It’s Happened. It’s Fantastic:
The Grind, The Climb, and Our First Beers
The last few months have been a whirlwind of concentrated effort, chaotic energy, and relentless hard work. If you’ve seen the lights on late at the taproom, chances are we were inside, too tired to leave. There were nights we slept on the taproom sofas because we’d worked until dawn, it was pouring rain outside, and the thought of cycling home tired and wet was just too much.
This journey has demanded everything. We’ve had some employees leave us; we’ve had other incredible people join the team. We’ve seen the growing interest and success of our kombucha, which has been amazing. We’ve obsessed over the final details of the taproom, brewed our very first batches of beer, and faced our first fears.
And then, we tasted our first successes.
As the brewer, I simply cannot put into words the happiness I felt when I tasted my first complete beer from our system. It was the culmination of more than a year of work, fatigue, imagination, and dedication, all captured in a single glass.
Only the Dead Fish Go With the Flow
We’ve printed new t-shirts. You can grab one in the taproom. On them, we printed a phrase:
"Only the dead fish go with the flow."
We know it’s a strong statement. We know it might even sound arrogant to some. But it’s what we believe, and we don’t want to hide it.
We believe that results are the fruit of sacrifice and of every single action we take, every day, to achieve them. Results don't just "arrive." They are "sought out." This search happens on multiple levels, but it is never passive.
The Climb
To celebrate (and survive) this process, we held a few pre-opening parties, first with our staff and then with our close friends.
But the most iconic moment was our team-building event. We took the crew to an indoor climbing gym here in Siem Reap. It’s funny how perfect the connection was between that day and our journey as a brewery.
You’re at the bottom, looking up at a route that seems impossible. You try, you get scraped up, you fall. You laugh, have some fun, and take a break for a cold drink. And then you get right back on the wall to try again. You try new routes, new difficulties, all driven by the simple desire to reach the top.
That’s us. That’s Amara Beer Lab.
The Reward
We finally held our Grand Opening party. It was another moment that truly moved us. The atmosphere in the taproom was exactly what we had imagined during all those months of planning and building. It was intimate, it was relaxed.
It’s a bit like a relationship. It takes sacrifice. It takes work. But that work is necessary to be able to finally enjoy the tranquility of a place you can call home. And this taproom finally feels like home.
The Beer (And the Future)
Right now, we are buzzing with a mix of excitement, uncertainty, fear, and pure joy. We’re preparing for our first week of B2B sales—getting our cans and kegs out into the wild.
And... there’s the beer. The good beer.
One thing we’ve neglected to tell you (mostly because we didn't want to sound conceited) is just how much positive feedback we’re getting, even in these first few days.
We have two beers on tap right now, and they both have a story.
Kome Ha, The Golden Ale: This is our light, "easy" beer for everyone. To be honest, it’s slightly different from how we first imagined it. Not worse, just... different. We were shocked at how evident the character of the Cambodian rice is. This is probably because of how we treat the ingredient: we cook it and then dry it in the sun before it ever hits the mash. We are pleasantly surprised by its aromatic profile, but we’re already thinking that in the future, the Golden Ale might get a few updates to its fermentation and hop profile to find an even more cohesive harmony.
Discover Kome Ha
Our Golden Ale
Cool Blur The Hazy IPA: This beer, on the other hand, is exactly as we designed it.
Personally, as the brewer, this is the one I was most focused on. And it’s a hit. It’s pleasing... a lot. We’ve had overwhelmingly positive responses from other industry professionals and beer-savvy tourists who joined our opening party.
Dicover Cool Blur
Our Hazy AIPAWhat can we say? Our first two beers are a success, and we couldn't have hoped for a better start.
So, now we grab a fresh drink—maybe a Hazy IPA—and we start climbing again. Our objectives have been clearly defined from the very beginning. We’re having fun, and we’re growing as we reach for them.
Our mantra through all of this is simple: Have patience.
"Trees that are slow to grow bear the best fruit"
( French playwright, actor, and poet, 15 January 1622 (baptised) – 17 February 1673 )
I’m concluding this post with a smile, which, for now, you can't see. But you’ll see it when you come by the taproom.
See you soon.
Cheers
The Brewmaster