohibition

As America became more industrialized homebrewing fell out of fashion and officially became illegal with the enactment of Prohibition in 1919. Prohibition came to an end in 1933 with the passing of the 21^st Amendment but brewing beer at home remained illegal due to a clerical error that left out two important words “and beer” from the statute that legalized home winemaking.