A noteworthy brand in the Singaporean craft beer scene is the unusually-named “Ren Min”. Formerly known as 3^rd Culture Brewing Co., Ren Min has added to the vibrancy of hawker culture at Maxwell Food Centre since it opened its doors in 2016. By operating in a hawker centre, the founder, Manbeer Singh, hopes to make high quality craft beers more accessible to a wider audience. On a more inspiring note, Manbeer also thinks that there is no place more quintessentially Singaporean than a hawker centre. So there we go!

Click here to read our article on Ren Min’s Craft Beer Revolution

The brand name Ren Min (人民) means "people" in Mandarin, and it reflects the team’s admiration for the people tirelessly running mom-and-pop stalls of these food centres. These people keep Singapore’s hawker culture alive amid the hot and humid kitchen environment while much of Singapore goes about its day in glass-and-concrete towers. I have to also highlight the red plastic chair in the brand logo. Since the 1990s, this cheap yet sturdy piece of furniture could be found anywhere across Singapore and indeed much of Southeast Asia.

Ren Min recently took their involvement to another level by brewing their own craft beer right here in Singapore. Manbeer named this first expression “Baby Steps”, a session New England IPA intended to be flavourful and yet sessionable (i.e. lighter in alcohol level). This comes in at 4.8% ABV and was hopped exclusively with Mosaic hops which are known for their tropical fruit, blueberry and earthy notes.

Let’s give this baby a taste.

Ren Min "Baby Steps" Session NEIPA, 4.8% ABV – Review

Colour: Bright pineapple juice yellow with a thick cloudy haze.

Nose: The aroma is sweet, bright and juicy but also very mild and inviting with barely any hop bitterness. Tropical fruit notes are very prominent, with a bright scent of pineapple juice and mango smoothie, and a light citrusy zestiness akin to smelling tangerine peels.

Taste: In the mouth, the texture of drinking unfiltered pineapple juice. This has a medium body with a smooth, creamy texture and of course a rich, unfiltered feel. My tastebuds pick up lots of sweetness and tropical fruits upfront – we’re getting passionfruit and mild pink guava, and then a just-as-present touch of tartness from tangerine peel as the beer rolls over the tongue. Carbonation is very restrained, somewhat enhancing sweetness and also leaving this beer very easy to drink without much of that fizzy tingly “bite” from CO2.

Finish: The finish is medium-short, but also clean and refreshing, with a pleasant and subtle hop profile that begins to grow on the tongue. As the hops fade, a subtle note of barley maltiness remains on the tongue, adding some depth and complexity to the overall experience.

My thoughts

👨🏻‍🚀🍢

Call this “Neil Armstrong eats satay” because Ren Min’s baby steps are a success. This is juicy, fruity, refreshing and so mild with barely any bitterness from hops. It also seems to have very mild carbonation that makes this even easier to drink. What I like best is how its texture and drinkability gives a feeling of drinking a refreshing tropical fruit smoothie.

This juicy, tropical brew is a perfect accompaniment of the iconic satay from Singaporean hawker stores. The oily, savoury chicken or beef, served with thick and creamy peanut sauce would call for some balance from the NEIPA’s bold textures and refreshing tropical tartness.

@CharsiuCharlie