Where Ho Chi Minh City drinks local: brewpubs, taprooms and the new wave.
Taprooms, brewpubs and the local beer scene in Ho Chi Minh City worth taking a tram to.
Pasteur Street opened in 2014 and helped start Saigon's craft-beer boom, brewing American styles laced with Vietnamese ingredients like passion fruit.
Order: The Jasmine IPA or the Cyclo Imperial Chocolate Stout.
Tip: The original taproom is up an alley off Pasteur; the tasting flight is the way to sample widely.
Heart of Darkness is one of Saigon's most ambitious breweries, its Ly Tu Trong taproom pouring 20-plus taps of experimental beers under Conrad-inspired names.
Order: A flight across the rotating experimental taps.
Tip: The 20-plus taps rotate fast; the shaded patio is the seat to grab on a hot afternoon.
East West is a large modern brewpub on Ly Tu Trong with an on-site brewery and a broad kitchen, the most polished of Saigon's craft-beer halls.
Order: A pint of the Far East IPA with a plate from the kitchen.
Tip: It doubles as a full restaurant; the industrial upstairs bar is quieter than the ground floor.
BiaCraft is a homegrown Saigon taproom pouring 50 craft beers on draft, mixing its own brews with guest taps from craft breweries across Vietnam.
Order: A tasting paddle of Vietnamese craft brews.
Tip: The Le Ngo Cat branch has the biggest tap wall; pair the beers with the chicken feet.
Winking Seal is a craft brewery whose District 1 taproom on Dang Thi Nhu pours its own hop-forward and easy-drinking cans and drafts, a relaxed spot.
Order: A flight across the core range of Winking Seal cans.
Tip: The beer is brewed south of the city but the Dang Thi Nhu taproom pours the full range fresh.