Beerfest Asia 2009, Singapore

With last year's experience at the Singapore Beer Festival still fresh in my mind, I was a bit hesitant to commit to Beerfest Asia this weekend. Indeed, many elements of the program looked eerily similar: tickets were just as high-priced, caterers included O'Briens and Butcher House, and brewers included a number of global brands plus some local ones like Archipelago.

Fortunately, the S$35 (US$24) ticket this time included one beer. And when I got there, it was immediately apparent that this venue was going to be much better. Set on the Formula One track behind the Singapore Flyer, the big tent and open space was finally what I would expect out of a proper festival. I grabbed a bowl of shrimp from some vendor called Kelong Food, and sat down with this James Squire Amber Ale from Australia while a couple of blues bands took the stage, all of which generally worked for me. One of the stalls even had a beer bong (college flashbacks!).

Still, I wished that more of the beers were on tap rather than being in bottles. The food selection was also frustratingly limited; I ended up walking out to Suntec City later to fill up on more food. But this was leaps and bounds better than the Singapore Beer Festival, all with the added bonus of being on the waterfront. If next year's event cranks up the food and draft beer selection a bit more, then I'll definitely be back.