It’s official: This is the world’s highest urban microbrewery
By Lilit Marcus, CNN
Singapore (CNN) — Having a cold beer on a hot day is one of life’s great pleasures. But having a cold beer on a hot day while looking over the scenery in one of the world’s most photogenic cities? Even better.
That was the concept behind LeVel33, a Singaporean spot that was recently named the World’s Highest Microbrewery in a Building by Guinness World Records.
The brand announced the news on its Instagram and Facebook pages on March 12.
“Growing up, my friends and I would read the Guinness Book of World Records with interest and awe,” Martin Bem, the brewery’s founder, told CNN.
“It is an amazing feeling and great validation to have a project included in such an iconic book, and to celebrate the win with more than 100 friends and colleagues. In a way, this is a gift to our whole team for our 15th anniversary.”
“We see this as an important achievement for LeVeL33 as well as an opportunity to showcase the Singapore story of odds-defying innovation,” Bem said in a statement.
One of those “odds-defying innovations” was finding a location with enough room to brew beer in busy, densely-packed Singapore.
Located 33 floors up — hence the name — in Singapore’s Marina Bay Financial Centre Tower, LeVel33 opened in 2010.
The brewing equipment was specially ordered from Europe, but most of the machines were too big to fit into the building’s elevator. Eventually, the equipment — 12 tanks, two copper brewhouse kettles and a cooling machine — had to be brought up to the top floor by crane.
Bem’s unorthodox plan worked. Now, being 33 floors up means patrons can enjoy views of famous buildings in the Singapore skyline like the Marina Bay Sands hotel (and its iconic rooftop swimming pool), the silver lotus-esque ArtScience Museum and the Singapore Flyer Ferris wheel. The bar can get packed around sunset time as happy hour revelers crowd in for drinks and photo ops.
LeVel33’s beer menu has the usual list of styles, like an IPA and a stout, but one more distinctive brew is Brut Beer, made in partnership with Champagne company Barons de Rothschild. It’s only available on-site.
From now on, the brand’s mainstay Blond Lager will carry a label with the Guinness World Records logo on it.
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