Decent Beer In Chiang Mai

[folium]

Now been here long enough (ie. 3 months) to come to grasp that most beer in Thailand rivals mainstream brews in the US for blandness and quality. Cold and wet is probably the most charitable way of describing what's on offer. Beer Lao, lagerstyle or dark, are very drinkable, thank you Makro, but where can I buy them in proper sized bottles (650ml) rather than the stubbies?

San Miguel is also an elusive beast, Rimping sells the travesty of a lite version, where can I get big bottles of the real stuff?

Is there anything else drinkable?

Please help a drowning in p**s poor beer person.

[gotlost]

No large Beer Lao in Thailand and only a few small Beer Lao for sale around Chiang Mai. As for large SM, SOL.

[amexpat]

I really feel your pain and I agree with everything you say.

I wish I could help but can only share your misery. It's enough to drive one to soft drinks and/or hard drinks.

Thai beer is indeed like mainstream US beer but with stronger hangovers. (As I recall. I haven't had a bud, busch, coors, etc, in many years.)

And that's just Thai beer. I still haven't figured out what is in those Chang bottles.

[Pib]

...I still haven't figured out what is in those Chang bottles.

Who cares...just drink it!

//Signed//

Chang Draught Drinker

[wehugheog]

Indeed, I haven't drank Chang in oh about 1 1/2 year and yesterday I had 2 large bottles....

The hangover I experience now is... is.... is... HUGE.

never again!

[anonymouse]

The only place to drink decent beer in town is at the German Brewery near carrefour otherwise the local stuff is pretty mediocre

[november222]

anything else drinkable? the chiang mai german brewey behind carrefour has great beers, hofbrauhaus in the night bazaar has german beers, redlion has draught guinness, tetleys bottled ciders, german and belgiann beers, benelux has belgian beers, number one bar has draught hoegaaarden..... what takes your fancy?

[anonymouse]

anything else drinkable? the chiang mai german brewey behind carrefour has great beers, hofbrauhaus in the night bazaar has german beers, redlion has draught guinness, tetleys bottled ciders, german and belgiann beers, benelux has belgian beers, number one bar has draught hoegaaarden..... what takes your fancy?

Hoegaarden at the number one takes my fancy but don't tell the wife

[Ta22]

use to bring chang , then i go LEO .

Leo taste smooth compare to chang .

i am not much of a beer person ..

but china beer taste really good .

Ching tao is my FAV .

Ching Tao+ BBQ stick

HEAVEN !!!!

[heybruce]

use to bring chang , then i go LEO .

Leo taste smooth compare to chang .

i am not much of a beer person ..

but china beer taste really good .

Ching tao is my FAV .

Ching Tao+ BBQ stick

HEAVEN !!!!

Where do you find Ching tao? And what is the big deal about beer Lao? I like a beer where I can taste the hops, and all I taste in beer Lao is grain.

The only beer I've found in Chiang Mai with a hint of hops is Heineken, and even then I need to check the date it was bottled on. If it is more than two or three weeks old it's lost the hops, but is still better than any alternative I've found.

[jackr]

I'd suggest Tiger, op. Good, clean Singapore lager that's been knocking around for donkey's years. Certainly leaves any other in this neck of the woods for dust... for me that is. That Lao stuff's alright for a bottle or two (for you aged folk), although tends to get a bit gooey and boring. Bit overrated, much like them German beers. Leffe is a nice Belgian lager... think I've seen it on the shelf in Rimping, although pretty steep and probably not as good as at source. Tip. Best to avoid the local brews full stop. If you don't get hangovers after 5 or 6 big ones, then you have a problem.

[Kered]

anything else drinkable? the chiang mai german brewey behind carrefour has great beers, hofbrauhaus in the night bazaar has german beers, redlion has draught guinness, tetleys bottled ciders, german and belgiann beers, benelux has belgian beers, number one bar has draught hoegaaarden..... what takes your fancy?

O'Malleys at the Anusarn market have Dunkel on tap at present,which is apparently produced by the German Brewery. Excellent beer and at a reasonable price.

[noise]

Easier said than done, but for those who like a noticeable hoppy taste.....and have a friend coming this way...

There is a hop oil sold in the US that comes in a 2 oz bottle that you squeeze a couple of drops out of into each glass of beer. It doesn't have the "infused" taste that a properly brewed IPA would have, but after a short time drinking the available beer here, that really adds a lot of flavor.

The last time I bought some, it was $5 per bottle; you can google it and find sellers. You can make 5 bottles or so last a year with judicial use, so volume is not an issue. The little bottles would slip into almost anyone's luggage with out being noticed.

I would classify it as a seasoning for customs purposes, if anyone asks.

[nikster]

WTH are you talking about. Leo's good + cheap, Archa is good for a light beer and super cheap, Singha is not bad, Tiger is good. "Chang Draught" is good too (the bottled beer called Chang Draught, which is supposedly the same as the old Carlsberg... confusing name though as this has nothing to do with the regular Chang)

Granted, Beer Lao is excellent. The only problem is it's often quite old. Just buy 2 little bottles - same as one big one, wouldn't you believe it?!

I usually go for Leo because of one thing though: Freshness. If it's less than a month old you'll taste what it's supposed to taste like, and it's way better than an old beer Lao. I guess when going out go to those places that are very busy, or get draft, which is usually much fresher. As my friend the beer brewer - and also his own biggest customer - told me: Beer loses its taste about 1 month after it was bottled. The fresher, the better. That's why draft is a lot better than bottled. Also explains why beers that are just excellent back home are not really all that great once they're here - too old, and preservatives were added.

Plenty of beer options in the LOS. Drink up and stop whining.

[Thighlander]

3 large Tigers for 129 THB. Waitresses (not hookers) are 8s, 9s, and 10s. It ain't on Moon Muang or Loi Kroi.

[gotlost]

3 large Tigers for 129 THB. Waitresses (not hookers) are 8s, 9s, and 10s. It ain't on Moon Muang or Loi Kroi.

So much do you have invested in this watering hole.

[elektrified]

WTH are you talking about. Leo's good + cheap, Archa is good for a light beer and super cheap, Singha is not bad, Tiger is good. "Chang Draught" is good too (the bottled beer called Chang Draught, which is supposedly the same as the old Carlsberg... confusing name though as this has nothing to do with the regular Chang)

Granted, Beer Lao is excellent. The only problem is it's often quite old. Just buy 2 little bottles - same as one big one, wouldn't you believe it?!

I usually go for Leo because of one thing though: Freshness. If it's less than a month old you'll taste what it's supposed to taste like, and it's way better than an old beer Lao. I guess when going out go to those places that are very busy, or get draft, which is usually much fresher. As my friend the beer brewer - and also his own biggest customer - told me: Beer loses its taste about 1 month after it was bottled. The fresher, the better. That's why draft is a lot better than bottled. Also explains why beers that are just excellent back home are not really all that great once they're here - too old, and preservatives were added.

Plenty of beer options in the LOS. Drink up and stop whining.

Sorry but you have bad taste in beer. I lived in Germany and the Czech Republic where beer is beer! All those Thai brands are terrible. Tiger and Federbrau are just O.K. if you are really thirsty. Beer Lao is excellent in my opinion but too expensive to drink every day. Asahi Japanese beer is a good alternative (but the taste is not for everyone) and not too expensive in Thailand.

[thaimiller]

anything else drinkable? the chiang mai german brewey behind carrefour has great beers, hofbrauhaus in the night bazaar has german beers, redlion has draught guinness, tetleys bottled ciders, german and belgiann beers, benelux has belgian beers, number one bar has draught hoegaaarden..... what takes your fancy?

O'Malleys at the Anusarn market have Dunkel on tap at present,which is apparently produced by the German Brewery. Excellent beer and at a reasonable price.

The german brewery do a drink called rub'n now, which is Dunkel with fresh lime squeezed in to it, it sounds wrong I know, but for some reason it works well, I had 3 half liters last night and they are really good to drink, too good really as it has a pretty good kick to it.

[Pikey]

3 large Tigers for 129 THB. Waitresses (not hookers) are 8s, 9s, and 10s. It ain't on Moon Muang or Loi Kroi.

Yep, plenty of places away from "Farang Central" do good beer promos and have a good atmosphere. Although I am a regular patron, it makes paying 270THB for 3 bottles of Leo at Number 1 a bit mad but then again, variety is the spice of life.

Cheers,

Pikey.

[CobraSnakeNecktie]

Electrified has it right. Czech Republic is to beer what thailand is to pretty girls.

Why do we have to choose? it's not fair !

[elektrified]

anything else drinkable? the chiang mai german brewey behind carrefour has great beers, hofbrauhaus in the night bazaar has german beers, redlion has draught guinness, tetleys bottled ciders, german and belgiann beers, benelux has belgian beers, number one bar has draught hoegaaarden..... what takes your fancy?

O'Malleys at the Anusarn market have Dunkel on tap at present,which is apparently produced by the German Brewery. Excellent beer and at a reasonable price.

The german brewery do a drink called rub'n now, which is Dunkel with fresh lime squeezed in to it, it sounds wrong I know, but for some reason it works well, I had 3 half liters last night and they are really good to drink, too good really as it has a pretty good kick to it.

I forgot about that place behind Carrefour. Yes they do have good beer, but again, too expensive to drink there everyday. Actually the lime in the beer is not so unusual. In Germany they squeeze the juice of a lemon into a glass of Weizenbier - especially in Bavaria.

[heybruce]

Electrified has it right. Czech Republic is to beer what thailand is to pretty girls.

Why do we have to choose? it's not fair !

A bit off topic, but the Czech Republic also has some stunningly beautiful women, it probably produces more Sports Illustrated swimsuit models per capita than any other country. It also has what I consider to be the best pilsner in the world (sorry Germany), but it doesn't travel well, you have to go to Czech Republic to drink it at its best. But the food is boring compared to Thailand.

[noise]

So am I the only one that really wants a hoppy beer, that thinks Singha or Chang would get a significantly greater portion of the beer market if they added an IPA?

[iSabai]

So am I the only one that really wants a hoppy beer, that thinks Singha or Chang would get a significantly greater portion of the beer market if they added an IPA?

An IPA in the hot weather climate of Thailand would be a blessing. I'm a big IPA fan in the summer months back in farangland, the "hoppiness" is a real thirst quencher.

And I like the darker, heartier brews in the colder weather. But we don't have to worry about that here.

Edited October 14, 2010 by iSabai

[OriginalPoster]

So am I the only one that really wants a hoppy beer, that thinks Singha or Chang would get a significantly greater portion of the beer market if they added an IPA?

In Singapore some small importing businesses have occasionally brought in some of the American "West Coast" and Colorado IPAs. From what they tell me, pale lagers and less hoppy pale ales from those same breweries vastly outsell the IPAs and that the IPAs sometimes end up sitting unsold on storeshelves for an inordinate amount of time. I suspect that it would go about the same in Thailand, both because highly-hopped IPA's are a bit of an acquired taste and because less knowledgeable beer drinkers are apt to be put off by the "American Beer" stigma and not even consider buying it in the first place.

Edited October 14, 2010 by OriginalPoster

[betico1]

getting thirsty reading this thread! dunkel in o´malleys sounds interesting. what are we talking for half a litre? been here just over 2 weeks now. chang is already a no-go area because of the hangover, singha doesn´t really taste of anything and i feel bloated after just a couple of big bottles, tiger slightly better. at the moment i have switched to leo but not over-impressed. may try to hunt down a lao bar tonight. any suggestions before i head out? think i was spoilt at the beer festival at j j market last saturday. quality

[elektrified]

Electrified has it right. Czech Republic is to beer what thailand is to pretty girls.

Why do we have to choose? it's not fair !

A bit off topic, but the Czech Republic also has some stunningly beautiful women, it probably produces more Sports Illustrated swimsuit models per capita than any other country. It also has what I consider to be the best pilsner in the world (sorry Germany), but it doesn't travel well, you have to go to Czech Republic to drink it at its best. But the food is boring compared to Thailand.

heybruce is absolutely correct on all counts.

[jayjay0]

anything else drinkable? the chiang mai german brewey behind carrefour has great beers, hofbrauhaus in the night bazaar has german beers, redlion has draught guinness, tetleys bottled ciders, german and belgiann beers, benelux has belgian beers, number one bar has draught hoegaaarden..... what takes your fancy?

You forgot the root beer at Tops

Sorry couldn't resist. My experience is that after two what's the difference.

Edited November 14, 2010 by jayjay0