Brett Atkinson has his hands full balancing a can of the city's finest craft beer while riding pillion on a Vespa.
When riding pillion on a vintage scooter around Ho Chi Minh City's neon-lit rivers of traffic, I'd normally recommend using both hands to hang on. But less than an hour into an after-dark exploration of Vietnam's surging economic capital, I'm already restricted to a single sweaty grip behind my back because my other hand is cradling an oversized can of Vietnamese beer.
Compared to the rest of this manic, two-wheeled city casually texting and snapping on-the-go selfies, I'm a model of caution as our convoy of retro Vespas traces a hop-fuelled circuit around the city's best craft beer spots.
Less than five years ago, Vietnam's beer scene was all about bia hoi — refreshing pale lagers served at simple, street-side stalls for about 50c a glass — but the urban sprawl of Ho Chi Minh City, once known as Saigon, is now one of Asia's best destinations for craft beer fans. Pasteur Street Brewing kicked off the Vietnamese craft beer scene in late 2014. Its brews, combining Southeast Asian flavours including jasmine and passionfruit, are now available at a few outlets in Auckland and Wellington. And since my previous Vietnamese sojourn in 2015, Ho Chi Minh City has exploded with new bars and breweries.
Following a local Te Te wheat beer at Vespa Adventures' Cafe Zoom on the edge of Bui Vien street, the first stop of the night is a few clicks northwest at BiaCraft. Opened by three expats as a natural extension of their popular barbecue restaurant Quan Ut Ut — the name translates roughly as Restaurant Oink Oink — BiaCraft is now the best place in town to try the widest range of Vietnamese beers. Fifty taps feature its own irreverently named beers and ciders, and brews from local outfits such as Phat Rooster, Winking Seal and Fuzzy Logic. Vespa Adventures' pocket-rocket guide Nguyet, (aka Luna), leads our group through a food-matching session including Nha Trang oysters poached in coconut milk.
