When it comes to Thai food, few beverages pair as well as an ice-cold beer. While beer lovers and Thai cuisine connoisseurs are generally familiar with Singha and Chang beer, there’s a growing Thai craft beer movement featuring hoppy IPAs and beers flavored with dried bananas. Intrigued? We spoke with Bamee Prapavee Hematat, CEO of Group B USA, which claims to be the first and only Thai craft beer distributor in America. Now, they’re also brewing Thai craft in America for the first time.
“The craft beer scene in Thailand has been growing steadily over the past few years,” explains Hematat. “Driven by a passionate community of brewers and consumers who are seeking more variety, creativity, and quality in their beer. Despite there being over 100 craft beer brands across the country, the industry is still relatively small compared to the mainstream market, less than 1%.”
The craft beer scene in Thailand
If you’re a beer lover and curious why you’re not more familiar with craft beer from Thailand, government restrictions are the answer. In Thailand, only macrobreweries can package and distribute, and the country has strict restrictions on alcohol, including a ban on advertising, limited days for sales, high taxes, and little support for microbreweries. This means that the beer market in Thailand is dominated by large corporations that operate on a large scale. As a result, mainstream Thai beer is lighter and not as varied in terms of flavor. “So, the difference isn’t just in flavor or scale — it’s also in access to opportunity,” explains Hematat. “That’s why craft beer in Thailand is not just a beer or a community; it’s a movement.”
Group B is changing that dynamic, according to Hematat. California was chosen as their launching ground in America because of the influence of West Coast craft beer in Thailand. California’s large Asian population and access to ingredients were another factor. “So while the beer is now brewed in America,” said Hematat. “It still delivers the same spirit, flavor, and story it was born with in Thailand.”
The taste test
We were able to try three of Group B’s unique Thai craft beers: Samkee (a hoppy lager), Sawasdee (an IPA), and Bearnana (a wheat beer). To start, the Samkee is the most versatile and classic tasting. A crisp lager with a hoppy finish, this brew is refreshing but equally excellent with food such as tacos or burgers, as well as spicy Asian dishes. The Sawasdee IPA is featured in a creative can inspired by Thai ghost folklore. It’s an IPA with a decidedly fruity yet not too bitter taste, with plenty of punchy, hoppy flavor. This beer is great with any assortment of grilled meat, especially beef.
But our favorite beer is the Bearnana Wit. A unique brew made from dried bananas, this beer is fruity but not too sweet, with a creamy finish that is excellent with grilled meat or desserts (such as cake or vanilla ice cream). “When we brought Bearnana to the U.S.,” says Hemstat. “We adapted the recipe slightly — using banana chips, caramel malts, and a touch of banana flavoring. The American version has a more pronounced banana note but keeps the same fun and drinkable character, and the response from the customers has been overwhelmingly positive.”
