Cambodia has a thriving craft beer scene, with many brewers producing a wide variety of beers. The most common styles of craft beer found in Cambodia are pale ales, IPAs, stouts and porters. Craft beer is often served on tap at bars and restaurants, or in bottles or cans at supermarkets and convenience stores. Prices for craft beer vary depending on the type and brand, but are generally more expensive than macro-brewed lagers. Craft beer is becoming increasingly popular in Cambodia, as more people discover the unique flavors and aromas that these beers have to offer.
Here are some of the most common craft beer styles you can find in Phnom Penh.
Pale Ales and IPAs
Pale ales are one of the most popular styles of craft beer, and they come in many different variations. American pale ales are typically light in color and have a slightly hoppy flavor. English pale ales are usually amber in color and have a malty taste. India pale ales, or IPAs, are very hoppy and bitter beers that were originally brewed for British soldiers stationed in India.
IPAs can be found in stronger versions when they usually are called Imperial IPAs or Double IPAs.
Stouts
Stouts are dark, rich, and flavorful beers that are typically made with roasted malt or barley. Irish stouts are famous for their creamy texture, while dry stouts are less sweet and have a coffee-like flavor. Porter is a dark style of beer that was originally brewed in London in the 18th century. Porters are typically made with chocolate or roasted malt, which gives them their characteristic dark color and rich flavor.
Amber Ales
Amber ales are light to medium in color and have a malty flavor with a hint of sweetness. American amber ales are typically more bitter than their English counterparts. Wheat beers are made with a significant proportion of wheat in the grain bill, which gives them a light and refreshing flavor. Hefeweizen is a type of wheat beer that is unfiltered, meaning it has a cloudy appearance.
Lager
A lager is a type of beer that is brewed using bottom-fermenting yeast. Lagers are typically light in color and have a crisp, clean flavor. They are often described as being “smooth” and “easy to drink.”
Lagers are the most popular type of beer in the world, and they account for more than 80% of all beer consumed. Lagers are typically brewed at cooler temperatures than other types of beer, and they take longer to ferment. This results in a beer that is less complex in flavor and aroma, but that is also more refreshing and easy to drink.
The word “lager” comes from the German word “lagern,” which means “to store.” Lagers were originally stored in cool caves or cellars during their fermentation process, which helped to create their crisp, clean flavor. Today, most lagers are still fermented at cool temperatures, but they are typically stored at warmer temperatures during their aging process.
Sour Beers
A sour beer is a beer that has a tart, acidic, and sometimes sour taste. The acidity in sour beers can be natural, from the use of certain types of yeast or bacteria, or it can be added during the brewing process. Sour beers are often made by intentionally allowing wild yeast or bacteria to enter the brew during fermentation. This can give the beer a funky, sour flavor that is sometimes described as “barnyard,” “horse blanket,” or “lemon.” Sour beers are often served with a slice of lemon or lime to help cut the acidity and make them more refreshing.
Gose is a type of sour beer brewed with Coriander and Salt.
Non-alcoholic beers
Non-alcoholic beers come in all different styles. They can be lagers, pale ales, IPAs and even stouts. The one thing they have in common is that their alcohol content is less than 0.5%.
Non-alcoholic beers are not widely available in Cambodia yet. At Embargo we try to include some in our selection when possible but to be honest, that has not happened very many times. A few craft breweries have experimented with non-alcoholic beer in Cambodia but they haven´t become part of their flagship beers. We hope that this will change in the future as we get more and more questions about beers with a lower alcohol content.