We have a buddy, let’s call him Adrian. Now Adrian has been one of our most avid supporters and has tried pimping us of as celebrity bloggers just so he can score free drinks. Still, he provides constructive suggestions like featuring more of the stuff we’ve tried. To which led to the discussion of favourite drinks. And that’s a common question I’m posed when I meet people in a bar, “Which is my favourite drink?”

In the song, “My Favourite Things”, taken from the soundtrack of Sound of Music, Maria sings 14 of her favourite things, from roses to kittens, from apple streudels to schnitzel with noodles. If the wholesome Maria couldn’t pick one favourite thing, then there’s no way favourite can be singular. Our list varies from single malts to manuka vodka, from stouts to sparkling rose, from sangria to self-made daiquiris.

For the purpose of this blog, I’m listing some beers which I try to stock at home. And coincidentally, there’re all southern hemisphere beers.

When in Singapore and I need a really good beer, the best place to get one has to be Brewerkz and the Wheat Ale remains a firm favourite. Though this has become seasonal and when not available, the next best up is the Golden Ale. Thank goodness they started selling take home packs!

One that Adrian and I agree on is Old Speight’s or properly known as the Gold Medal Ale. It’s like an amber ale with a cooperish colour. It’s got a slight dryness to it but the it has a lovely caramel malt taste.

New Zealand's finest

I recall the last I was in Auckland and was deciding between buying Speight’s or Tui home. And this bloke came up to me and said, “Mate, get the Old Speight’s.” These days, I get my fix each time I’m in Hong Kong where there’s a New Zealand product shop at Causeway Bay which retails this and other Kiwi brews. I’ll probably be having one during the Charity Shield game tonight.

Another awesome Kiwi brew is Montheith’s. Asia Pacific Breweries used to distribute this in Singapore for a short period of time about 6-7 years ago but probably didn’t take off as craft beers have only recently become more popular. But if you do come across this label, try the Celtic Red or Radler. One way of finding these will be to raid every Air New Zealand airport lounge!

Red and yelllow, black and white, they're all beer in my sight.

One thing we can’t dispute is that Australia produces some of finest craft beers. We’ve been seeing more of them appearing in the supermarkets in Singapore. And was I glad to see Cold Storage retailing my favourite Aussie beer, James Squire. The dude was a criminal who was shipped to Australia on the first ever boat of convicts and became the country’s first brewer. Being sent to Australia didn’t change his ways as he was eventually caught stealing hops to make beer! How can anyone fault this man?

140 year old ale

I make it a point to stock both the Amber and Golden Ale in my fridge. They claim that the yeast used for the Amber Ale is 140 years old and close to what Squire himself would have brewed. What makes it great as an after dinner ale is its sweet, roasted malt and nutty finish. On the other hand, the Golden Ale makes a perfect afternoon or evening beer. Clear Golden in colour, sweet and citrus taste.

Okay, I’m not quite done, but football’s starting, and this favourites list will never finish. Till next time…

If you’re like us and love checking out supermarkets while on the road, then you have to visit City Super. There are several outlets across Hong Kong but the one I visited on this trip was at the basement of Times Square, Causeway Bay.

City Super beer selection

City Super is a more premium grocer catering to expats and the affluent which explains why they’ve got a great selection of bottled beers. And surprisingly there were two Japanese microbrews on the shelf. I’ve been to Tokyo countless times and locating microbrews there is as good as identifying a Japanese girl without fake eyelashes. One of the beers was organic and the other was a rice-based brew. I can’t figure out the words on the label but I will certainly ask a Japanese friend the next time I’m in Tokyo.

Next time you’re in Hong Kong, visit your nearest City Super outlet and feast on what must have been 30 different beer labels, mostly European though.

If your palette is driven by local, regional tastes or even budget, look for a Wellcome store. If you’re Singaporean, Wellcome is more like NTUC while City Super is more like Marketplace. But Wellcome isn’t all that bad either, you’ll find the more commercial options here like Tsing Tao, San Miguel, Skol and even Pabst Blue Ribbon.

For the Kiwi’s out there or those that have had the good fortune of tasting Kiwi beers, you’ll be glad to know you’ll get your fix at the New Zealand shop just down the road from Sogo. They carry the wonderful Speight’s (which I always make it a point to carry a few bottles home), Tui and Mac’s, a microbrew. If you haven’t tried Mac’s I suggest you hunt it down. I managed to try the signature Sassy Red and Gold on previous trips.

So there you have it, I’ve listed three shops you can get a beer fix at the next time you’re out at Causeway Bay, Hong Kong.