battle of the (asian) beers

[kasia]

so you're out in ktown, browsin through the menu of some korean cafe. which is your beer of choice. and why?

[lethal]

No 333 Vietnamese Beer?

[fossilfuel]

No 333 Vietnamese Beer?

Do they sell that in the states?

I remember a "Saigon Export" that was quite dubious if it ever got exported.

Anyway, I thought Singha was ok - less watery than the other stuff, but I'm hardly a beer connoisseur

[ism]

Kirin Ichiban. It's the Asian equivelant of my "default beer" (Corona Extra) cos of the riceyness (although Corona is decidedly more ass). The purpose of the default beer is to go down like water and not fill me up, so when I have access to better beer, I have enough room in my tummy for it. I'm a beer snob. =D

I have moral issues with Tsing Tao. Aside from being a German recipe, it's the result of colonialization.

No love for San Miguel? =)

As much as I adore Beer na Beer's name (translates to something like "really beery beer, in fact, the beeriest"), it is some of the worst swill in Asia. The only thing worse than that is Taiwan Beer, in which the can provides more enjoyment than what's inside of it. I am thankful they are not exported to America.

[thaite]

Singha.

I also like India Pale Ales, but that's not really an 'Asian' brew.

[deez nuts]

so you're out in ktown, browsin through the menu of some korean cafe. which is your beer of choice. and why?

budweiser.

don't like any of the asian beers that i've tried. i'll try an asian beer that i've never tried once. but, i have yet to find an asian beer that i will have instead of my budweiser and coors light.

[lethal]

Do they sell that in the states?


Yes. Vietnamese places sell them and upscale beer places sell it as well.

[SunWuKong]

No 333 Vietnamese Beer?

isn't it "33"? that's what it says on the bottle, right? i've seen them at some Chinese restaurants, too. rice cracker had one just the other night and she said that it's good.

personally my favourite Asian beer is San Miguel (which i've added on the poll along with 33 and King Fisher). but i generally like Sam Adams, Killian's, and Heinekin more than i like Asian beers. well, i like San Miguel more than Heinekin.

FYI, Tsingtao is (or was) actually brewed using German brewing techniques. originally they used brewing plants that Germany left in the city of Qingdao when German imperialists finally left China.

[deez nuts]

you forgot taiwan beer in good ol chienkuo brewery in taipei which survived the japanese colonial era and complaints of noise and air pollution.

too bad, it tastes like liquid ass in a bottle.

[lethal]

isn't it "33"? that's what it says on the bottle, right?
Its a long story...33 was the old name of the beer. After the fall of Vietnam, 33 was made and distributed by the French. The old 33 was renamed 333 and exported only to Japan. Its now exported worldwide.

Something like that.

If you see 33 beer, its most likely the fake stuff (now made by Heineken in Saigon). 333 is the authentic Vietnamese Beer.

Maybe things changed, but I've seen a lot of 333 around.

[Faithless]

Singha.
I hate the buzz that it leaves you with.

Sapporo is smooooth. :redface:

[Seamus]

I have moral issues with Tsing Tao. Aside from being a German recipe, it's the result of colonialization.


Tsingtao kicks ass, even though I'm not usually that big into lagers. Who cares whether it's the result of colonization? A: well, it's Chinese now. B: do you not drink German beers just because Germany was once a colonial power (albeit one of the lesser ones)? When you drink Tsingtao, you're fattening Chinese people's pockets, not those of Kaiser Wilhelm II.

You guys forgot to include "Tien-Shan" from Kazakhstan. It's not very good, though.

In general, Asia needs to work on its beers, because even though it's got some good beers, it's far behind Europe in terms of the overall richness of its beer selection, in particular ales. They need to import some brewers from Britain, Ireland and Belgium to help them develop that.

Here's the list of Asian beers I have tried and the grade I give each of them. The grades are curved and are not meant for comparison with beers from other continents.

Tsingtao A-
Asahi Super Dry B+
Sapporo A-
Tiger B-
Singha C
Shanghai Pijiu B+
Reeb B-
Wusu A-
Xinjiang B
Taiwan Pijiu F This beer is meant for pigs and other livestock. It's the price those splittists have to pay for trying to divide the Motherland (j/k).
Indian beer (I forget what it's called, but whatever the most commonly drunk version is) B
Tien-Shan B

[yoMAMA]

I love this thread :biggrin:

i voted for sapporo [love those huge cans].....but tsingtao taste the best.

[SunWuKong]

Its a long story...33 was the old name of the beer. After the fall of Vietnam, 33 was made and distributed by the French. The old 33 was renamed 333 and exported only to Japan. Its now exported worldwide.

Something like that.

If you see 33 beer, its most likely the fake stuff (now made by Heineken in Saigon). 333 is the authentic Vietnamese Beer.

Maybe things changed, but I've seen a lot of 333 around.

i'll check the bottle next time, but this is what i've seen:

http://www.ratebeer.com/beerimages/4585.gif

[yoMAMA]

but kirin has the coolest mascot in the beer business.....

:biggrin:

http://web.mit.edu/martijn/www/pictures/beer/kirin.jpg

[lethal]

i'll check the bottle next time, but this is what i've seen:

http://www.ratebeer.com/beerimages/4585.gif
I'll have to take a closer look.

[rice cracker]

Mmmmm...beer.

I voted for Sapporo, that and Kirin are the ones I drink most.

[537]

Orion is the best. And then Hite.

[yoMAMA]

Mmmmm...beer.

I voted for Sapporo, that and Kirin are the ones I drink most.

you have bad taste.....

:tongue:

[Faithless]

Too bad that beer doesn't have the anti-occident thingy like red wine.

Then there'd be a real excuse to drink a can every night.

I only seem to drink beer if I eat Japanese.

[thaite]

this

[ism]

I only drink Kingfisher at Indian restaurants. Although it's not much of a step above water, it does complement the food pretty well.

[Bishop]

I'm in Korea so OB is pretty much the beer of choice. I like San Miguel but it costs too much here! Never heard of tsingtao beer, anyone know if it's available anywhere in the states or Korea?

[seanp]

I don't like beer, but if i have too then 333 ahh

[Irezumi Kiss]

so you're out in ktown, browsin through the menu of some korean cafe. which is your beer of choice. and why?
If it has to be K-town in particular, then when in a group, everyone usually gets Sapporos to complement the jinro. Mostly because you can order them in the big bottles and those are best to share when filling up your friends'/seniors' glasses. (Asahi as well but Sapporo isn't as light) It also tastes good when it's cold. Most of everyone I know, Asian or non, defaults to Sapporo wherever they go, if it's available. Their marketing development since the early '90s has been extremely successful. Gotta give 'em props.

OB, Singha and Tsingtao would be my secondary choices if I were doing solo drinkies with smaller bottles.

[yuuteya]

What no Suntory?!!

http://www.suntory.co.jp/beer/malts/index.html

The best is Suntory!

those others are just water...

[mrcfo]

Well according to my tongue/mouth, Asian beers suck, sorry.

Some Asian beers I've tasted (the import premium also puts me off and Australian local beers kick ass so...).

Ashahi: B
Tsing Tao: Weird really, I had a taste of one and it was pretty good, the other tasted like bad tap water. C+
333: B+
Tiger: A

Tiger takes the cake for me.

[kpih]

Gotta be Tsing Tao. It is a proud product of the Shangdong Province. The province the produced the Confucius, K'ung-fu-tzu, and me, K'-fu-tzu...

Otherwise I go with Sapporo or Kirin Ichiban.

Beer related story. I walked into a barber shop and started talking with the barber about beer, he asked me, "so, you must like Kirin, huh?"

Still, my favorite is Guiness, Stella, Boddingtons, Bitburger, Spaten...

[yuuteya]

Gotta be Tsing Tao. It is a proud product of the Shangdong Province. The province the produced the Confucius, K'ung-fu-tzu, and me, K'-fu-tzu...

Otherwise I go with Sapporo or Kirin Ichiban.

Beer related story. I walked into a barber shop and started talking with the barber about beer, he asked me, "so, you must like Kirin, huh?"

Still, my favorite is Guiness, Stella, Boddingtons, Bitburger, Spaten...

I remember reading about Tsing Tao beer's interesting history when it was first brewed by the Germans who had a colony in Tsing Tao and started that brewery.

Its my next favorite beer in Asia, good stuff!

[BeTheReds]

Red Stripe is best, followed by Molson and then Icehouse, then Asahi, Sapporo, Kirin, Hite and OB all on the same level.

[nola]

Jamaican beer!

I don't drink beer.

[pikachupacabra]

you forgot taiwan beer in good ol chienkuo brewery in taipei which survived the japanese colonial era and complaints of noise and air pollution.

too bad, it tastes like liquid ass in a bottle.


taiwan pi jiu is terrible outside taiwan. i mean, it must have a shelf life of like 5 days for it to go bad so quickly once you've left the country...

[kpih]

I remember reading about Tsing Tao beer's interesting history when it was first brewed by the Germans who had a colony in Tsing Tao and started that brewery.

Its my next favorite beer in Asia, good stuff!

Yep. That really explains why I also have a penchant for German motorcycles and cars...

[sOKaLiBoY]

Red Stripe is best, followed by Molson and then Icehouse, then Asahi, Sapporo, Kirin, Hite and OB all on the same level.


Red Stripe is excellent. Sapporo is good with sushi

[ism]

I bought a case of San Mig so I've been having that with meals lately. Fairly flavorful for a lager. I had San Mig Light when I was in the country a few years ago and it was like water, but still beat out the American alcoholic water (Coors, Miller, Bud).

Haven't had a Red Stripe in a while. Fun bottle. Wish they'd bring back that sexy Michelob bottle. Tell me it doesn't look like a buttplug.
http://www.anheuser-busch.com/images/trivia/michbottlemed(old).jpg
http://www.anheuser-busch.com/trivia/answer12_5_02.html

[kimpossible]

^Wouldn't have been a hoot if it had been Heiney instead?

[applehead]

I bought a case of San Mig so I've been having that with meals lately. Fairly flavorful for a lager. I had San Mig Light when I was in the country a few years ago and it was like water, but still beat out the American alcoholic water (Coors, Miller, Bud).

Haven't had a Red Stripe in a while. Fun bottle. Wish they'd bring back that sexy Michelob bottle. Tell me it doesn't look like a buttplug.

that is pretty looking bottle.!!!
jose. you're so lucky that you're trim and lean.
your love of beer could do a number on your
physique.

[Faithless]

I remember reading about Tsing Tao beer's interesting history when it was first brewed by the Germans who had a colony in Tsing Tao and started that brewery.

Its my next favorite beer in Asia, good stuff!
And the Chinese government owns 30% of the shares in it. :eek:

But Anheuser-Busch is getting there.

Anheuser-Busch taps China market (http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/business/11370258.htm)
Posted on Tue, Apr. 12, 2005 * By JIM SUHR * The Associated Press

ST. LOUIS — Anheuser-Busch Cos. Inc. said Monday it has raised its stake in Tsingtao Brewery Co., broadening its share in the world's biggest beer market.

St. Louis-based Anheuser-Busch, fighting stagnancy in its U.S. business, broadened ownership of Tsingtao — China's biggest brewer — to 27 percent, from 9.9 percent, by converting nearly $150 million worth of debt to shares in the Chinese brewer. Anheuser-Busch swapped $145.6 million — 1.14 billion Hong Kong dollars — of Tsingtao convertible bonds for 248.2 million newly issued H-class shares, it said.

As a result, Anheuser-Busch will be allowed to nominate a second director to Tsingtao's board and have its voting interest in Tsingtao increased to 20 percent.
...

[yoMAMA]

And the Chinese government owns 30% of the shares in it. :eek:

But Anheuser-Busch is getting there.

Anheuser-Busch taps China market (http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/business/11370258.htm)

keep Tsingtao Chinese......... :mad:

and German :biggrin:

[Gary Soup]

Tsingtao A-
Asahi Super Dry B+
Sapporo A-
Tiger B-
Singha C
Shanghai Pijiu B+
Reeb B-
Wusu A-
Xinjiang B
Taiwan Pijiu F This beer is meant for pigs and other livestock. It's the price those splittists have to pay for trying to divide the Motherland (j/k).
Indian beer (I forget what it's called, but whatever the most commonly drunk version is) B
Tien-Shan B
I'd rank Reeb higher than Shanghai Beer, especially Reeb Gold (my choice of beers in Shanghai). Reeb was originally a joint venture of Shanghai Mila Brewerey with Heineken, and benefitted from technology transfer.

I think Shanghai Beer is now owned by the same group that owns Tiger Beer.

Old Australian joke:

Q. Why is Tiger Beer like making love in a canoe?
A. It's fuckin' close to water.

[asvenus]

Jamaican beer!

I don't drink beer.
red stripe all the way!!..heehee i dont drink beer either

wheres the cobra hey??

[amietron]

http://www.sapporobeer.jp/english/history/images/photo05.jpg
You forgot Yebisu!

[Chad]

I like San Miguel.
The Kiuchi Brewery in Ibaraki is the top-rated brewery in Japan on ratebeer.com

[Flow to Live]

I ggo with 33 because im vietnamese and my dad always buy that shit.

[lethal]

I don't even know where to get 33 beer around here.