Tiger Beer: From pioneering tropical lager to Singapore icon, and soon, imported brew

CNA looks back at the Tiger Beer story, from its beginnings in colonial Singapore to the global brand it is today.

1931: The start of Singapore’s brewing legacy

A meeting over drinks at the Raffles Hotel between executives from Heineken and Fraser & Neave (F&N) led to the birth of Malayan Breweries.

F&N had originally focused on manufacturing beverages such as soda water, lemonade, tonic and ginger ale for clubs, hotels and households.

But when WWI broke out, it forced F&N to scale back operations to stay afloat, and it took several years after the war for the company to recover.

The company then partnered with Heineken, gaining access to the Dutch brewer’s brewing expertise.

This resulted in Singapore’s first modern brewery, built behind Alexandra Brickworks with a capital of S$1 million.

Before this, beer in Singapore was entirely imported.

These early developments are detailed in BiblioAsia, a National Library Board publication.