3-in-1 concept brews up in Garapan

AP Group partners Perry Inos Jr., sixth from left, and Michael Sheu, ninth from left, lead the ribbon-cutting of the Napu Brewing Co. and Tapped Out last Saturday. (MARK RABAGO)

Napu Brewing Co. and Tapped Out held its grand opening last Saturday with the promise of becoming Saipan’s No. 1 watering hole.

Perry Inos Jr. and Michael Sheu, partners of Napu Brewing Co. and Tapped Out parent company AP Group, said the twin establishments hope to integrate the three concepts of a microbrewery, a tap room, and food into one.

“Basically the idea is offering something that the CNMI does not have. We’ve had a brewery, we’ve had a bar, but we don’t have the best of both worlds. So what we’re doing is we are brewing on the spot and serving our craft beer at our bar, Tapped Out. So the brewery is Napu Brewery then the kitchen and bar is Tapped Out,” said Inos.

The High Tide Band provided the entertainment during the grand opening of Napu Brewing Co. and Tapped Out last Saturday. (MARK RABAGO)

“It’s the first beer that’s been locally made for some time now. We can’t really say we’re the first but first now since the pandemic. What’s pretty interesting is we’re combining the concepts of a brewery, a tap room, as well as food,” added Sheu.

Some of the craft beers available at Tapped Out include Summer Blond, which is a complex, clear, mid-strength ale, slightly sweet and dry, pale in color and low in bitterness; Chagi Par IPA, which is a floral, fruity, citrus-like, piney or resinous variety hop character beer; and Stone Lager, which has a very clean and crisp taste and is a lighter and more mild tasting beer.

Some of the craft beers available at Tapped Out include Summer Blond, Chagi Par IPA, and Stone Lager. (MARK RABAGO)

Under the 1-in-3 concept, AP Group has sought the help of Black Hops Brewing president Michael McGovern out of Queensland, Australia, and Daryl Babauta, who is one of the first local chefs in the CNMI, as consultants for the brewery and F&B side, respectively. 

In addition, Napu Brewing and Tapped Out has, well, tapped the services of next door neighbor Angry Penne to help make its menu.

“So it’s the intersection of three businesses so we’re like a brewpub and microbrewery [and restaurant]. So we’re hoping to create a culture here as the new watering hole of Saipan,” said Sheu.

As for the genesis of the newly established businesses, Sheu said it came from more of a personal need, at first.

“We were looking at potential industries that could be viable here in the CNMI and one thing that came to mind is [this] because we do a lot of social gatherings. We’re a very social community here and we also like to drink. And for me personally, ever since the pandemic, I really couldn’t find a good selection of craft beer here that I wanted. Everywhere I went it was only a few types of craft beer.  So we decided to create a tap room where we can create and supply those kinds of beers, but in addition to that, we wanted to also create a brewery, where we can also experiment making our own beer, employ people that live here, and sort of experiment with different flavor profiles that the community here have to offer like make your own beer.”

While the scissors that cut the red ribbon at their grand opening remain barely used, Inos and Shue are already looking long term and plans are afoot to eventually make Napu Breweing’s craft beer available to off-island customers and that’s where Black Hops and McGovern’s advise becomes doubly important.

“He’s really guiding us on the right path so that we can eventually export and be more of a distribution  company on the brew side. That’s our end goal,” said Inos.

As for opening a business—or in this case twin businesses during the pandemic, Sheu said it quite the journey, but added that tech giants like PayPal were actually born during an economic crisis with online payment system’s case during the crash of the dotcom age.

“I think it really forces you to be really detail-oriented about your vision, your values, what you’re trying to do with your cost and personnel. So I think, you know, trying to grow this environment really gave us a lot and in a way this was like trying to learn to drive on a road full of potholes,” he said.

Bishop Ryan Jimenez blessed the premises before the grand opening and the High Tide Band provided the event’s island-themed entertainment. 

Napu Brewing Co. and Tapped Out is open starting at 4pm everyday and is located on the ground floor of Hotel One and next to the CommonWealth Cannabis Co. and Angry Penne along Micro Beach Road in front of the American Memorial Park in Garapan. For more information, call  (670) 488-2739, check their website at www.tappedout.mp, or on their social media pages.