How Long Until We Start To See The Good Beer?

[cdnvic]

The whole concept of "Good" beer in ASEAN is all relative. Aside from maybe Africa, north of the cape, it is about the worst beer region on the globe.

[Donnyboy]

^ what you means it requires to be drunk warm?

[niebla]

Beer Lao tastes fantastic in Lao, but horrible in Thailand. I guess it's the preservatives they use, does anybody think the same as this?

Sorry, slightly off topic...

I was thinking the same thing. In Thailand it is OK, but not the great beer I expected.

Just got back from a visa run to Vientiane. A much better beer Lao there. Both on tap and in the bottle. And for just 8,000-12,000 for a large bottle or glass on tap. 35-53 baht for quality beer. That could be dangerous.

[tijnebijn]

Besides the fact I would love to see beer Lao .

I firstmost would love to see Indonesian Kreteks sigarettes in the stores , love those .

[richieudon]

Am I the only farang that likes Archer?

330 baht a case of 12 large bottles..

Or am I just kee neeow???

[RPCVguy]

I have had beer Lao and I have had beer Lao. Sometimes it is very good and sometimes it is very bad. Why? I have no idea but a consistent tasting beer is always better.

When I go out with the beer drinking animals, I used to drink Heineken because that watery beer doesn't make me drunk. Unfortunately I have had so many skunky bottles of Heineken that I have totally quit drinking it.

Leo has always been pretty consistent so that is my beer of choice.

I know from my childhood holidays in Yugoslavia that sometimes the beer is good when it is fresh and never came into the sun.

The beer is bad when the truck brought it and it was in the direct sun and heat for all the day.

Definitely age is a point. If it may get old it get a fruity taste.

UV light is a point (that is the reason why beer is in brown bottles)

heat of course.

All these effects are as more as more protein is in the beer.

I once met a salesguy for the chemical additive while diving and he told me in Thailand ever time the produce a beer it is different.

So 1.000.000 different reasons why it taste good one time and the other time not.

EXCELLENT point about beer not traveling well. I agree that beer is at its best very close to the brewery. It was the marketing of mass produced Budweiser in the USA that first muddled the perception of beer. Guiness is absolutely divine in Dublin, Pacifico in Mexico, while Carlsberg and Sam Adams were my beers of choice in the USA. Star beer in Ghana, Heineken in Germany and Beer Chang here, though buy it from a larger distributor, and once beer is chilled it needs to be kept that way until served. Here too many people let anything cook in transit or warehousing.

Oh, the funniest thing was to see Irish 20 somethings striving to pay extra to drink Bud or Miller. Ok, I know, I like a stronger beer; but really, to pay EXTRA to have an alcoholic water that is past its prime because you've bought the marketing angle. I'll never understand, or choose to go along.

[andyww]

Its a pity that the "Londoners Pride" bitter is not better than it is, in the Londoner pub in BKK. I am not an expert on brewing so not sure exactly whats wrong with it. The brewer there is German but doubt thats the real reason. Maybe lack of correct ingredients.

Pity as its a worthy attempt.

Just thinking, I have not been there for a year, maybe its improved.

[mahtin]

Heineken in Germany

[StreetCowboy]

Heineken in Germany

80' in Newcastle.

Tsing Tao in Taiwan.

Whatever.

SC

[mahtin]

Heineken in Germany

80' in Newcastle.

Tsing Tao in Taiwan.

Whatever.

SC

Coals to Newcastle, if you export Dutch beer to Germany.

[Kf6vci]

CARLSBERG is being brewed in Nonthaburi. As is SAN MIGUEL.

This year, KIRIN will buy SAN MIGUEL's beverage assets...

Chris

[gregb]

Beer is a funny thing. For the life of me I will never understand why Guiness is considered anything but the horse urine it truly is. Only an Englishman or an Irishman could actually tolerate that.

I spent about a month in Munich and appreciate what a good weiss beer tastes like (and I still enjoy it a local microbrewery here in Bangkok), but as far as the best commercial beer Corona is by large margins the best there is. I grew up in Southern California. Mexico is hardly considered exotic, but Corona tastes great. Much better than those bitter dark ales that people seem to claim have some special appeal. The wife's blah rah tastes better than those. Beer preferences have nothing to do with marketing. They have to do with what people enjoy drinking, and most of the time, people enjoy drinking the local fare that they grew up with.

For those of you who haven't tried it, Beer Lao is such a hit because it is every bit as good as Heineken, but at half the price (at least in Laos and Cambodia). That is what makes it interesting, and if you like Heineken you'll like Beer Lao. If I go to a bar where Beer Lao is priced the same as Heineken, guess what? I don't order it. If it isn't cheap, there is nothing special about Beer Lao. There are many other beers that equal it in quality.

But there are no *CHEAP* beers that equal it in quality.

If they can get Beer Lao into 7-11 at under 50 baht for a large bottle, you can start shorting the stock of all the other brewers. If they price it as a premium brand, it will be a commercial failure.

Here's hoping that someone figures this out so I can start saving money on my beer purchases.

[Jingthing]

I find Corona too weak and love Guinness, many American microbrewery beers and also Czech beers, so I don't think it is so much about what you grew up with, but with what you are exposed to and your personal palate. I agree Beer Lao won't do great if it priced too high but I do think many people including myself will pay a premium of some amount over Chang and Leo. I don't like Thai Heineken at all, Lao is much better. OK, everyone's taste is different, and also many people indeed ARE persuaded by marketing.

Edited January 3, 2010 by Jingthing

[StreetCowboy]

I find Corona too weak and love Guinness, many American microbrewery beers and also Czech beers, so I don't think it is so much about what you grew up with, but with what you are exposed to and your personal palate. I agree Beer Lao won't do great if it priced too high but I do think many people including myself will pay a premium of some amount over Chang and Leo. I don't like Thai Heineken at all, Lao is much better. OK, everyone's taste is different, and also many people indeed ARE persuaded by marketing.

My choice in beer is primarily guided by adverts with humour or scantily clad models.

SC

[h90]

I have had beer Lao and I have had beer Lao. Sometimes it is very good and sometimes it is very bad. Why? I have no idea but a consistent tasting beer is always better.

When I go out with the beer drinking animals, I used to drink Heineken because that watery beer doesn't make me drunk. Unfortunately I have had so many skunky bottles of Heineken that I have totally quit drinking it.

Leo has always been pretty consistent so that is my beer of choice.

I know from my childhood holidays in Yugoslavia that sometimes the beer is good when it is fresh and never came into the sun.

The beer is bad when the truck brought it and it was in the direct sun and heat for all the day.

Definitely age is a point. If it may get old it get a fruity taste.

UV light is a point (that is the reason why beer is in brown bottles)

heat of course.

All these effects are as more as more protein is in the beer.

I once met a salesguy for the chemical additive while diving and he told me in Thailand ever time the produce a beer it is different.

So 1.000.000 different reasons why it taste good one time and the other time not.

EXCELLENT point about beer not traveling well. I agree that beer is at its best very close to the brewery. It was the marketing of mass produced Budweiser in the USA that first muddled the perception of beer. Guiness is absolutely divine in Dublin, Pacifico in Mexico, while Carlsberg and Sam Adams were my beers of choice in the USA. Star beer in Ghana, Heineken in Germany and Beer Chang here, though buy it from a larger distributor, and once beer is chilled it needs to be kept that way until served. Here too many people let anything cook in transit or warehousing.

Oh, the funniest thing was to see Irish 20 somethings striving to pay extra to drink Bud or Miller. Ok, I know, I like a stronger beer; but really, to pay EXTRA to have an alcoholic water that is past its prime because you've bought the marketing angle. I'll never understand, or choose to go along.

I learned (and it is valid in at least Austria but might be different in Thailand):

That Heineken tastes almost nothing (I think it tastes strong in Thailand but not good--->different brewery) because they ultra filter out all the small protein parts. That makes the beer more resistant to heat light storage time etc etc.

Of course there is additional the "wine cellar effect" if you try a wine in the winerys cellar it tastes much better than at home. just because the expectations are different.

(I still need to find the cellar where Thai beer tastes half as good as european one)

[Nostraforce]

A honest beer drinker

I am not sure but to get back to topic, wasn't there something about the tariff reduction being delayed for ASEAN'S newest members? (Lao, Cambodia, Myanmar) ? They can gradually reduce tariffs till 2015. And it's hard to think that Thailand would have to lower it's tariffs and allow Beer Lao without Lao having to stop taxing Singha.

Beer Lao's master brewer (whois actually a woman) was educated in Chzech and regularly gets sent back there for training...that's why it tastes like grown man beer.

[h90]

Beer is a funny thing. For the life of me I will never understand why Guiness is considered anything but the horse urine it truly is. Only an Englishman or an Irishman could actually tolerate that.

I spent about a month in Munich and appreciate what a good weiss beer tastes like (and I still enjoy it a local microbrewery here in Bangkok), but as far as the best commercial beer Corona is by large margins the best there is. I grew up in Southern California. Mexico is hardly considered exotic, but Corona tastes great. Much better than those bitter dark ales that people seem to claim have some special appeal. The wife's blah rah tastes better than those. Beer preferences have nothing to do with marketing. They have to do with what people enjoy drinking, and most of the time, people enjoy drinking the local fare that they grew up with.

For those of you who haven't tried it, Beer Lao is such a hit because it is every bit as good as Heineken, but at half the price (at least in Laos and Cambodia). That is what makes it interesting, and if you like Heineken you'll like Beer Lao. If I go to a bar where Beer Lao is priced the same as Heineken, guess what? I don't order it. If it isn't cheap, there is nothing special about Beer Lao. There are many other beers that equal it in quality.

But there are no *CHEAP* beers that equal it in quality.

If they can get Beer Lao into 7-11 at under 50 baht for a large bottle, you can start shorting the stock of all the other brewers. If they price it as a premium brand, it will be a commercial failure.

Here's hoping that someone figures this out so I can start saving money on my beer purchases.

Well I am Austrian and it is not easy to adjust to Guiness. It is like strong tasting cheese...it need time to love it.

Try it again when you are a bit hungry.....The first pint does not taste good, but after 3 pints you start to love it.

[GucciLittlePiggy]

A honest beer drinker

I am not sure but to get back to topic, wasn't there something about the tariff reduction being delayed for ASEAN'S newest members? (Lao, Cambodia, Myanmar) ? They can gradually reduce tariffs till 2015. And it's hard to think that Thailand would have to lower it's tariffs and allow Beer Lao without Lao having to stop taxing Singha.

Beer Lao's master brewer (whois actually a woman) was educated in Chzech and regularly gets sent back there for training...that's why it tastes like grown man beer.

A woman? I'm appalled.

[GucciLittlePiggy]

Beer is a funny thing. For the life of me I will never understand why Guiness is considered anything but the horse urine it truly is. Only an Englishman or an Irishman could actually tolerate that.

I spent about a month in Munich and appreciate what a good weiss beer tastes like (and I still enjoy it a local microbrewery here in Bangkok), but as far as the best commercial beer Corona is by large margins the best there is. I grew up in Southern California. Mexico is hardly considered exotic, but Corona tastes great. Much better than those bitter dark ales that people seem to claim have some special appeal. The wife's blah rah tastes better than those. Beer preferences have nothing to do with marketing. They have to do with what people enjoy drinking, and most of the time, people enjoy drinking the local fare that they grew up with.

For those of you who haven't tried it, Beer Lao is such a hit because it is every bit as good as Heineken, but at half the price (at least in Laos and Cambodia). That is what makes it interesting, and if you like Heineken you'll like Beer Lao. If I go to a bar where Beer Lao is priced the same as Heineken, guess what? I don't order it. If it isn't cheap, there is nothing special about Beer Lao. There are many other beers that equal it in quality.

But there are no *CHEAP* beers that equal it in quality.

If they can get Beer Lao into 7-11 at under 50 baht for a large bottle, you can start shorting the stock of all the other brewers. If they price it as a premium brand, it will be a commercial failure.

Here's hoping that someone figures this out so I can start saving money on my beer purchases.

Guiness is horse urine?

Corona is the best beer in the world?

Beer Lao tastes like Heineken?

Are you ok?

[Yimmy]

Beer Lao won't be found in tesco or big c or the 7-11s as thai breweries have paid them (the supermarket chains) not to stock it.

[StreetCowboy]

Beer is a funny thing. For the life of me I will never understand why Guiness is considered anything but the horse urine it truly is. Only an Englishman or an Irishman could actually tolerate that.

I spent about a month in Munich and appreciate what a good weiss beer tastes like (and I still enjoy it a local microbrewery here in Bangkok), but as far as the best commercial beer Corona is by large margins the best there is. I grew up in Southern California. Mexico is hardly considered exotic, but Corona tastes great. Much better than those bitter dark ales that people seem to claim have some special appeal. The wife's blah rah tastes better than those. Beer preferences have nothing to do with marketing. They have to do with what people enjoy drinking, and most of the time, people enjoy drinking the local fare that they grew up with.

For those of you who haven't tried it, Beer Lao is such a hit because it is every bit as good as Heineken, but at half the price (at least in Laos and Cambodia). That is what makes it interesting, and if you like Heineken you'll like Beer Lao. If I go to a bar where Beer Lao is priced the same as Heineken, guess what? I don't order it. If it isn't cheap, there is nothing special about Beer Lao. There are many other beers that equal it in quality.

But there are no *CHEAP* beers that equal it in quality.

If they can get Beer Lao into 7-11 at under 50 baht for a large bottle, you can start shorting the stock of all the other brewers. If they price it as a premium brand, it will be a commercial failure.

Here's hoping that someone figures this out so I can start saving money on my beer purchases.

Guiness is horse urine?

Corona is the best beer in the world?

Beer Lao tastes like Heineken?

Are you ok?

I don't know if he's OK, but horse is clearly very sick

SC

[smokie36]

I spent about a month in Munich and appreciate what a good weiss beer tastes like (and I still enjoy it a local microbrewery here in Bangkok), but as far as the best commercial beer Corona is by large margins the best there is.

Where is the microbrewery in Bangkok? Please also confirm they do not sell Corona (maybe it suits american palates).

Cheers.

[rakman]

Oh, the funniest thing was to see Irish 20 somethings striving to pay extra to drink Bud or Miller. Ok, I know, I like a stronger beer; but really, to pay EXTRA to have an alcoholic water that is past its prime because you've bought the marketing angle. I'll never understand, or choose to go along.

I went to the shrine in Dublin and was surprised that Guinness brewed Bud for Europe. With their good but variable limestone water, the Bud was better than that made in the US. Smoother and more flavorful, and those 20 somethings in Ireland were drinking lots of it.

You can tell when it's rained in Ireland and when the Guinness was brewed. A slight difference in taste and smoothness.

Temperature and sunlight in transport is very important to the delivered product, let's hope the manufacturers, importers and distributers protect their products.

[h90]

I thought that with 31st December every company is on standby, clearing customs at 00.01 (which is possible if you pay enough) having the supermarkets full on the 1st Jan.

It seems that did not happen......

[steelepulse]

Didn't the law being discussed only cover AFTA countries, so all this talk about beers from outside of AFTA being reduced in price is not relevant in terms of price reductions.

[h90]

Any sights of foreign beer, yet?

[Briggsy]

I live close to the border and have a good connection on Beer Lao. The problem is that it cost 885 baht per case (small bottles of 24) or 65 baht per bottle (6 bottles for 325 baht) so I truly hope that ASEAN keeps its word.

I really do not think that this agreement will affect Thai beer consumption. Most Thais would not be caught with ABC, Beer Lao, or any other "import" outside of maybe Heineken. hel_l, I don't even know many Thais who drink Chang or Archa unless they are doing so discreetly along the klong somewhere.

Boon Rawd (through very crafty marketing skills) has a way of making Thais feel like "anti nationalists" if they are not drinking their product.

Why is BL so expensive?

These prices include massive import duty which should disappear now due to the free trade agreement. Beer Lao in Laos is exceedingly good value.

Besides the fact I would love to see beer Lao .

I firstmost would love to see Indonesian Kreteks sigarettes in the stores , love those .

Openly on sale in Ramkhamhaeng area - not pricey - from a table in the street.

Beer Lao won't be found in tesco or big c or the 7-11s as thai breweries have paid them (the supermarket chains) not to stock it.

I tend to believe this. The Thai breweries have lobbied very hard to effectively stymie the duty-free importing of beer from other ASEAN nations.

[Seismic]

I live close to the border and have a good connection on Beer Lao. The problem is that it cost 885 baht per case (small bottles of 24) or 65 baht per bottle (6 bottles for 325 baht) so I truly hope that ASEAN keeps its word.

I really do not think that this agreement will affect Thai beer consumption. Most Thais would not be caught with ABC, Beer Lao, or any other "import" outside of maybe Heineken. hel_l, I don't even know many Thais who drink Chang or Archa unless they are doing so discreetly along the klong somewhere.

Boon Rawd (through very crafty marketing skills) has a way of making Thais feel like "anti nationalists" if they are not drinking their product.

Well if they rename Beer Lao into Beer USA or Beer Germany than it might sell good.

But I would love to have Bin Tang (spelling??) from Indonesia.

WoW they really must have improved Bintang since I drank it in the 1980's, back then it was the only beer that gave you a headache while you were still on the first bottle !!, Closely followed by San Miguel (Hing Kong brewed of course, not the fillipino good stuff).

[h90]

I live close to the border and have a good connection on Beer Lao. The problem is that it cost 885 baht per case (small bottles of 24) or 65 baht per bottle (6 bottles for 325 baht) so I truly hope that ASEAN keeps its word.

I really do not think that this agreement will affect Thai beer consumption. Most Thais would not be caught with ABC, Beer Lao, or any other "import" outside of maybe Heineken. hel_l, I don't even know many Thais who drink Chang or Archa unless they are doing so discreetly along the klong somewhere.

Boon Rawd (through very crafty marketing skills) has a way of making Thais feel like "anti nationalists" if they are not drinking their product.

Well if they rename Beer Lao into Beer USA or Beer Germany than it might sell good.

But I would love to have Bin Tang (spelling??) from Indonesia.

WoW they really must have improved Bintang since I drank it in the 1980's, back then it was the only beer that gave you a headache while you were still on the first bottle !!, Closely followed by San Miguel (Hing Kong brewed of course, not the fillipino good stuff).

I drank a lot Bin Tang in Bali half a year ago. Very good and never headache. But a fact is that beer at holidays always taste better.

Maybe it improved, or there is a special Bali edition....

[Seismic]

I live close to the border and have a good connection on Beer Lao. The problem is that it cost 885 baht per case (small bottles of 24) or 65 baht per bottle (6 bottles for 325 baht) so I truly hope that ASEAN keeps its word.

I really do not think that this agreement will affect Thai beer consumption. Most Thais would not be caught with ABC, Beer Lao, or any other "import" outside of maybe Heineken. hel_l, I don't even know many Thais who drink Chang or Archa unless they are doing so discreetly along the klong somewhere.

Boon Rawd (through very crafty marketing skills) has a way of making Thais feel like "anti nationalists" if they are not drinking their product.

Well if they rename Beer Lao into Beer USA or Beer Germany than it might sell good.

But I would love to have Bin Tang (spelling??) from Indonesia.

WoW they really must have improved Bintang since I drank it in the 1980's, back then it was the only beer that gave you a headache while you were still on the first bottle !!, Closely followed by San Miguel (Hing Kong brewed of course, not the fillipino good stuff).

I drank a lot Bin Tang in Bali half a year ago. Very good and never headache. But a fact is that beer at holidays always taste better.

Maybe it improved, or there is a special Bali edition....

Trust me they must have improved it, because it was 90% chemicals and 10% hops before