“Time Well Spent” is the official tagline for one of Bali’s rapidly growing beer brands, Island Brewing. It’s an ethos of enjoying good times and good island living. For Head of Brewing Operations Michael King, this tagline is just as appropriate for what happens in the brewery, where time and attention are responsible for the flavour in every can. He shares the ins-and-outs of making beer in Bali, and what it takes to get the ‘island’ flavour just right.
“I’ve been describing us as a ‘macro-craft’ brewery to other brewers I meet,” explains Michael when asked what category Island Brewing falls into. “We’re not a craft beer company in its purest sense, we’re brewing for consistency but with lots of flavour.”
Michael would know, the American cut his teeth in the industry in Denver, Colorado, a craft beer epicentre in the USA; before managing operations at Hong Kong Brew Company, one of the first craft breweries in the region.
What enticed Michael to join Island Brewing was the vision from the brand’s founder, Mattia Di Bitonto, to make flavourful, natural, ’sessionable’ beers that would suit the Bali climate and environment. Sessionable is a term used in the industry to describe lower alcohol beers (under 5% ABV), which makes them more approachable and easy-to-drink. This is challenging for brewers, as typically more flavourful beers have a higher alcohol percentage: “Alcohol works as the solvent for the flavour of hops,” Michael explains.
Yet, the brand has prevailed and now has four varieties under their belt. The Pilsner (4.1% ABV, IBU 20) is brewed with modern American hops and is a dry, crisp, easy-drinking beer with a light maltiness. The Summer Pale Ale (4.5% ABV, IBU 25) is a slightly hoppier beer with a bit more body. The Small Hazy (4.8% ABV, IBU 10) is a light IPA, more hop forward with a slight haze — a beer for those curious about hops and fruity flavours, but still a very approachable bitterness level. The latest addition is the Light Lager (3.5% ABV), low calorie, low carb, clean and crisp.
Going back to ‘Time Well Spent’, each batch must be supervised carefully to achieve that sweet spot, with each variety requiring different days for maturation and fermentation. The brewers keep a close eye during this time, adding malts, yeast, hops, oats and grains as they perfect the balance for the different beer types.
The purpose-built production facility at Kaba Kaba is where all the magic happens. An impressive warehouse now houses 28 stainless steel tanks, a 20-hectolitre brewhouse, state-of-the-art canning facility, coming together to produce between 6000 and 8000 cans of beer a day.
“What we make in a month, a mass production brewery would make in a day,” says Michael , giving some sense of scale to their operation. Island Brewing was part of a wave of Bali-born beer brands that blossomed during the pandemic, a rising tide, together changing perceptions and opening palates to beers beyond the classic lagers made at mass.
A homegrown brand can be an effective international ambassador, and Island Brewing is certainly helping to promote Bali’s good name through good beer. In 2023, the brewery won three medals at the Asia Beer Championships, including ‘Best Brewery of Indonesia’. But perhaps more importantly, here in Bali Island Brewing (and their sister brand Black Sand Brewery) have become ubiquitous across the island, giving beer drinkers an affordable, flavourful and consistent brew to crack open with friends.
A great place to try all the Island Brewing beers on tap is at Black Sand Brewery, Canggu. Though also available online and in good stores, retailers and restaurants in Bali.
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