The Local – Brewpub Guesthouse

Rubber Road Sangkat Sala Kamroeuk Siem Reap, 17254

Visiting brewpubs is fun, not only are you able to hopefully get beer fresher than anywhere else but you also get to see the operation behind getting the beer into your glass. I love to see what equipment is being used to produce the liquid that I love so much, which processes are they adopting, which ingredients have they chosen to utilise. What is the team like behind this product. I honestly had not expected that when I visited The Local that I would get quite the behind-the-scenes look that I was going to receive. Having been for some food in the main part of the city centre and walking around the busy, narrow little side streets looking into restaurants and bars and then walking past all the market stalls and vendors trying to push everything on you from clothing garments and wooden carvings to entire cartons of cigarettes and crockery we felt it time to wander over to the opposite side of the river. The quieter side of the river. There were less lights there, less loud music blarring into the night, less glowy things being thrown up into the air that if you catch you practically bought it. A little less hectic chaos was needed. A bit of research had shown that on the east side of the Siem Reap River there was a brewpub. It was a few streets back and a little bit of a walk but well within reach. Siem Reap hadn’t to us proven to be dangerous as yet and we weren’t too much at risk of having our bag snatched or phones plucked from our grasps so the walk didn’t deter us at all. Most of the walk along the river is on a main road, Tuk Tuk, mopeds and cars are all going past and the street lamps are all working plus parts of the river are illuminated leaving us with a safe enough feeling. There are still a descent number of tourists milling around grabbing a bite to eat or walking from A to B. At the point where we found Street 23 we had to change course. We’d been going north along the river and now had to head east for five or so minutes. From this point on the way to the bar is pretty much void of entertainment and no longer makes a good read. At some point you’ll see an older lady sitting at a table with the possibility of there being one or two dogs lying on the floor near her. There’s a wide doorway behind her and above the door, on the front part of the buildings roof you’ll see a large round sign with the name of the premises on it. The tricky part is over, the journey complete, you’ve made it to the bar. Welcome to The Local. As a great reflection as to the kind of place this is, the team working there know most, if not all, of the names of their patrons at any given time. If you’re new they will introduce themselves and from then on you’re on a first name basis. This is a friends and family kind of joint.

The second I stepped in through the entrance a loud “Good evening, welcome” was billowed in my direction followed by a “how are you doing?” I replied in kind and moved over to the bar. The barmen was an American, a slightly older gentleman that goes by the name of Larry and it was clear for me that he meant what he had said, I answered his questions as I pulled up to the counter and with a big smile he asked me what I wanted to drink. I needed a second. I hadn’t been here before and had no idea what they had on at the moment. Larry started to tell me which kind of beers they had at that time before another loud voice came at me from around the side of the bar. This was Dave, the owner. In my fascination at being so loudly and heartily welcomed as I initially entered it had escaped my attention that there was a fifty litre keg on the bar with tubes coming out of it. It was the second voice I heard that drew my focus to the side. Was it brew day? Yes it was. Dave had heard my name and we were friends now. The way he spoke we’d been friends for a while but didn’t know it yet. “Do you like Black IPAs?” I was asked, “we call them Cascadian Dark Ales where I’m from, do you like Black IPAs? Do you like Red Ales? I just got one from a friend’s brewery and it’s really good, it’s on right now. Larry, give him a Red Ale. No Larry, the second tap. The Red Ale Larry. He’ll like that one.” This had all taken place within give or take twenty seconds and all I had said at this point was “hello”, followed by “yes” to the Red Ale question. Now I was getting one, it was good, I was going to like it, it came highly recommended by Dave. Dave also made me a promise “if you don’t like it I get you one of the others, we have something for everyone and it’s important you get something you like”. I really like that. You could see straight away this establishment is run by people that, themselves, enjoy drinking really good quality beer and want their customers to have the same enjoyment they do. It’s all part of the experience.

I was standing with beer in had, the infamous Red Ale. It was completely flat as if it were a cask ale, nothing too unfamiliar to me. There was an ever so slightly sour after taste but otherwise hoppy and very malty. Dave took one look at it and, keep in mind he was about four or so meters from me, asked “is it flat?”, “it shouldn’t look like that, is it flat?”. “Yes, it is rather flat” I replied. I was ok with this, coming from England cask ales are not usually heavy carbonated, also I wasn’t to know any different, that could have been how this beer was meant to be. “Let me try that”, “does it taste sour to you?”. “It shouldn’t be like that, I just got the keg”, Dave wanted to see my reaction to the beer but had been caught off guard by it’s appearance. Then there was a small, brief moment where Dave stopped his brewing and burst into action trying to back pour the pint, change the pressure, check the gauges. Nope, this beer was not right. The glass was removed from my hand and instead the initial offering of a Black IPA was back in play or perhaps the homemade Stout, “it’s great with a shot of vanilla vodka in it, tastes like crème brulee”.

1 – Bitter Sweet Lily – The Local Brewpub Guesthouse (Cambodia) | Red Ale / Irish Red | 7,8% abv

2 – Coffee Milk Stout – Riel Brewing and Distilling (Cambodia)| Milk/Sweet Stout | 6,0% abv | 30 IBU

3 – Dark Star Porter – Cerevisia CRAFT Brewhouse (Cambodia)| Porter | 5,4% abv | 33 IBU

4 – Indochine Mango Pale – Indochine Beer (Cambodia) | American Pale Ale | 5,5% abv

Dave was back to the brew kettle, steam pouring out the top and a cooler next to it to chill the wort. “Do you know anything about brewing” I was asked, “Come here, take a look in here”. I was over at the cooler as it was opened up for me. A deep brown/black liquid was swirling around. The smell of muesli or porridge was undeniable. “I’m using five different grains for this one, it’s gonna be huge”, Dave was visibly very proud of his work which is inspiring to see I must say. I was informed that Dave had been at the Brewpub since 6:30am, had been brewing all day, it was now about 10pm, he was on brew three for the day, a new personal record. He’d never done three beers in one day before. He also admitted to being a little bit tipsy and a little wired.

We chatted for a bit about brewing, past beers, desires on upcoming brews, the differences in the equipment and techniques we use, which products and ingredients are available to us both. All this whilst he tried so hard to concentrate on what he was doing and yet continually distracting himself by interacting with me and some of the other customers. It was extremely entertaining to be a part of. I showed Dave a few pictures I had on my phone was past homebrews and some label artwork I had done, he genuinely seemed impressed. The most exuberant I think he became was when I told him about the Full English Breakfast Ale that I had helped my friends brew once. He couldn’t get his head around it. I showed him all the step-by-step photos I had and his smile stretched across his face, running from ear to ear. I needed another round of beer, my glass was empty. I left Dave to his chaotic work so as to find a refill. “You have to try this Robert”, “when the beer’s done we drink a little wort with a shot of whisky in it, it’s our tradition, you have to join us”, Dave was rather firm on this point. Who am I to argue. I stepped over, had a tumbler pressed into my hand and it was now apparently whisky-wort time. This people were fun, over the top enthusiastically friendly and ready to make friends. I was in The Local for maybe one and a half hours all together but I felt like I’d been going there daily for years. Some other regulars started turning up, expats that worked in the area. They were each greeted in the now synonymous first name manner, asked about their days, when they start work, why they weren’t at work, the sorts of things you ask people you know. Dave was a generous and friendly person. When you step into his brewpub you enter his world and he wants you to be as happy a part of it as he it. I had an awesome mini adventure inside those walls and if I ever get the chance to go back I will. For any people going to Siem Reap, yes, yes, yes, see Angkor Wat, do the temple tours, but make sure you leave yourself some time, one afternoon, one evening to go to The Local Brewpub Guesthouse and meet the team. Maybe you’ll have the same experience that I had, maybe you won’t, but you will have a great time. The friendliness makes it feel like home and the beer is great too. The pursuit of hoppiness continues…