What does a thirsty dude have to do when a craft cocktail or a glass of wine doesn’t cut it anymore? He drinks a beer but not just any random six pack he finds in a convenience store. It’s got to be frosty. It’s got to be flavourful. It’s got to be so damn swiggable that before he knows it, he’s out for the count. This appetite for beer binging is understood by none other than Sylvestor Fedor — the new-gen hawker and general manager for Mikkeller Bar Singapore. Also known as the internationally-acclaimed Danish brewery that has been lubricating Summer parties and cookouts since 2006, Sylvestor takes us through what makes a pint of craft beer that yummy.
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Hi Sylvester, before we begin, we’d like to thank you for your service to the community…
[Laughs] You’re welcome. Your friendly neighbourhood beer uncle is here to serve one and all!
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Have you heard of the term, Craft Beer Wanker? Do you think craft beers still have a bad rep here? Tell us what makes it that damn delicious!
Yes, have you read the Urban Dictionary definition?
Jokes aside, I don’t think craft beer has a bad reputation in Singapore. At least, there are more people now looking to craft beer as they recognise the smaller-batch, artisanal quality in this category. It’s also what makes craft beer damn delicious!
The ability to be creative and experimental gives us consumers more varied flavour profiles, ranging from the tart and sour to bitter and hoppy.
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Forgive our ignorance but what exactly is Mikkeller beer? What intrigued you so much about it?
Mikkeller started with our founder, Mikkel Bjergsø, who experimented with home brewing in his kitchen while juggling his career in education. He started winning home brewing competitions before getting recognised in international events. In 2006, Mikkeller took off as a gypsy brewer — meaning they didn’t own any breweries. Instead, they collaborated with other breweries to produce their recipes, or experimental one-off brews and paid for rental of machinery and the costs of producing beer.
Of course, they now own and operate a few breweries in Copenhagen, London, and San Diego but the ethos still stands. With an exploratory and educational approach to beer, Mikkeller is constantly creating experimental beers and breaking the rules. They’ve created a universe of endless possibilities with techniques like barrel ageing, spontaneous fermentation and hopping, as well as a multitude of different ingredients.
All these make drinking Mikkeller beer fun and an exciting brand to work with.
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Out of the 10 taps at Mikkeller Bar Singapore, which is your favourite? How were they curated?
Our beers rotate quite frequently, but my favourite that’s available on tap at the moment is the Beer Geek Fudgesicle imperial stout. At 12% ABV, it packs a punch with plenty of cocoa, vanilla and butterscotch.
We bring in beers from Mikkeller once every two to three months and curate a variety of beers based on what the breweries have to offer at that point. You will see more specials from Mikkkeller’s breweries in Denmark to San Diego, as well as breweries that are friends with the brand. The latter will include rare, sought-after brews from acclaimed breweries.
Just this month we had a special tap featuring Vermont’s Hill Farmstead Brewery and a series of barrel aged imperial stouts from Warpigs Brewing from U.S.A.
We are always taking into account what the Singapore market enjoys, and also aiming to introduce new, experimental beers to our audience.
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How did you evolve Mikkeller Bar Singapore into a hawker concept? Were there any decisions that made you go “What am I doing?”?
Having previously worked for Mikkeller in Bangkok, we realised that every Mikkeller bar around the world has a story to tell, from the location to the design and food offerings. For instance, Tokyo’s flagship in Shibuya, a major nightlife hub replete with love motels while Mikkeller Taipei is in the Datong district, one of the first settlement areas of Taipei, and serves lu wei (滷味) on their food menu.
So, in creating a bar that’s uniquely Singaporean, we thought there was no better way than to do it in a hawker centre, surrounded by hawker legends, new and old. In fact, one of my favourite pairings for the aforementioned Beer Geek Fudgesicle with the Old Amoy Chendol in the yellow zone.
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Then, what do you enjoy about this little hawker store?
Besides the good food all around, it’s nice when the uncles of Chinatown — the ones that usually drink commercial lagers and stouts — rock up to talk to us about beers and try a couple of our brews.
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Can you dissect some of the more popular craft beer terms for us?
There are a few beer styles that have become popular in recent years, such as:
DDH PALE — double dry hopped pale ale.
NEIPA — New England IPA (India Pale Ale).
DIPA / TIPA — double IPA and triple IPA, stronger and more hoppy IPAs that typically have a higher alcohol content.
Pastry Stouts — refers to a stout that is brewed to be intentionally sweet and is often made with the addition of plenty of sugary ingredients. The end goal is typically to brew a beer that mimics the flavour — and sometimes appearance — of dessert.
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Come to think of it, what’s next for you?
Well, we’re on the lookout to expand the Mikkeller brand in Singapore, that’s for sure. But the baby steps in the next few months would be to expand the Mikkeller Running Club. It’s a global initiative established in 2014 with the philosophy that enjoying great beer and doing a bit of physical activity can help members find balance in life. It happens at all Mikkeller bars across the world the first Saturday of the month — participants are rewarded with a complimentary beer at the bar after the run — and we’re going to start mid-month runs.
Folks interested in joining us can keep updated here.
Once you’re done with this story about Mikkeller Bar Singapore, click here to catch up with our March 2021 issue!
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