Crust Brewing – All Sorts of Local Beer Made with Bread

Check out my latest beer stash from Crust Brewing! I shared their Instagram post & tagged them to get $10 off & free delivery. Sweet deal.

I love bread, & I love beer. I also love “optimizing” every part of my life. To know that the founders of Crust believe in maximizing their resources & reducing waste.. I like that. This seems like a great fit for my alcoholism, tastes & beliefs 😜

Crust was born out of their love for beer & founded on their strong belief in sustainability. Making use of fresh surplus bread from various sources (bakeries, hotels, grocers) in the brewing process, these bread are given a new lease of life instead of going to waste. 🍞 🍻

They currently have 5 beers available; 2 flagship & 3 collaborations. Quickly DM them for details, limited stock available!

Unfortunately, with circuit breaker rules in place, Crust Brewing can’t produce or bottle more beers at the moment. But hopefully once these restrictions are lifted, their online store will be up & running for us to GO GO GO 🤞🏻🍻

Also worthy to note: Don’t throw the beer bottles out when you’re done – you get a 50¢ refund per bottle on your next order when you return them. They also reuse their carton boxes for delivery, so keeping those to return to them would be helpful too.

So how do the beers fare?

Breaking Bread Ale (5% ABV)

Crust entered the market with this flagship light ale. An easy pale ale to drink, the tasting notes are crisp & floral fragrant. Its caramel notes linger around, but it isn’t sweet. Not sure if I’m imagining it (placebo effect or issit I’m drunk liao), but I do taste a faint yeastyness of bread.

I like it! Would order this again. I am glad that the “duplicate beer” (6 bottles but only 5 kinds of beer, remember?) is this one 🍻

Kaya Toast Stout (4.3% ABV)

Kaya Toast Stout (4.3% ABV) with The 1925 Brewing Co.

This collaboration brew with The 1925 Brewing Co. is described as “your morning breakfast of kaya toast & coffee, reimagined at night“. This is quite true, & I enjoyed this stout very much.

The aftertaste is quite reminiscent of kaya – just a hint, only – without the saccharine sweetness that I dislike. This creamy stout has notes that remind me of roasted coffee beans & caramel.. The flavour profile isn’t too strong, but it is nonetheless delicious. A well-executed, easy-to-drink stout that I am impressed with.

The King’s IPA (4.7% ABV)

The King’s IPA (4.7% ABV) with Edible Garden City

Crust’s pioneer collaboration brew with Edible Garden City has hints of green mango. Not from actual mangoes (but my photo gets an A+ for effort, right?), but from ulam rajas grown right here in Singapore. Don’t know what that is? Google it. I had to. No shame in that, I’m always curious to learn 😁

I’m not a huge fan of IPAs, but I enjoyed this more than I thought I would. I liked how refreshing this was with the slightly fruity notes.. Yet the characteristic hoppyness of an IPA was not lost. Made it easier to drink than your usual IPA.

I’d order this again – hopefully I’m not too late as it’s running low in stock. It’s a popular one!

Beerguette (4.5% ABV)

Beerguette (4.5% ABV) with Tiong Bahru Bakery

Another collaboration brew, this time with Tiong Bahru Bakery. This pilsner-style beer uses TBB’s fresh surplus baguettes. I found it to be rather bitter & too hoppy for my liking; in terms of flavour profile, I (expectedly) didn’t taste much breadyness in this one.

Not really my kind of beer – but everyone has their preferences, right? I’d still say give it a shot if you haven’t tried it before. I recommend starting out ordering a 6 pack so you can try Crust’s full variety of 5 types of beer. Then re-order your favourites next time.

I Knead An Easy IPA (4.7% ABV)

Right off the bat, I love this pun on their 2nd flagship beer. Second to that, this is quite the easy IPA to drink. The hoppyness is balanced with the fruity flavours.

Out of their 2 flagship products, though, I prefer the Breaking Bread Ale for its crisp/clean profile. Unfortunately, that’s sold out for now – when they’re able to start bottling again, grab that quick!

That Coffee and Beer Place – Affordable Breakfast Sets

Tucked in a corner of Onze @ Tanjong Pagar, an inconspicuous condominium nestled in a cul-de-sac, I don’t think That Coffee and Beer Place gets much passerby traffic. It was Burpple Beyond’s 1-for-1 deals that brought me here.

The Entrance to That Coffee and Beer Place

Burpple Beyond Premium Membership gives you 2 Coffee/Tea deals, 2 Set Meal deals. I originally wanted to just get a coffee, but the breakfast set (served 8 – 11AM, Mon – Sat) deal was pretty tempting.

Breakfast Set = 1 Baked Good + Coffee/Tea. There are 2 different price points: $6.90 or $5.90 per set. I bought the more expensive one, choosing both options for baked goods to cover all ground:

Turkey Ham & Cheese Croissant
Smoked Salmon Quiche

Both of these are $5.90 on their own, so this set is really worth it. & when you swipe Burpple Beyond’s 1-for-1 deal, you save even more!

My croissant was deflated by the time I reached home, probably from being heated up before being packed away 😢 It looked sad, but was surprisingly delicious! Sufficient saltiness from the turkey ham, harmonized with the slight creaminess of the emmental cheese. The croissant wasn’t crispy anymore, but if you saw this as a light & flaky piece of bread, I guess that’s ok 😂

I thought I’d like the quiche more, but I wasn’t a fan of the mushyness of the salmon. I’d prefer larger flakes of chunky fish.. But that’s my preference. Taste wise, it was okay. It is pretty dense, with a good crumbly crust.

Which one would I order again? The croissant, actually. Even though the quiche is substantially more filling. I just liked the flavours a lot better.

What I liked best, though, was the Cafe Latte. It was creamy & smooth. Started my day off on a good note. I’d head back here again just for this when I next drop my sister off at work!

Or maybe I’ll try the $5.90 breakfast sets: Butter Croissant, Chocolate Danish, Jalapeño Cheese Brezel… Which one sounds good?

Ps: As you can infer from their name, they also serve beer here! I also love how they have a cute bottle opener mounted where the cash register is 😂

💵 Cash/NETS only
🌬 Air-conditioned seats only
🍽 Burpple Beyond partner
📶 Free WiFi available
💦 Water is not chargeable
🙋🏻‍♀️ No service charge
🚫 No GST

I Dabao-ed Beer From Flagwhite

There’s always reason to try something new. For me, this is my first time dabao-ing beer in my own container!

COVID-19 Circuit Breaker measures in Singapore – a month later, we’ll see 2 distinct groups of people emerge: (1) the Masterchefs, or (2) the Alcoholics Anonymous.

No prizes for guessing which group I belong to. Made my way down to FlagWhite after hearing about their half-off beer on tap promotion. They’d just opened a new keg before the Circuit Breaker measures kicked in place. Of course, I couldn’t let it go to waste!?!

The kegs they have in place:
・ Stone & Wood Pacific Ale Pale Ale (4.4%) – Cloudy & golden, big fruit aroma & refreshing finish
・ Parrotdog Bitterbitch IPA (5.8%) – Grapefruit pith, piney dates, herby bitter, malty, pie crust-esque

Brought my own tumblers (meant for protein shakes lmao #fitspo) to dabao some beer home to have with dinner. Ended up getting twice the amount I originally planned for -although I think I was limited by the size of my container, so maybe not exactly twice.. But I’m happy to do my part to support my favourite local cafe.

Read for my Fitspo BEER SHAKE (just kidding)

I think we all know & love FlagWhite for their awesome brunch & coffee. I’d never drank anything alcoholic here before, tbh. But now that I know they have beer on tap… Maybe I should just set up a tent here & call this my new home. (After circuit breaker measures are over.)

Please continue to #loveyourlocalsg during this challenging time. Be responsible while you do so – wear a mask if you can, stay a safe distance away from others, & remember to wash your hands regularly (& moisturize!).

💳 Accepts credit cards
🌬️ Air-conditioned seats available
☀ Al fresco seats available (just 1 table outside)
📱 Accepts GrabPay
📶 Free WiFi available
🔌 Power sockets available
💦 Water is not chargeable
🙋🏻 No service charge
🚫 No GST

Taco Mantra Serves Indian-Mexican Fusion Food Perfect with Freehouse’s Beer

Freehouse turned 4 recently (time flies – congrats!), but Taco Mantra taking over their kitchen was something that happened only recently.

Serving up Indian-Mexican fusion cuisine, their tacos (2 for $12, 3 for $15) are characteristically packed with lots of flavour, with ingredients nestled in a single soft flour taco.

I thought the Kerala Beef & Chicken Tikka tacos were ordinary; my favourite was Ma’s Fish! It wasn’t too oily & the fish was tender, flaky & moist inside. The fruit salsa complimented the fried fish well, too.

A 4th variant, the Pulled Karana Jackfruit, was out of stock when we visited.. But it is meant to mimic pulled pork slathered in barbecue sauce. Would be curious to try it after seeing all the veganized food videos on YouTube!

If you & your friends are looking for finger food to go with the plethora of craft beer that Freehouse has on tap, you can consider Taco Mantra’s sharing platters. This one, the Platter for 2 ($60), has ribeye steak, fried pork belly (sio bak), chicken tikka, mantra wings & samosas. All platters are served with slaw, poppadum chips, mint yogurt & house sauce.

For more manageable portion of snacks, you could opt for the Pachos ($15) – their version of poppadum nachos, or Quail Egg Sambal Fries ($15). The Grilled Cheese Naanwich ($15) isn’t an appetizer, but is quite highly snackable.

Personally, though, I wasn’t a huge fan of these. I prefer the crunchiness of original nachos (the poppadum quickly became soggy where the sauce hits), & the sambal fries were too peppery for my tastebuds. I did love the bouncy quail eggs though, hehe.

Finger food does go well with beer, but as someone who isn’t much of a snacker, I’d rather spend my money on the tacos. Or, even better…

.. THEIR BURGERS. Taco Mantra’s burgers really stood out to me. The crowd favourite was the Spiced Lamb Burger ($20), & that was mine too. The lamb patty had the slight gameyness that I love, yet it’s palatable enough for others as it doesn’t overpower the flavours of the dish. Topped with a cool mint yogurt for good balance. I would order this again in a heartbeat.

The Double Cheeseburger ($24) was also good, with 2 juicy beef patties, cheese, sweet bacon onion jam & tangy dill pickle mayonnaise.Their patties are fairly thick, so IMHO a single patty would suffice. A Single Cheeseburger goes for $20.

Spiced Lamb Burger & Double Cheeseburger

Thanks Taco Mantra for the hospitality & Burpple for the invite! 💕

💳 Accepts credit cards
🌬 Air-conditioned seats only
🖥 Accepts reservations on Chope (Freehouse)
📱 FavePay accepted
🍽 Shopback GO partner
⬆️ Located on the 2nd floor

Almost Famous Craft Beer Bar – Good Variety, Nice Happy Hour

I’ve been wanting to pop by Almost Famous Craft Beer Bar for the longest time – finally did, albeit when happy hour was just over.

Happy Hour at this hole in the wall at CHIJMES is 4 – 7PM (Mon – Sat) / 2 – 8PM (Sun). Pints of craft beer go for $10+, premium craft beer for $12+.

Happy Hour at Almost Famous Craft Beer Bar

I missed Happy Hour, but I still enjoyed my pint of Passionfruit Wheat Ale ($14+) from Pasteur Street Brewing. Citrusy & fruity, there are hints of passionfruit & lemon, more so the former than latter so it isn’t sour like a saison. A light & delicious beer that pleases the crowd, & which I would order again.

Light & refreshing, I’m sure Pasteur Street’s Passionfruit Wheat Ale is a popular beer

Happy Hour or not, whatever you swipe your (linked) credit card for, you’ll get cashback from Shopback GO! I actually didn’t know this until I checked my phone after I swiped 😂

Sat at the bar counter with my back turned to the world; but before I immersed myself in some me time, I looked around & found the decor to be pretty simple. With various tones of grey & silver, the style is very metallic, almost like the interior of a spaceship.

One downside is that reception was pretty bad here.. I sat at the bar, not sure if it varies throughout the premises as they don’t have a huge space). WiFi also isn’t for public use, so I left after 1 beer.

I’ll probably return with a friend, or if I have offline work to do. 🍻

They had a food menu which I didn’t order from – instead, this coaster was my food for thought

💳 Accepts credit cards
🌬 Air-conditioned seats only
🍽 Shopback GO partner
📶 No free WiFi
🙋🏻‍♀️ Service charge applicable
🚫 No GST