Best craft beer bars in Singapore: Heart of Darkness, Little Creatures, Almost Famous, American Taproom and more

Beer is unoffically, a universally-loved drink. But do words like "hops" and "pale ales" mean anything to you? If the answer is no, it is time you discover the enthralling sub-culture of craft beer and the enticing new flavours that come with it.

Typically brewed in smaller quantities by artisans or smaller companies, craft beers are generally characterised by their bolder flavours and an innovative edge, unlike their mass-produced cousins designed for broader appeal. Often, these homebrewers forgo additives and preservatives that commercial brands include too, so it's more suited for our friends who actually pay attention to nutrition labels.

A good comparison within the alcoholic family would be natural wines. Craft beers are always on the cutting edge, and the passion of the brewers guarantee seriously tasty beers — here's our shortlist below.

Heart of Darkness

Here lies award-winning Vietnamese brewery that landed in Singapore a few weeks ago. Heart of Darkness is named after Joseph Conrad's book about a man's spirit of exploration fuelling them to journey into the dark unknown, so you can expect big and bold flavours, aong with the incessant need for pushing boundaries. This is evident from the current selection consisting of intriguing blends such as the Eloquent Phantom, a complex blend of a whopping thirteen ingredients including four different hops alone.

55 Tras St, Tel: 6208 7940
Opening hours: 11am-12am

Almost Famous

Almost Famous is practically Instagram Famous at this point. The chic and monochromatic industrial styling of the place is sleek and eye-catching, which encapsulates today's craft beer culture. You can get fresh pints sourced both locally and internationally here, right from the tap; they've even featured some exotic concoctions like Watermelon IPAs in the past.

30 Victoria St, #01-06, CHIJMES, Tel: 9772 1787
Opening hours: (Mon-Sat) 3pm-12am, (Sun)1pm-10pm

American Taproom

American Taproom is a place for beer lovers to be spoilt for choice. With an overwhelming rotating selection of over thirty beers, your head is going to be spinning either from wracking your brains to decide or from all the beers you'd be having, especially when you spot flavours like Peppercorn Lager (for the mala fanbase) from time to time. If beers weren't enough to satisfy, they also serve wholesome American grub to pair with your pints.

261 Waterloo St, #01-23 Waterloo Centre, Tel: 9632 1570
Opening hours: 12pm-11:45pm

Mikkeller Bar Singapore

The Danish brewers are a huge name in the craft beer realm, and mentioning Mikkeller to any craft beer lover is sure to invoke a glint in their eyes. Their list of beers on tap is more than abundant, with more than 20 types that get refreshed constantly — but you can expect exciting beers with a local twist like the Purvis Brown.

7 Purvis St, Tel: 6677 7969
Opening hours: (Mon-Sat) 4pm-12am, (Sun) 2pm-10pm

Little Creatures

Anyone who has been to Australia knows that Aussies know their alcohol, also evident from sprawling areas consisting only of breweries and wineries. Little Creatures is an Australian brewery known for their bold and exceptionally hoppy signature Pale Ale, amongst other great house-brews. With their in-house microbrewery, we guarantee that it tastes as good and fresh as it does in the land Down Under.

36 Club St, Tel: 6239 0350
Opening hours: 8am-12am

Smith Street Taps

We did say bars, but the hawker stalls of Smith Street Taps/Good Beer Co. (neighbours with the same owners) are institutions with a unique and important presence in the local craft beer scene, and it'd be criminal to omit them. Smith Street Taps serves craft beer fresh from the tap, with a varied and ever-changing selection. Their sibling has also been rebranded and reopened recently as Smith Street Taps & Friends. It is an ideal watering spot after work, where you can enjoy affordable craft beers paired with your favourite hawker foods.

335 Smith St, #02-062 Chinatown Complex Food Centre, Tel: 9430 2750
Opening hours: (Mon-Thurs)6:30pm-10:30pm, (Fri) 5pm-11pm, (Sat) 2pm-10:30pm

Little Island Brewing Co.

A departure from the typical craft beer bars situated in the city, Little Island Brewing Co. (LIBC) is a quaint little beer utopia found in Changi Village. All beer is brewed on-site, with their machinery and tanks visible to customers. LIBC has a unique approach to the tap system where they charge by the millilitre, and you can pour any amount you want for yourself. Not to mention, a breezy al fresco dining area — perfect to wind down with a lager.

6 Changi Village Rd, #01-01/02, Tel: 6543 9100
Opening hours: 12pm-11pm (Mon-Thurs), 12pm-12am (Fri), 11am-12am (Sat), 11am-11pm (Sun)