PUBLISHED June 5th, 2020 06:00 am | UPDATED July 22nd, 2024 03:01 pm
With bars out of commission recently, alcohol distributors have had to pivot to selling directly to consumers. One distributor that ahead of its time is Beerlicious, run by co-founder Niran Khanijou. Despite being relatively new to the craft beer game in Bangkok – they entered the market late 2016 – they have become known for their portfolio of Australian brews that’s peppered gems from Europe. And you’ll find (most of) them on Beerlicious’ consumer facing platform Craft Delivery Thailand, which started trading since March last year.
They do fun bundles if you feel like going on a more curated craft beer journey. For a true ‘Straya experience, the Aussie Aussie Oi Oi Oi (THB1,650) package is quite the bargain for 10 easy-going beers that are flavourful enough. We’ll certainly drink Hop Nation’s The Chop IPA (THB202) again; it has the quintessential citrus and tropical notes, with a mildly bitter finish of an American IPA not tied to any coast or style despite the hazy straw colour. Also worth trying is Beerfarm’s Asam Boi Gose (THB190), which is a collaboration between the Western Australian brewery and iconic craft beer bar Smith Street Taps in Singapore. This kettle-soured Berliner Weisse sees the addition of salted plums for an evocative palate of sweet, salty, fruity, and sour – perfect for a cheeky pre-dinner beer.
The best mouthfeel award of our alco-haul went to Toppling Goliath’s Fire, Skulls & Money (THB460), a hazy NEIPA where Citra, Mosaic, Galaxy, and Nelson hops are having a party. Incredibly rich yet oh-so-juicy, it’s clear that this Iowan brewery is produces truly top-shelf beer even after travelling the distance from the United States. I was also excited to see one of my favourite US breweries – Alvarado Street in Monterey, California – on the site, even if it was a collaboration with Garage Beer in Spain’s Barcelona. Brewed with apricot, blood peach, guava and mango, Cotorres (THB391) might be too intensely fruity for some, but I enjoyed every sweet-and-salty sip.
The brewery AleBrowar was an unfamiliar name until Craft Delivery Thailand came along, and these Polish hop heads make decent sours like the pink guava-infused Herr Axolotl (THB252) that’s toned down two notches compared to the previous brew. Another new find is De Moersleutel from the Netherlands, and their mocha hazelnut cream horn stout is one of the dark beers I can drink (I’ve tried, but most of them taste like soy sauce). Graxx The Cream Horn Gobbler (THB351) didn’t bear much weight on the nose but the flavour payoff is big in this one – smooth, rich, sweet, and nutty with notes of coffee and chocolate.
In terms of user experience, it did take us awhile to find the search button (oddly, it’s placed at the bottom of the left hand navigation bar) so user experience of the webshop can definitely be improved. That said, all the beers in our order tasted fresh and well kept enough, even though the Asam Boi Gose was a couple of days from its best by date, which is probably more important.
Shop Craft Delivery Thailand online. THB150 for delivery, order before 2pm for same day arrival within Bangkok. Credit cards and bank transfers accepted.
Images courtesy of Sylvester Thang Fedor.