Craft Beer Saigon: Best Bars in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Seeking out craft beer in Saigon can feel a bit like a scavenger hunt and comes at an elevated price. However, in our opinion, it is well worth the effort and the extra cost. Despite numerous obstacles, the Saigon craft beer scene is certainly on an upward swing. HCMC travelers can sample an array of Vietnamese craft beers…right in the heart of Saigon.

The Vietnamese beer culture – long defined by cheap, light lagers – is evolving to include innovative and flavorful creations. The trend began with the introduction of locally produced craft beer in Ho Chi Minh City and the movement is gaining momentum throughout Vietnam.

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Travelers with beer-loving palates can now find several bars in Ho Chi Minh City dedicated to pouring microbrews – as well as craft beer Saigon breweries featuring their own taprooms.

On our most recent trip, we pushed aside the well-known Vietnamese beer brands in favor of Ho Chi Minh City craft beer. During our stay, we discovered some of the Best Bars in Saigon serving Craft Beer in HCMC District 1!

Craft Beer Saigon: Bars in Ho Chi Minh City

In search of the best beer in Vietnam, we visited numerous Saigon brewery taprooms in Ho Chi Minh City Dist 1. We’re featuring our 6 favorite locations along with some honorable mentions so that you can follow in our frothy footsteps. At the end of the article, we include a HCMC map plus a few tips on drinking Saigon craft beer.

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#1 Heart Of Darkness Brewery Ho Chi Minh City

Established in 2016 by an American from NYC, Heart of Darkness Brewery produces a full line up of core brews and a creative seasonal selection as well. Their signature beer, Kurtz’s Insane IPA, serves a big punch of flavor with seven types of hops. For dedicated hop heads (like us!), you’ll revel in their other dank offerings, such as Loose Rivet NEIPA and Dream Alone Mosaic Pale Ale.

They also produce an impressive range of stouts, but we prefer to keep to the Ales in the heat of Vietnam. The Saigon brewery taproom features a large shaded patio and 20 taps inside at the air-conditioned bar. If you’re seeking great craft beer in other SE Asia destinations, Heart of Darkness has expanded to Da Nang as well as Singapore!

#2 Pasteur Street Brewing Co Saigon

Considered a pioneer in Vietnam craft beer, Pasteur Brewing utilizes American craft brewing methodology to create a range of brews made with fresh Vietnamese ingredients. The Saigon beer company opened in 2014 with a location on their namesake street, Pasteur, in the center of District 1.

Since then, Pasteur Street Brewing Company has embarked on an impressive expansion, with multiple taproom locations in HCMC as well as one in Hanoi. Call us nostalgic, but our favorite spot is still the original taproom on Pasteur Street. The small roof terrace tucked away in an inner courtyard is the perfect place to enjoy their hop-heavy Jasmine IPA or refreshing Citra Pale Ale!

#3 East West Brewing Vietnam

With the slogan, “Connecting Cultures through Craft Beer,” East West Brewing Company employs a blend of brewing techniques from Europe, North America and Asia to produce award-winning Vietnamese craft beers.

Their modern and industrial space in Saigon features an on-site taproom and restaurant with a surprisingly broad menu. Focused on creating a community and delivering craft beer to everyone, East West hosts cool events and a weekday happy hour, as well as brewery tours.

We enjoyed beers from the core selection – like the Pale Ale and Far East IPA (which they also sell by bottle for take-away) – but sampled their seasonal specialties, too. We can recommend the Mosaic Ale that was on tap during our visit. That said, the Coffee Vanilla Porter is a firm favorite of fellow patrons. In fact, it just might be best to get a Beer Flight so that you can sample all of their delicious brews!

#4 Rogue Saigon

Rogue is another fun place to drink craft beer in Saigon, Vietnam. Located on an open-air rooftop, Rogue Taproom pours beers from our featured local craft breweries, as well as offerings by Fuzzy Logic, Platinum, Magic Barrel and others.

The rooftop taproom also features a menu of Western food and has DJs at night – plus, fun Tap Takeover events by other regional breweries. Rogue Saigon is partnered with Saigon Outcast – a HCMC District 2 entertainment hub that hosts a variety of fabulous food and drink festivals and live music events.

#5 Winking Seal Beer Company Vietnam

Hip and jovial, Winking Seal Beer Company features a diverse collection of playfully named beers – like Love More Lemongrass Blonde Ale and Sailing Club Dragon Fruit Pale Ale. In their taproom, they pour their own beers, as well as guest brews, from 16 taps.

Their core range can be purchased in cans for takeaway, too. Early evening drinkers and late-night revelers can benefit from their stellar happy hour, where they offer 50% off house pints (a Saigon craft beer deal that can’t be beat!).

#6 Seven Bridges Craft Beer Ho Chi Minh City

Originally hailing from Da Nang, 7 Bridges was an experimental start up that took the craft beer scene in Vietnam by storm. Established in 2017, the brewery was already winning awards and accolades by 2018.

For the core range of 7 Bridges Vietnam craft beers, we preferred the Dragon IPA, but the Imperial IPA really has a kick! They also produce creative brews – like the Cherry Kriek and Sakura Gose – that utilize local ingredients.

In addition to satisfying the taste buds of craft beer aficionados, 7 Bridges Brewery is also active in helping the local community. Plus, they follow a sustainable Zero Waste initiative that repurposes beer production by-products.

There are two 7 Bridges locations in HCMC plus taprooms in Hanoi and Hoi An. While their beers are the top reason to go to 7 Bridges, they also make incredible pizzas (and burgers and hot dogs, too!).

More Places To Drink Saigon Craft Beer

We outlined what we think are the best bars in Ho Chi Minh City to drink Saigon craft beer. However, there are more places that serve locally-produced Vietnamese craft beer in HCMC District 1!

4P’s Pizza Vietnam

Well-known as the best place to eat in pizza in HCMC, and featured in our Saigon Food Guide to Ho Chi Minh Restaurants, 4P’s offers a rotating range of craft beer on draft that pair nicely with their in-house made cheese!

Hop CraftBeer

Located on popular Bui Vien – which is often referred to as HCMC Beer Street (but noticeably lacks craft beer options) – Hop CraftBeer is a welcome addition to the area. They pour 3T Brewing on draft and carry bottles and cans from the other popular craft breweries in Saigon.

The Chicken Coop and Tiệm Bia Gà Rooster Beers Taproom are two other places on Bui Vien that serve a pretty decent selection craft beer.

Belgo Brewing Saigon

Dedicated to creating classic Belgium-style craft beer in HCMC, Belgo is a hip gastropub with a good happy hour and an upscale Western food menu.

Craft Beer Saigon Map

Use this Google Map for an interactive version of our Map of Craft Beer Bars in Ho Chi Minh City Dist 1 below.

Craft Beer Vietnam: Ho Chi Minh City Nightlife Tips

Now that you know where to find the best bars in HCMC for local craft beer, we have a few more tips for your drinking adventure!

How do you say Cheers in Vietnamese?

How to say Cheers in Vietnamese is pretty simple, it’s just dzô – which is pronounced Yo. However, rather than just saying ‘Cheers,’ it is common for groups to clink glasses after shouting, “Một hai ba dzô!” – which translates to “1, 2, 3 Cheers!”

How Much is a Beer in Vietnam?

Mass-produced Vietnamese beer – like Saigon Beer (Bia Saigon Lager, Saigon Red Beer and Saigon Special Beer) and 333 Beer Vietnam – are very cheaply priced. The cost for a pint of these is usually between 30k – 50k VND ($1.25 – $2 USD).

However, the cost of Vietnam craft beer is understandably much more. Craft beer drinkers can expect to pay between 100k – 150k ($4 – $7 USD) for a pint of Saigon craft beer in taprooms and bars in Ho Chi Minh City.

HCMC Craft Beer Tour

Visitors can easily use our Saigon Craft Beer Guide and HCMC Map to create their own Craft Beer Tour. However, those who prefer to enjoy their beer, snacks and stories with a local guide should consider joining an organized craft beer tour. Read reviews and book it!

Vietnam Travel Guides

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