If you’re a beer drinker and have been in Singapore for any amount of time, you’ve most probably tried the local Tiger beer. The Tiger brewery is located on the far west side of Singapore in Tuas very close to the border near Malaysia and they have tours every day except for Sunday between 1pm and 5pm. They actually started having tours on Saturday this year as previously it was only open on weekdays during which time most people are at work.
I’d been on the tour twice previously when friends had come to visit me in Singapore and had really enjoyed it so I decided to go again with a group of friends a few weeks ago. We booked the 4pm tour on a Saturday on their website and took bus no. 182 from Joo Koon MRT for around 10 minutes to get to the Tiger brewery. If you’re going there on a weekday for the 5pm tour, I wouldn’t advise trying to flag down a taxi from Joo Koon as the majority of taxi drivers won’t take you as they don’t want to get stuck in the rush hour traffic coming from Malaysia on their way back from the brewery and will probably tell you that they’re changing shift as an excuse. If you want to take a taxi it’s best to pre-book or call for one.
The tour started promptly at 4pm, if you arrive early there’s a waiting area near the reception where you show your tickets. You’re given a card to be worn around your neck to show which tour you’re on and also some drink coupons which can be used later.
Our tour guide this time was quite good, he explained everything clearly although he was a little too sarcastic at times. The other tour guides I had on previous tours were also very good and very friendly too.
At the start of the tour you’re taken into another building and given a short video to watch explaining about the history of Tiger beer and it’s origins. You can then look at some of the awards that Tiger beer has received such as the Monde Selection award as well as some historical artefacts including old Tiger beer bottles and a Tiger Cub bottle which is a low-
You’re next taken to another room where the tour guide will give an explanation on the ingredients used to make beer and you’ll get a chance to touch and smell them too.
You’re then taken into the factory to see where the beer is made and the process used to make it. Unfortunately you’re unable to take photos inside the factory.
On the way to the factory outside there are some photo opportunities where you can take pictures with a huge Tiger beer bottle, an old truck used to transport barrels of Tiger beer and a tiger.
After you’ve learnt how beer is made, you’re taken into a room to watch a video on how the beer is packaged into bottles and cans and then you’re taken to another room where you learn how to pull a pint and you get to try it out yourself after which you can drink the beer 🙂 If you’re in a big group they usually only allow 2 people to do this.
Whilst you’re enjoying your beer you can walk around the room and have a look at some of the artefacts on display and there’s even a bottle sorting game which you can play.
There’s also a Merlion statue made from Tiger beer cans:
To finish the tour you’re told about the other beer brands that are owned by Heineken Asia Pacific which also owns Tiger Beer. The entire tour takes around 1 hour.
Now for the part which everyone’s waiting for – the 45 minute free flow beer session! You’re taken into their very own pub called the Tiger Tavern. The pub has a pool table and dartboards which you can use to play or you can sit back and relax in one of their comfortable sofas.
To start off you’re given a pint of Tiger beer to drink after which you can use one of the drink coupons that you received earlier to get free flow beer including Tiger, Tiger Radler Lemon, Heineken, Archipelago, Guinness, Baron’s Strong Brew, ABC Extra Stout and Anchor Smooth. The free-flow beer comes in small glasses but this is ok because it allows you to try all the different types and you can always go back for more! Baron’s Strong Brew is the strongest beer with an 8.8% ABV and Tiger Radler Lemon is the weakest at 2% ABV. I really like dark beers so Baron’s Strong Brew and Guinness were my favourites (no I’m not an alcoholic! hehe). I didn’t really like the Tiger Radler Lemon though as it was a little bit sweet and I didn’t like the lemon flavour. Besides the free flow coupon you’re given a coupon for a pint of either Tiger or Heineken beer which I claimed right at the very end of the 45 minute session so that I could enjoy it slowly afterwards. Make sure you claim all your drinks before the 45 minute session is up as they can be quite strict with this but it really depends on the person serving you which is usually your tour guide. The first time I went on the tour, the guide was really nice and gave us an extra drink and allowed for us to stay after hours since he was playing pool there after work with some of the other staff. Other tour guides may be eager to get home though so you should leave by the time the pub closes at 7pm. They also sell other brands of beer that are under Heineken Asia Pacific if you wish to continue drinking after the free flow session or if you want to try other types of beer.
They used to give bowls of Singapore mix to nibble on whilst you drank but they’ve stopped doing this and there’s now a vending machine where you can buy nuts and other snacks.
There’s a gift shop called the Tiger Den just next to the Tiger Tavern which sells Tiger merchandise so you can bring back a souvenir or get a present for one of your beer-loving friends. The shop closes at 6pm though so make sure you buy everything before then especially if you’re on the 5pm tour as it may be closed by the time you’ve finished.
I’d definitely recommend going on this tour if you’ve never been before, it’s interesting and informative, so much fun and great value at only $18! It’s a good place to take friends that are visiting you in Singapore or just for a fun afternoon out. Even though I’ve been 3 times now I don’t think I’d ever get bored of it!
Tiger Brewer Tour
Address: 459 Jalan Ahmad Ibrahim, Singapore 639934
Tel: 68603005
Tour Schedule: Monday – Saturday: 1pm, 2pm, 3pm (walk-in only), 4pm, 5pm
Hope you’ve enjoyed my Tiger Brewery Tour review, please feel free to leave a comment below with your own review of the tour or if you have any questions!
