Carlo Antonio Ng left the Philippines to become a Prague-based “beer doctor,” only to come home to brew the best craft beers for Filipinos
“Craft beer has been an unexpected part of my journey. From tasting artisanal brews in Ohio to creating our own at Nipa Brew, little did I know my unexpected enthusiasm with beer has changed the trajectory of my life,” says Prague-based beer scientist and brewer Carlo Antonio Ng.
“I have visited over 30 countries across the globe where friendships were built over a glass or two, generating lifelong bonds. I wish to bring all my learnings back home so I could brew the best beers for the Filipino people.”
Deeply passionate about the art and science of brewing craft beers, Ng relocated to Prague, the birthplace of the Pilsner, to complete his PhD in biotechnology with a concentration in beer science. For Ng, the goal is crystal clear: Do whatever it takes to provide Filipinos with the best craft beers produced by Filipinos for Filipinos.
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The potential for craft beer in the Philippines is unimaginable. “Our craft beer industry may be young but the beer culture in the Philippines has historically been very strong,” says Ng. According to the US Department of Agriculture, as of 2022, “Beer is the most widely consumed alcoholic beverage in the Philippines accounting for 72 percent of total alcoholic consumption or 2.1 billion liters annually.”
In a 2022 report, the Philippines is said to be a “consumption ‘sweet spot’ despite the disparity in take-home pay among economic segments” as approximately 20 percent of the country’s total population, equivalent to more than 20 million people, earn an average of $12,700 annually. “The post-COVID-19 rebound has shown us that the Philippine craft beer industry and commercial beer industry at large has been able to finally bounce back. Filipinos are willing to spend for high quality locally brewed craft beers,” Ng adds.
Asia Brewers Network published a 2023 report by Beer Asia founder Oliver Woods that reveals Asia’s beer output jumping from 570.9m hl in 2021 to 579m hl in 2022—representing a 1.5 percent growth and beating out Europe (0.6 percent), and the Americas (1 percent)—with India (+3.5m hl), Thailand (+2.6m hl), South Korea (+2.3m hl), the Philippines (+1.5m hl), and Japan (+1.3m hl) driving the lion’s share of Asia’s beer production growth.
Regionally, the demand for craft beer in Southeast Asia continues to surge in cities like Ho Chi Minh and Singapore. Patrick Barnes, head brewer of Ho Chi Minh-based East West Brewing, believes there is no ceiling in terms of the market potential of craft beers in Southeast Asia. In a 2023 interview with DW, Barnes said that when one looks at attrition rates, over 140 craft breweries can be sustained in a city with at least a population of one million in the US. Similarly, a Southeast Asian city with eight to nine million residents has the potential to sustain a greater number of craft breweries. “The potential of growth,” Barnes shared, “is astronomical.”
“The growth of the craft beer industry in Southeast Asia is undeniable. As a Filipino, knowing that the Philippines can carve a niche in the craft beer industry in the region is something that excites me tremendously. The rise of appreciation and demand for craft beer in countries like Vietnam, Singapore, Thailand, and the Philippines is proof of the vibrant culinary sensibilities of us Asians. Although there are challenges along the way, I believe that we are on the right track,” says Ng.
Coinciding with the 10th anniversary of the groundbreaking of Nipa Brew’s microbrewery in Makati, Ng shares with us his unorthodox journey towards becoming a globetrotting Prague-educated beer scientist. Fondly known within the tight-knit Philippine craft beer community as the country’s highly pedigreed “beer doctor,” Ng crisscrosses the globe, dividing his time between Prague and Manila, to learn global best practices in the craft beer industry so he could brew world-class craft beers for the Filipino people.
Being the eldest in a traditional Chinese-Filipino household, the expectation is for you to carry on the family legacy and lead the family business. What prompted you to pursue something else entirely?
Yes, my journey has been an unorthodox one. I wasn’t into beers at the start. I just got curious one day seeing different foreign beers in the grocery. I found it interesting that they looked and tasted different so with my scientific curiosity, I did some research on the brewing process and discovered the science of beer, which got me exploring deeper into it.
I got the chance to explore more craft beers while studying in Ohio, where there were a lot of small, creative brewers developing beers with diverse flavor profiles.
Coming back to the Philippines in 2015, the craft beer scene was just starting and there weren’t a lot of beers available back then. With my chemistry background and beer exploration experience, I started brewing beers at home. This process was very enjoyable for me because I got to also bring chemistry out of the laboratory through the art of developing fermented beverages. The hobby scaled up and turned into a partnership with Nipa Brew, where I led the product design process to develop creative brews we enjoy.
What are the flavor profiles and types of craft beers you enjoy the most?
My go-to beer style is the West Coast India Pale Ales (IPA). They are crisp brews with notes of citrus, fruits, and pine, with smooth enjoyable bitterness.
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Tell us what your day is like as a beer scientist living in Prague.
My day starts with communications with the team based in Manila. I then head to the gym for a midday workout and continue my research activities with the University and Beer Research Institute. I regularly study the market trends in the Czech Republic, meet my networks in the craft beer industry, taste new brews, and explore new ingredients available. To keep expanding my palate, I make it a point to constantly taste beers, natural wines, and whiskeys.
I also make it a point to meet and connect with people involved in old/traditional breweries so I can also experience the traditional art of brewing on top of the modern methods used in craft beers. As a brewer and beer scientist, it is essential to understand both traditional and modern methods.
What goes into developing the distinctive flavor profiles of your signature craft beers?
I look at studies and research materials on the field and apply them to develop and improve our brews. From my travels, I get inspiration from diverse cultures as well as the many beers I get to experience.
Being able to network with people in the industry in the Philippines and around the world introduced me to new varieties of ingredients, which I have tried out and developed recipes with. I have incorporated local ingredients to enhance flavors with a local twist.
With your academic background, you are one of the most pedigreed Filipino brewers today. How do you plan to elevate the craft beer industry in the Philippines?
By making sure that I never stop growing as a brewer. By making sure that I continue to experience diverse flavors, evolving styles, and by expanding my knowledge vis-à-vis novel technologies and materials.
Our core beers have their distinct characteristics but are also continually evolving to match the ever-changing market. We’re also continually experimenting and developing creative brews to complement our core offering so that consumers can enjoy more diverse styles and flavors.
We’re also committed to continuing our educational efforts to generate more interest in quality crafted beverages and help elevate the craft beer industry/community in the Philippines. This is exactly the reason why we opened our taproom in Makati. It is a venue for people to learn and experience craft beers.
Let’s talk about your relationship with the craft beer communities in the Czech Republic and the Philippines. What do you love the most in the craft beer scenes in Prague and Manila?
The craft beer world isn’t just about drinking but is a close-knit community that helps each other out in a lot of different ways. In the Philippines, the industry is in its early stages and we work together with other breweries, and the Craft Beer Association of the Philippines to grow the industry. Breweries like us also host brewing workshops that educate and guide people who are interested in dabbling with brewing.
This community setting is also similar to the community overseas like in the Czech Republic. I do see similar dynamics with the breweries and craft-focused pub owners in building a supportive community.
Each market faces different challenges and are at different industry stages, but what I see in common are the camaraderie between brewers, and the collective goal, which is for everyone to bring quality beers (and variety) to more people.
Compared to more established craft beer industries, the Philippines, despite having a beer-drinking population, has a craft beer industry that is still in its adolescent stage. How would you summarize the growth of the local craft beer industry in the last 10 years?
We are still a very young market with a lot of potential for growth. The last 10 years did bring growth in the number of breweries and craft beer enthusiasts. Unfortunately, the pandemic halted the momentum, but the last few years after COVID-19 have shown us how the industry has bounced back. Today, we have more access to quality ingredients. In recent years, more beer styles have been brewed. Now we have better quality craft beers out for consumers to pick and enjoy.
Martin Luther, a self-confessed lover of beer and one of the fathers of the Reformation said, “Whoever drinks beer, he is quick to sleep; whoever sleeps long, does not sin; whoever does not sin, enters Heaven! Thus, let us drink beer!” If you could provide us with a quotable quote about your love for craft beer, what would it be?
“Good beer connects good people!”
Beer, the social lubricant that it is, has allowed me to meet, interact, and forge friendships with people with different backgrounds from different corners of the world.
It has been said that magic died when art and science split. For years, you have been fiercely passionate about both the art of creating craft beers and the science of brewery. How is it being both artist and scientist?
My creative process as an artist involves envisioning, concocting, and creating beers with a variety of profiles. I take the different inspirations I have collected from my travels to creatively conceptualize the flavor, design, and tweak the brewing process as well as curate the ingredients. Turning an idea into an actual product, for me, is how I express my art in the science of brewing.
As both a brewer and a beer scientist, my creative process is marked by the interplay between the art of envisioning a specific beer flavor and the science of turning an idea into an enjoyable and pleasurable beer.
A personal mission of mine is to bring a more creative and dynamic understanding of science closer to people. I acknowledge that most of us have been academically taught science and chemistry in highly theoretical terms thereby rendering our firsthand experience of science education as impractical and boring. I’m glad to have been able to bring science closer to more people through the beers I make and get more people to experience the synergy between art and science through incredible and unforgettable food and beverages.
What makes you happy?
It makes me happy when I see my ideas turn into brews that people enjoy. Being able to immerse myself in different cultures and meet people from all over the world also brings me joy. Seeing how different societies with different cultures uniquely interpret beer styles has allowed me to have a closer and deeper experience of the places I have traveled to.
On a more trivial note, I enjoy watching reruns of ‘Big Bang Theory.’ As a chemist and Biotechnology PhD candidate, I can confidently say that the show’s scriptwriters have done an impressive job as all the scientific formulas and concepts referenced by Sheldon and the rest of the cast are, in fact, correct.