Beer Story: Red Truck Red Ale

Red Truck Red Ale | 5% ABV

Key Tasting Notes: Lychee, Caramel, Biscuit

“Red Truck” is our first beer. Just like most rookie craft beer brewers, we were so much into the charming hoppiness and our first kind of beer had to be an IPA unequivocally. Because why not? The distinctive aroma and intense bitterness from the hops led us to the world of craft beers.

We wanted to tell our stories through beer, so we developed a beer recipe that we believed would convey the right messages to the world. A reddish IPA was the first idea because one of our common childhood memories about Chiang Mai is riding in the back of a red truck along the ancient brick walls and gates of the old city.

Red Truck IPA. Back then the Thai craft beer industry was still an underground scene due to Thailand’s prohibitive laws and regulations.

With such a concept, we used a bit of crystal malt to add amber color to the beer. For aroma, we used a combination of hops; Motueka, Centennial, and Chinook, to create tropical fruit notes. The finished beer was medium-bodied and well-hoppy. Its overall aroma reminded us of freshly baked biscuit and lychee, our favorite fruit which is grown mostly in Chiang Mai and adjacent provinces.

After launching our beers in 2015, we found that the unapologetic bitterness of our IPA did not suit the palates of the beginning craft beer enthusiasts and the locals in general very well. So we decided to adjust the recipe and recategorize it as an American-style amber ale, or a red ale.

After the change, we received a lot of compliments from our customers and so we knew we were on the right track. Red Truck Red Ale eventually won the title “Country Winner” from World Beer Awards 2017 and also a bronze medal from Asia Beer Championship 2018.