Namgay Artisinal Brewery

An exotic Red Rice Lager from a valley as fertile and as culturally rich as Paro, is nothing short of remarkable - the fruition of one man’s dream of brewing a truly local beer and creating a beer culture that is strongly rooted in the rich Bhutanese culture yet very modern. Namgay Artisinal Brewery in Damsibu, opposite the Paro International Airport, is a brewery founded by Dorji Gyaltshen, a man who dared to dream of a craft beer tradition in a country where Gross National Happiness (GNH) is the government’s driving philosophy. Dorji believes his creation of a modern beer culture is directly linked to his selfless intention of involving local farmers by integrating local ingredients to create a unique line of domestic beers. The lineup currently includes a flagship Red Rice Lager, a Dark Ale, a Wheat Ale, a Milk Stout, an IPA, a Pilsner, and an apple cider. Dorji studied hotel management at Les Roches in Switzerland in 2003 where he was exposed to European brewing traditions which eventually gave rise to the idea for Namgay Artisinal Brewery. With an exotic lineup of craft beers, as charismatic as the founder himself, Dorji and his brewery are the perfect example of an agent for urbanization around a strong GNH pillar of culture and tradition.