Hops Brewery – Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Beckie and I at Hops

I found out about Hops Brewery when a tuktuk advertising their brewery drove past me while I was in another tuktuk heading to work.  I knew it was the place to take Beckie when she came to Cambodia and I have been back several times since.  Hops Brewery also has a beer garden is in a touristy part of  Phnom Penh follows the idea of any German beer garden in the world – to convey a feeling of warmth, friendliness, and belonging to their visitors.  Plus, they let me bring Bullet, which gives it a very home-y, Portland vibe that I love.  If you need a place to relax and get a great craft beer, Hops Brewery is the place to go by the Riverside.

As Cambodia’s first independently owned international beer garden, Hops is proud to brew their beer following the more than 500 year old German purity law and brewing tradition (Reinheitsgebot).  They only use water, hops, malt, wheat and yeast to produce one of the most natural and pure beers in the Kingdom.  Apart from the water – Hops imports all-natural ingredients from Germany’s best regions. Their brew water is purpose-filtered and treated, ensuring that minerals stay in – guaranteeing that unique Hops’ taste. Beer fans are welcome to try their brew water at the counter to savor its unmatched quality!  (It’s interesting that they advertise this on their website since every time I come to Hops, I have to buy water if I don’t remember to pack my own.)  In the food arts world, craft beer is a beverage that not only enhances food when paired with a dish, but it is also often brought into the kitchen as a cooking ingredient. Hops sometimes use Hops’ beer for some of their house dishes to enhance the experience.

Celebrating International Women’s Day at Hops with friends!

Hops currently has four beers and one cider available for purchase.  Of course Beckie and I tried them all:

• Mango Cider – Clearly, Beckie and my love of fruit beers is well documented.  This cider did not disappoint.  It is delicious, refreshing and a great welcome drink for anyone visiting Phnom Penh.
• Golden Angel – A hit with every beer lover.  “Situated between a classic smooth lager and a German pilsner beer.”  (For the record, pilsners are a type of lager…)  Hops’ Gold Angel is a fusion between Asian and European tastes.  Gold Angel is refreshing, easy to drink and seduces to always want – more.  (It was also the beer given out at Hops for International Women’s Day.  There is a saying here in Cambodia. “Boys are like gold and girls are like white cloth.” Meaning a brick of gold can get dirty and you can wipe it off and it still retains it value. Where white cloth, once stained is ruined. There are a few great NGOs here trying to change that mindset with the saying “women are gold”. Happy to support them today on International Women’s Day.
• Amber Witch – Hops premium wheat beer is highly refreshing and less filling than a traditional wheat beer.  It is brewed with top-fermentation following an original, south-German recipe.
• Red Fury – The essence of 32 years of experience by our brew master and was created for beer connoisseurs.  A full-bodied beer composition, higher in alcohol but smooth in its finish.  Brewed following a German recipe itself based on an English stout, this unique beer is of sensational quality.
• HOPS’ IPA – A shiny, dark-red English beer with a bulky taste and an increase bitterness rooted in Hops special “Cascade” hops.  (This is funny to me since my motorcycle here is named, Cascade, for the hops and valley I grew up in – in Oregon, definitely not Germany…)

Have you ever been to Phnom Penh?  What is your favorite beer there?