Love at first pint? Carlsberg and Grab pair up for SG dining push

Carlsberg Asia has partnered with Grab to help Singapore diners discover food and beer pairings, bringing brewmaster-curated combinations to 28 restaurants across the city.

Running until 25 October, the collaboration brings Carlsberg's beer portfolio onto Grab Dine Out, where consumers can browse participating restaurants, discover recommended pairings and pre-purchase deals before redeeming them at the restaurants.

The pairings were curated by Carlsberg brewmaster Zoran Gojkovic (pictured), who travelled across Southeast Asia to work with chefs, restaurant partners and local food communities. Drawing on his brewing expertise, Gojkovic paired dishes with beers based on factors such as flavour, richness, spice and cooking techniques.

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In Singapore, the campaign spans different cuisines and dining occasions, with participating restaurants including Empress, Kinki and Fireplace by Bedrock.

Among the featured pairings are Empress' roast duck with Connor's Stout Porter and spicy Sichuan-style popcorn chicken with Carlsberg Danish Pilsner. At Kinki, Jeju pork jowl and Saikoro pepper steak are paired with 1664 Blanc and Sapporo respectively, while Fireplace by Bedrock pairs its six-hour wood-fired pork belly with Carlsberg Smooth Draught.

The initiative also features Carlsberg Danish Pilsner, 1664 Blanc, Connor's Stout Porter, Sapporo and Carlsberg Smooth Draught across the participating restaurants.

Through a dedicated Carlsberg selection page on the Grab app, diners can explore the restaurants and pairings before purchasing a deal and redeeming it at the venue.

The collaboration taps into the discovery element of dining out, using Grab's digital platform to take consumers from browsing a potential meal to experiencing a brewmaster-selected pairing at the table.

“By bringing our premium portfolio onto Grab and tapping into its extensive ecosystem, we are connecting with digitally engaged consumers and turning online discovery into real dining experiences," said Olga Pulyaeva, general manager, Carlsberg Singapore.

She added, "Paired with Zoran's expertise in matching our beers with the city's diverse flavours, this partnership is taking diners from inspiration to the table in just a few taps.”

The Grab tie-up follows another digital partnership by Carlsberg Asia aimed at bridging online discovery with offline experiences. Last month, the brewer deepened its partnership with Chinese social platform Xiaohongshu through its "Cheers from the origin" (丹麥碰杯時刻) campaign across Hong Kong, China, Singapore, Malaysia and Vietnam.

Building on a partnership established last year, the initiative combines Carlsberg's portfolio with Xiaohongshu's social commerce capabilities, data insights and creator network. It is also exploring ways to turn online engagement among Chinese-speaking consumers into visits to bars and restaurants, as well as eCommerce conversions.

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