30-year-old Sukij Thipatima, Brew Master of the Full Moon Brewery in Phuket, knows a thing or two about his drink.

As Khun Sukij pours a glass full of creamy ?genuinely Thai? pale Ale he says with a wry smile how he began researching alcohol when he was in 10th Grade and used to sneak out to clubs.

While many teenage boys dream of a profession in the alcoholic beverage industry, K Sukij made it a reality and worked for Smirnoff and Heineken before being asked by the Tourism Authority of Thailand to design Thailand?s first signature drink, the Siam Sunrays.

?I?ve been working in the alcoholic beverage business for a long time but decided to open my own business. I found an opportunity in Thailand to open a micro brewery, but slightly sexier and more stylish to how it is normally done.?

Located next to the Jungceylon boat in Patong, Full Moon is sure to prove more convenient and accessible for Micro Brewery fans than the now closed Sang Jan formerly known as Phuket Brewery.

?It was also just too big,? said K Sukij as he explained why he thought the boat-shaped brwery opposite Tesco Lotus failed, ?They tried to sit 1,000 people every night, which was just unfeasible. Thirdly the music and entertainment was not set up to cater to tourists and foreigners. They played Caribow, Thai Country music. What are they going to do with that??

The two-storey Full Moon meanwhile will have an upstairs lounge area, complete with beanbags and big cushions from which to watch the resident pianist and vocalist.

?We want to bring something different to Patong. Yes people come and they want to go to Bangla to see the girls, but there are also people and couples that want to relax away from the hustle and bustle and have a good beer and listen to some stylish music,? K Sukij said.

The style of beer and lager that Full Moon serves is very much in the European tradition of Ales, yet as K Sukij points out is perhaps the only Thai lager currently available.

?Beers like Singha, just try to replicate the German and European taste, but I add Thai ingredients to give a distinctive Thai taste,? said K Sukij.

The three ales currently on tap include Full Moon Brew Phuket lager, which is lovely pale ale with Gaba rice, which gives it wonderfully rich and light taste.

There is also the Full Moon Dark Ale, an ode to British style pint of bitter (of which K Sukij is a fan of) containing black sticky rice to give it its full body.

The final one currently on tap is the Full Moon Brew Oriental, which includes Thai tangerine peel to give it a sweet edge.

The ales are really something else and quite reasonably priced considering what you would pay for a traditional British Ale or Bitter in other places on Phuket. A pint of magnificence can be bought for just 100 baht during happy hour from 4-7pm. Then the prices revert back to the competitive introductory price of 140 baht for a pint and 80 baht for half.

Speaking with a genuine Thai Brew Master (has also attended a brewing course and research institute in Berlin), it would be foolish to not ask him, on the behalf of a nation to answer a few questions about the Thai style of drinking beer.

?Yes Phuket Post, a beer needs foam, Thai people don?t put one on because they mainly want value for money, but you need foam to release the flavor and smell.?

Ok, onto the next one, ?No you shouldn?t put ice in. This makes the beer diluted and ruins the Brew Masters hard work.?

There you go, cut out this article and take it with you the next time you go to a bar or restaurant. Straight from the Phuket Brew Master?s mouth.