Love art as much as you love good booze? Then The Artful Brew should definitely be on your calendar for the coming week. Happening at Far Out! at Tanjong Katong this Wednesday, they hope to give you a sensory experience you cannot forget.
“I hope that attendees will appreciate alcoholic beverages for the depth of flavour that they provide, and not just for their alcohol content,” shares Daryl, one of the home brewers we spoke to. Charlie of In The Mix, adds, “The revelation of discovering homebrewing and being blown away by TYC’s artwork. Support local talent!”
This is the first ever marriage of creative works and homebrewed beers in Singapore. Local design collective Tell Your Children (TYC) came together with local home brewers and In The Mix (ITM) to customise beer bottle labels for each beer. After all, it is about time we look beyond the dull brown bottles as mere containers but as canvases for creativity to ooze. Drawing inspirations from specific brews, the labels will showcase the drink’s personality and taste. Besides that, three exclusive beers will be available for tasting and when they are gone, they are gone forever (until the next time).
Are you ready to engage all five of your senses yet?
Popspoken gets some time with the team behind The Artful Brew to find out more. Let’s talk conception, dream collaborations and what exactly is homebrewing.
Popspoken:Â How did the conception of this event come about?
Charlie (In the Mix): I had brought over some homebrewed beers to Far Out, where TYC and I were chilling, and TYC commented about how good homebrews tasted. It was in an unlabelled brown bottle, and the idea struck me; why not get TYC to do artwork on a bottle itself? So I decided to match the energy and creativity of TYC with the passion and dedication of homebrewing. And voila! The Artful Brew was born. Truly, this was a gathering of like-minded folk.
Deon (Tell Your Children): Charlie from In the Mix had this grand idea and after a few drinks we got on board.
Popspoken:Â What are some considerations made, and how did it all come together?
Daryl: The flavour profile of the brew has to be approachable for those new to craft beer, yet challenging enough for more experienced drinkers. Upon discussing with TYC, we collaborated and decided on a cyser, which is a cider and mead hybrid. It is fruity and sweet, but is still something new to most beer drinkers.
Popspoken:Â What are some obstacles faced when working on this event?
D: The biggest worry for me is that the brew has some quality issues during the event. The flavour combination I’m working on is a first for me. I have to get the composition of ingredients right so that the brew is balanced.
C (ITM): The clashing schedules were one of the toughest obstacles we faced. The homebrewers were busy during office hours, while TYC were busy on weekends. We tried to squeeze in whatever opportunities we could to meet and vibe. We made it work!
D (TYC): Staying sober. (kidding)
Popspoken:Â What is one word you would use to describe your process so far?
D: Invigorating.
C (ITM): Limitless.
D (TYC): Organic.
Popspoken:Â Any dream collaborations you would love to have?
D: I’d love to work with Omnipollo brewery as they push the boundaries in beer making, which is something I really respect.
D (TYC): We would love to art direct and design the collaterals for a music festival.
Popspoken:Â What do you think about Singapore’s creative culture, and what are some changes you would love to make happen?
D: Creativity is abundant in Singapore. Unfortunately, it is difficult to make a living from creative talent here. I would like Singaporeans to recognise their local talents and accord them with the necessary recognition and support for their sustenance.
C (ITM): I believe that Singapore’s creative culture is thriving. Just look at our event! You have people who are passionate about their craft, professionals or not. This is exactly what people want to foster, and we’re here to showcase that.
Popspoken:Â How did you get into homebrewing?Â
I started homebrewing primarily as a way to produce cheap and good beer. It slowly evolved into a hobby and an obsession. There is a small and close knit homebrew community here and they have helped me further my craft by contributing valuable feedback and suggestions.
Popspoken:Â Personal favourite brew?
Homebrew – Passionfruit and mango Berliner Weisse
Commercial – Mikkeller Beer Geek Vanilla Shake Bourbon BA, the beer that opened my eyes to the world of craft beer.
PS:Â What else would you love to create on your own, such as brewing a new drink?
I’d like to distill and mature my own whisky, but the process would take years. Not to mention home distilling is illegal in Singapore as well as many countries around the world. I’d be better off buying my whiskies off the shelf.
PS:Â If you can encapsulate any local brand out there into a beer, what brand would be and how would it taste like?
Demochoco chocolate truffles. Chocolate and Earl Grey Imperial Milk Stout.
The Artful Brew
Date: 27 July 2016
Venue: Far Out! (Formerly known as Glitch)
Admission:Â $15 for early bird, $19 for standard (You may get tickets here.)
For more information, check out their Facebook page.
