Looking for original (real) Chang

[Boarn]

I was rummaging around in my storage room over the weekend and happened across a brown Chang bottle with the 6.3% alcohol content. Unfortunately it was empty, maybe a long shot but I'm sure there must be some unopened real Chang somewhere, if anyone knows of somewhere please advise. (not to drink just as a reminder) Feeling nostalgic and then something else to remind of how things were here not so long ago pops up in storage!

 

Cheap Charlies on Soi 11 back in the day, the start of a good night out - with real Chang!

Edited September 13, 2021 by Boarn

[Etaoin Shrdlu]

Beer nostalgia.

 

Back in the day, Singha was 6%. We also had Amarit and Kloster then, too, but I think they were both 5%. The beers of a bygone Thailand.

[Kwasaki]

I use to like ' Thai beer ' that was its name I remember and it a dark beer. 

Not popular so disappeared.

 

 

Edited September 13, 2021 by Kwasaki

[Puccini]

On my part, I am trying to remember the name of the beer, discontinued eons ago for lack of demand, with a rather long name, six or more letters starting with A, I believe.

[bbko]

22 minutes ago, Puccini said:

On my part, I am trying to remember the name of the beer, discontinued eons ago for lack of demand, with a rather long name, six or more letters starting with A, I believe.

I remember a cheap beer in Thailand starting with an A about 10-15 years ago, you talking about Archa?

Edited September 13, 2021 by bbko

[Puccini]

The one I can't remember disappeared from the market in the 1970s.

[WhiteBuffaloATM]

yeah seen only Chang Lite in shops. perhaps large Tesco Lotus or Central Mall Food Hall would have Chang Original ? LEO fan myself…..

[Meat Pie 47]

Have one on me

 

[Skeptic7]

17 hours ago, Etaoin Shrdlu said:

Amarit

Ahhh a fine brew, which actually made a brief comeback in the past decade. But alas ...faded in to oblivion again. 

[Mac Mickmanus]

6 hours ago, WhiteBuffaloATM said:

yeah seen only Chang Lite in shops. perhaps large Tesco Lotus or Central Mall Food Hall would have Chang Original ? LEO fan myself…..

They don't make Chang original anymore

[Mac Mickmanus]

6 hours ago, Meat Pie 47 said:

Have one on me

 

It went from a tasty 6.5 % to a weaker 5.5% , I went around all the local shops buying up the old stock when the change occurred 

 

 

 

 

[Skeptic7]

Launched in 1995, the original Chang was approx 6.4% in a brown bottle. Was a wonderful, strong, bitter brew. Had a local nickname of "Demon Brew". ????

 

In 2015 ThaiBev ruined it by rebranding it as Chang Classic...the crappy swill available now, in the green bottle, and approx 5-5.5% alcohol. ????

[Mac Mickmanus]

Just now, Skeptic7 said:

Launched in 1995, the original Chang was approx 6.4% in a brown bottle. Was a wonderful, strong, bitter brew. Had a local nickname of "Demon Brew". ????

 

In 2015 ThaiBev ruined it by rebranding it as Chang Classic...the crappy swill available now, in the green bottle, and approx 5-5.5% alcohol. ????

Wasn't the alcohol content also unregulated ?

Meaning that it was a minimum of 6.4 % , sometimes going into double figures if you managed to get a good one . 

   That is why they bought out Chang export , otherwise Chang would have been liable if someone abroad bought a strong Chang and consumed more alcohol than stated 

[Skeptic7]

14 minutes ago, Mac Mickmanus said:

Wasn't the alcohol content also unregulated ?

Meaning that it was a minimum of 6.4 % , sometimes going into double figures if you managed to get a good one . 

   That is why they bought out Chang export , otherwise Chang would have been liable if someone abroad bought a strong Chang and consumed more alcohol than stated 

Not sure about that. But if so, perhaps the reason for the nickname "Demon Brew"! 

[Bangkok Barry]

Has anyone dared to try the Chang Expresso beer? I don't have the nerve. The only Thai beers I drink now are Tapper (6.5), Red Cheers (6.0) and Leo Strong Brew (a not strong 4.1).

[marin]

10 hours ago, Puccini said:

A, I believe.

Amarit, long gone over 20 years ago I think..

[andygrr]

13 minutes ago, marin said:

Amarit, long gone over 20 years ago I think..

They said it disappeared from the market in the 70's so couldn't be Amarit. That was still available in all the bars in the 90's. You can still find it but it is brewed for the export market.

[VocalNeal]

Where did the defacto standard 5% come from? Who started that? 

[Moonlover]

50 minutes ago, Bangkok Barry said:

Has anyone dared to try the Chang Expresso beer? I don't have the nerve. The only Thai beers I drink now are Tapper (6.5), Red Cheers (6.0) and Leo Strong Brew (a not strong 4.1).

My wife brought one home, by mistake from Tesco. I did try it and no I didn't like it at all.

[lopburi3]

Actually most of us drank Mekhong Rum in the 70's as local beer was not very tasty - to be kind.

 

[hotchilli]

I often wonder what the Europeans think of Thai beer when they come here.

Especially those from Germany, Belgium, Austria and all the others that have a thriving beer culture.

 

[rskdev21]

I am in Myanmar. This is what I drink.

8.0

[Puccini]

1 hour ago, marin said:

Amarit, long gone over 20 years ago I think..

Thank you. Yes, Amarit is the brand I was trying to remember.

[lopburi3]

9 minutes ago, Puccini said:

Thank you. Yes, Amarit is the brand I was trying to remember.

It was never much but in the old days about the only alternative to Singha - never seemed to be marketed well and sold to San Mig in 2003 for only 97 million.  Believe they changed the taste but never tried it.  

Edited September 14, 2021 by lopburi3

[rwill]

If you did find some of the original Chang it wouldn't be worth drinking any more.  Beer does not age well.  The exception being some of the really dark, strong stouts.

 

I Believe Chang was 6.9% when it first came out.  But the alcohol content has been reduced several times to where it is now the same as the other regular commercial beers.

Edited September 14, 2021 by rwill

[Neeranam]

I'm sure in the mid/late 90's it was stronger than 6.3 %.

 

I'd buy 3 large bottles for 100 baht, and drink them before going out for a session. I was very well on the way, which was hard as I was an alcoholic. 

[Neeranam]

Do they still make Sang Thip whisky?

 

[lazygourmet]

[robertson468]

11 hours ago, WhiteBuffaloATM said:

yeah seen only Chang Lite in shops. perhaps large Tesco Lotus or Central Mall Food Hall would have Chang Original ? LEO fan myself…..

I must confess that over the last year of so, I have become disappointed in Singha and Chang and feel that they are rather tasteless, however I have discovere Lao and thoroughly enjoy a bottle or so each week.

[walt1]

I thought part of the reason for the lower % was a change in the tax laws that raised it for higher alcohol content. I don't drink beer much anymore but do remember the old Chang being very variable in how many to get wasted.