The Pertinents
- 1 Au Trieu, Hanoi (behind the cathedral)
- Offshoot brewpub from their main location in HCMC
- Founded 2015 (approximate)
- Interesting tidbit: The folks who founded this company first worked for Upslope Brewing in my hometown of Boulder, Colorado, USA!
The Beer
They put a huge emphasis on local ingredients and American craft beer techniques, and the results are great! I especially enjoy their Cyclo Stout, which won multiple awards and has made a name for itself internationally. If you’re interested in local ingredients then you need to try the Dragonfruit beer, which has the punchy pink of the rinds in it and a nice sour wash. Equally tasty are the Spice Island Saison (which really tastes Vietnamese somehow) and the Jasmine IPA.
The beers are the best value for money that I have found so far in Hanoi, because they really are craft beer in style. The price is quite high for this country, but it’s worth it as a special treat.
The Atmosphere
The brewpub is modern and has exactly the kind of feel you want in a craft beer place. The upper-floor patio is tucked right in behind the stained glass of St. Joseph’s cathedral, and you can hear the bells for Mass during a visit on any evening. Watch out for mosquitoes, though!
The crowd tends to be mostly tourists at the moment, and especially Korean ones. That way it always has a little bit of home-ness for me, since I’ve spent so much time in Korea. It’s as if three of my international homes come together in this spot.
Reverse Retrograde 