Hops

Hops aren't grown commercially in Thailand. Every brewery in the country works with imported cones or pellets — pressed hop pills. This saves space and keeps better when the goods have a long journey ahead. Whether it's Singha, Leo or Chang, the hops travel a long way before they reach the brew kettle.

Singha names three European varieties: Saaz, Perle and Hallertau. Saaz comes from Žatec in Bohemia and is known for its fine, spicy character with a faintly herbal aroma. Perle is a German variety with a spicy-minty note. Hallertau stands for the world's largest hop-growing region, in Bavaria. According to the brewery, these varieties define the flavour of Singha lager.

Hops contribute both bitterness and aroma, but by two different routes. The bitterness comes from resins that dissolve during the boiling of the wort, the sweet precursor to beer. The aroma sits in volatile oils that evaporate even with a short boil. That's why part of the hops is added only near the end.

Thai lagers are restrained in their bitterness. There's a practical reason: an overly hopped beer served ice-cold alongside spicy food can quickly taste harsh and heavy. A gently bitter lager lets the chili do its work on the palate. Bitterness is measured in IBU, a unit for the bittering compounds in beer. A German pilsner typically sits well above a Thai lager on that scale.

Things look different in Bangkok's small craft scene. It favours fruity, aromatic hop varieties from overseas, offering a counterpoint to the mild mainstream lagers.