In a world where craft beer is rapidly evolving, Brewnanza stands out as a vibrant celebration of this ever-expanding universe. As a result of Archipelago Brewery’s unfortunate recent closure and ongoing discussions about the state of the industry, Singapore’s largest craft beer festival, Brewnanza, arrives with a renewed sense of purpose.
Far from signaling the end of the craft beer era, Brewnanza is positioned as a beacon of hope and excitement in the industry, by showcasing not only diverse beers, but an immersive experience designed to appeal to both seasoned aficionados and curious newcomers.
John Wei, the visionary behind Brewnanza, aims to reignite interest in craft beer among mainstream drinkers and Gen Z. His hope is to create an environment where seasoned craft beer enthusiasts and newcomers alike can explore a wide range of beers. The beer festival combines the excitement of a multi-day festival across many touchpoints, alongside a welcoming atmosphere that encourages exploration, via masterclasses, and discovery, of over 100 varieties of beers from the region, some only exclusively available to Brewnanza. As much as there might be consumer fatigue, excellent beer never gets old, such as the Freedom lager, one of the top 5 beers for the Craft and IPA category.
We dive into the vision behind Brewnanza, explore emerging trends in the craft beer industry, and discuss the importance of community and collaboration among local brewers.
Popspoken: How do you think the festival can help in attracting mainstream drinkers and Gen Z to craft beers?
John Wei: My goal for Brewnanza is to really create a fun and inviting environment for all drinkers, a “Disneyland” type of experience for the seasoned Craft beer fans, but also an unintimidating experience for someone trying Craft beer for the first time. At times, they may feel overwhelmed when walking into a bar with 30 beer options staring at them. In our festival, the community is very welcoming where breweries will be happy to introduce their range of beers with tasters, and likewise, fellow craft beer drinkers are happy to share recommendations.
Many people who don’t usually drink beer, gets converted in Brewnanza because there’s such a big range that people eventually find a couple they like. I hear it all the time, “I’m not really a beer person, but I enjoy that sour beer I tried earlier, or that pale ale I tried earlier.” That’s really rewarding, and a big reason why we are doing this is to widen people’s perspectives about what beer is.
The statistics suggest Gen Zs are drinking lesser beer, and maybe because they’ve been neglected by most brewers and beer company. Or maybe, it’s just a case of communication breakdown where an “Old Man” is trying to tell the younger generation what to do, rather than to listen and be mindful of their needs. Brewnanza will blow most minds off with the beer offerings, but we’ve also made sure that the music entertainment value will be ripping! You don’t have to be a serious beer geek to enjoy Brewnanza, but everyone will leave with a greater appreciation of beers.
Popspoken: How important is community and collaboration among local brewers in maintaining a vibrant craft beer scene?
John Wei: You hear a lot about community led projects these days which sounds very cool, but very little actually are successfully executed, whereas, Craft beer’s roots is one of few success stories that’s truly community led. The kinship and bond between the brewery, the distributor, the bars and the consumer is unlike any other industry. There are even consumers who gave up their jobs to be craft bar owners or brewers, and they really give a lot back into fostering growth for the Craft beer industry. I’ve got too many examples to share, but it’s truly evident when you are at Brewnanza, and you can see this interaction happening as equals and friends between someone who makes the beers, someone who sells the beers, someone who drinks the beers.
Collaboration between brewers happen on so many levels. We’ve helped brewers out with some supplies, and likewise, have been on the receiving end many times. We share contacts and feedback on ingredients or brewing techniques quite openly amongst ourselves as well. Collaboration brews are also fun because we get to learn from each other as well, and create something exciting to share with the beer fans. Likewise, it also helps expose each other’s brand to our followers and this create vibrancy in the scene and helps enlarge the fold.
A vibrant and healthy craft beer scene isn’t one that’s represented by just one or two brewers, but one that has a good mix of breweries brewing high quality beers. This is why we are happy to provide this platform to our follow Singaporean brewers to showcase their beers to a wider audience!
Popspoken: What qualities do you look for in a great craft beer? Could you share with our readers anecdotes in discovering your favourite beers?
John Wei: As a brewer, a great beer is one that has very little faults and is technically very clean, because I appreciate the hard work that’s gone into doing it. Next then comes to flavour.
As a regular beer drinker, I’m really a lot less fussy with my choices than people think. I’m the guy that goes for a really clean well made beer that I can depend on and have a couple of pints a night. To me, a well-made beer is one which someone is happy to stick to for the 2nd or 3rd pint and not feel the need to switch.
My beer awakening moment happened in 2008 in Cornwall, where I had a pint of St Austell Tribute on cask. It totally ripped apart my idea of what beer tastes like, and I was smitten to the fact that beer could have so much rich flavours and nuances in it. It kicked started my foray into homebrewing.
Popspoken: How is consumer behaviour changing in the craft beer market and what are the market sentiments you sense or see in consumers becoming more discerning about their beer choices?
John Wei: Consumers around the world are definitely consuming lesser, but they are also definitely consuming better. They are more mindful of their calories, and hence make sure their choices are worth it. This really has worked to our benefit because it has made consumers more discerning.
Likewise, there is also a shift in tastes. Not a lot of work have been done to understand the Gen Z consumers, but I’m beginning to sense that it’s not going to be a case of “Let them come to us and adapt to us.” There actually is a slight difference between the millennials versus the generation before them, because the earlier generation liked the bitter IPAs and heavier beers, whereas there was a notable shift that the millennials preferred the Hazy juicier sweeter and less bitter variant IPAs. I honestly think the taste profile of the Gen Zs is going to be quite a bit more different than the current taste profile.
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