Drink Fresh. Burp Hops.
Beer should be consumed fresh. Taste is 90% smell, and in the case of beer what you're smelling are volatile hop aromas. Beer's degradation over time creates space around the world for local nanobreweries to outcompete global brands.
Here's what I've discovered through my travels.
Pink Blossoms is a local treasure, brewed here in Singapore. You won't find anything fresher. Their beer can be enjoyed on site from the tap, or at home in cans.
Recommendation: Don't Stop Believing NE IPA.
Heart of Darkness was my first love when I arrived in Singapore. They boast a wide variety of brews, from Brut IPAs to Pomelo IPAs (to, yes, non-IPAs). Founder John Pemberton and Head Brewer Duane Morton lead the team, encouraging them to create one or two new brews each week.
Heart of Darkness brews in Saigon, centrally located for APAC distribution. If you pop into their Singapore taproom, be sure to order truffle fries.
Recommendation: Dream Alone Pale Ale.
Bars and restaurants in the San Francisco Bay Area commonly list "Fieldwork IPA" on their menu. If they could be more specific, they would. The thing is, Fieldwork ships them new IPAs faster than they can print menus!
Recommendation: Stereotypical West Coast IPA, my all-time favorite.
Monkish serves world class beer just 10 minutes south of LAX. Biergarten > traffic jam.
Recommendation: Atomically IPA.