Singapore recycled-toilet-water beer divides the internet

• Singapore’s national water agency, PUB, has launched a new beer made from recycled sewage water.
• NEWBrew is part of an effort to educate Singaporeans about sustainable water use and recycling.
• The beer went on sale in supermarkets and Brewerkz locations in April.

If someone were to compile a list of the strangest things on the planet, this new type of beer would undoubtedly be towards the top. Why you might ask? The beer, on the other hand, is brewed from recycled sewage water. Yes, you read that correctly. NEWbrew is an alcoholic beverage created in partnership with the country’s national water agency, PUB, and local craft brewery Brewerkz. The Singapore blonde ale debuted at a water conference in 2018 and went on sale in supermarkets and Brewerkz locations in April.

NEWBrew makes use of NEWater, Singapore’s brand of recycled sewage drinking water, which began flowing from treatment plants in 2003 to improve the island’s water security. The new beer, according to PUB, is part of an effort to educate Singaporeans about the need for sustainable water use and recycling.

NEWater is created by cleaning sewage using UV light and filtering the liquid through sophisticated membranes to remove contaminants. So, the key to expanding the technology is convincing the public that, after processed, water is just water.

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A post shared by PUB, the National Water Agency (@pubsingapore)

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People have a variety of reactions to NEWBrew. While some appreciated the flavour and couldn’t tell it was manufactured from recycled sewage water, others weren’t impressed with the product.

“I seriously couldn’t tell this was made of toilet water,” said Chew Wei Lian, who had purchased the beer from a supermarket to try after hearing about it. “I wouldn’t mind having it if it was in the fridge. I mean, it tastes just like beer, and I like beer.”

“If you don’t tell people it’s made from wastewater, they probably won’t know,” said Grace Chen, after sampling the ale.

However, some people were not very convinced by the idea. “There are many kinds of beers around,” said Singapore student Low Yu Chen. “If I wanted a beer, I’d pick something made of normal water,” he added.

See some other comments here:

pic.twitter.com/eYy0EPMxgM

— Cossy (@Cossy_67) June 30, 2022

That stinks.

— Jim McGrail (@Hoya4) July 1, 2022

Refreshing!

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— GEG (@HuskyBlueChamps) July 1, 2022

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