Thai beer

[dazdaz]

Is there a good list on Thai beers?  Perhaps an online review?  Reading about beer online whets my intellectual appetite and makes me want to know more about what's available.

[Rinrada]

I believe strongly in supporting the Thai economy while staying in Thailand by buying Thai products.

So, if you are a beer drinker you should please drink a lot of Thai beer!

[Rinrada]

To follow up on the No 1 Subject..

Thai Beers FYI..

(with thanks to whoever posted to me)

Again for YIO...I cannot confirm exact prices but they should be considered a guide....

Beer is Thailand's most popular alcoholic drink and is available just about everywhere .

At one time there were not many to choose from with Singha beer being dominant but now that has changed and the position now is held by a  majority to be Beer Chang, brewed by Carlsberg.

The fact that is is about 30% cheaper and also stronger prob.helps..

Beers are sold in large, ml, and small ml, bottles as well as in small, ml, cans.

Fresh beer or draught is also available.

Here is a list with a price indication from a local store in "oop Narth".  

50% of the price of a beer is Government tax.

Amstel Brewed under licence from the Netherlands.

Maltier taste. 5% abv.  

630ml Bottle  35B

330 ml Bottle 27B

330 ml Can    27B

Black Beer Dark beer which is sweet to the taste. 6.5% abv. 630ml Bottle  38B

n/a

330ml Can     23B

Becks European brewed under licence from Germany. 6% abv.

640ml Bottle  38B

330ml Bottle  33B

330ml Can     33B

Carlsberg Brewed under licence from the Danes. 5% abv.

630ml Bottle 58 B

n/a

330ml Can   33B

Chang Strong malty taste.Brewed by Carlsberg/Thai company.

6%abv. Currently number one in Thailand

640ml Bottle 35B

n/a

330ml Can 20B

Heineken Brewed under licence from the Netherlands. 5% abv.

640ml Bottle 58B

330 ml Bottle 35B

330 ml Can   35B

Kloster Long standing Thai beer. Cleaner taste. 5%abv.

640ml Bottle 58B

330ml Bottle 35B

330ml Can    35B

Leo The new beer from Boon Rawd Co. Malty taste. 5%abv. 630ml Bottle 38B

n/a

330ml Can    20B

Mittweida German style beer brewed under licence. Has only about 1% of the market share. 5%abv.

630ml Bottle 55B

330ml Bottle 32B

Can n/a

Singha Beer or Beer Sing locally. Long standing beer but has lost it's number one slot since competition was introduced. Tastes good. 6% abv.

630ml Bottle 47B

330 ml Bottle 27 B

330 ml Can 28

Super Lion Stronger tasting beer. Similar to Chang but brewed by Boon Rawd Co. 6%abv.

630ml Bottle 38B

n/a

330ml Can 20B

Imported beers such as Miller, Fosters,Tiger,VB,Guiness and Bud etc are expensive because they are heavily taxed and can sell for over 100Bt for a small bottle so end up sitting on shelves gathering dust!

Chiangmai also has a 'local' beer that is brewed in front of you at the new Chiangmai German Brewery.

-Any more Information please?

They make four different beers there including a dark beer and a wheat beer under the guidance of a German Brewmaster. Mr Felix.

Most bars catering for foreigners will serve the smaller bottles whilst Thai bars will serve the large ones. Prices for beer in bars and restaurants are higher than stores how much higher is up 2 you.

Street stands are not much more expensive than the prices listed here for a local store.

Thai people like to add ice to their beer in glasses.

[george]

Boon Rawd claims beer gains through white-liquor changes

Boon Rawd Brewery, the manufacturer of Singha, Leo and Thai beers, says it is making large advances on its major competitor, Beer Thai (1991).

Boon Rawd has consistently claimed that Beer Thai (1991), the manufacturer of Chang Beer, subsidises the price of its lager with sales from traditional white liquor, known as lao khao.

“Since the last four months of last year, we [boon Rawd] have increased our sales by nearly 15 per cent on average in our major products – Singha, Leo and Thai Beer,” Chutchai Wiratyosin, Boon Rawd Trading’s marketing manager, said.

And he expects better sales figures for the past two months – up by a further 5 per cent.

Chutchai said Leo topped the figures for its three major brands, recording increased sales of more than 15 per cent, while both Singha and Thai Beer sales were up 10 per cent.

Chang, owned by liquor tycoon Charoen Siriwadhanabhakdi, has allegedly been keeping its retail beer prices down by subsidising it with profits from its sales of white liquor.

Chang manufacturer, Beer Thai (1991) Co, is part of Charoen’s Sura Maharas Group, which dominates the white liquor market.

But recent government encouragement for rural people to make their own white liquor products – which were previously illegal – looks set to eventually affect the price of Sura Maharas’ white liquor.

“Without surplus profit from lao khao, Chang won’t be able to subsidise its beer,” Chutchai said. He added that Boon Rawd had offered to support nationwide distribution of traditional white liquors so that a “real price” market could be established. Chutchai said the company’s intention to support production of traditional white spirits in many areas of Thailand also aimed to promote fair prices in the beer market.

The move was the brainchild of Rangsarid Luxsitanonda, Boon Rawd’s vice president and advertising and public relations director.

“We currently have between four to five groups of white-spirit makers with about 100 individual members in each group,” said Chutchai.

He said the members were rural white-spirit makers who lived throughout Thailand including in the North, Northeast, South, and Central regions, as well as Bangkok and its outskirts.

Boon Rawd’s support would cover branding, packaging and nationwide distribution, as well as modern production technology, Chutchai said.

“We [boon Rawd] currently have many choices of brand name being registered and are ready to provide these to groups of white liquor-makers for free,” he said.

Some of the brand names included groups such as Kai (Cock), under which labels Kai Fah, Kai Chon, and Kai Chae may appear. Another group would be known as the In See (Eagle) group and would include brands such as In See Daeng (Red Eagle) and In See Thong (Golden Eagle).

Another group would be known as “Hero” and include Green Hero, Red Hero and Blue Hero. Each specific brand would represent a different degree (or strength) of white liquor such as in 40 degree, 35 degree and 28 degree.

Chutchai said the project was already proving quite successful in Buri Ram province, and that project may become a pilot for other white liquor-making areas.

“It has been proven that in the provinces local villagers are quite strong at making their own white liquor products, and sales of Chang beer have declined dramatically,” he said. But in some provinces sales of white liquor were not so strong, he said, such as Phrae, Mukdahan, and Ubon Ratchathani.

In those areas, he said Chang beer was still selling very cheaply, at about Bt320 per dozen, lower than the factory price of Bt400.

Kwanchai Rungfapaisarn,

The Nation 2003-04-17

[SoCalGirl]

From what I remember of my last visit to Phrae, the locals drink Beer Chang - it does the job and tastes pretty good.  Singha, on the other hand, contains formaldehyde ... which is probably what made me so sick ...

socalgirl

[fester]

From what I remember of my last visit to Phrae, the locals drink Beer Chang - it does the job and tastes pretty good.  

Beer Chang is for the professionals like you, then.

Cheers!

[Rinrada]

One for the Road-Soi-Thanon-

Boon Rawd

Singha Lager

ABV 6% • Vol 330 ml • bottle • Thailand • Mid-price • Flavour 6.5

Brewed in Bangkok, this is the most well-known and widely available of Thailand's beers. A strongish lager, it pours with a fine-bubbled head that lasts moderately well. Aroma is hoppy, grassy and malty, with a touch of caramel. Hops follow through into the mouth, although it is not especially bitter and is reasonably well balanced by the underlying malt body. There is a warming alcohol hit on the back of the throat, although otherwise it tastes comfortably below its ABV. The malt comes through again in the aftertaste, accompanied by the grassy Saaz hop notes, plus a touch of sweetness. A pleasant lager - it works very well with spicy food as one might expect, with the extra strength and hoppiness helping to cut through the strong flavours. All in all, a cut above the average pilsner-clone and well worth trying.

Chang

Beer Chang

ABV % • Vol 330 ml • bottle • Thailand • Cheap • Flavour 6

Purchased in Thailand, the lack of information in English on the label of this beer means that we are unsure of the brewery name. 'Chang' means 'Elephant', hence the pictures on the label, but this beer shouldn't be confused with the much stronger and darker Carlsberg Elephant Beer (we'd guess the strength of Chang at about 5%). It pours with a bubbly head that shrinks rapidly. Nose is of grassy hops, with a touch of light malt, along with a light lemony note. It has a vegetal, tinny hop character in the mouth, and it is quite bitter but nevertheless fairly thin. A light caramel note is present in the finish, which leaves a cloying aftertaste. It's actually not too bad - well-hopped and refreshing, with enough balance in the finish to make up for the lightness of the body.

TAB Pathumthani (Kloster Brauerei)

Kloster Bier

ABV % • Vol 330 or 500 ml • bottle • Thailand • Expensive • Flavour 6

This is brewed in Thailand under licence and 'close supervision' of Kloster Brauerei - both the bottle and the lid carry Kloster's 'ugly lion' logo (our nickname, not theirs ...). It is a very pale lager, with a reasonable, fine-bubbled but short-lived head. The aroma is hoppy, with a light 'new-mown hay' signature, suggestive of Saaz hops. In the mouth it is quite malty, but with grassy hops still present. It is clean tasting - clearly brewed for drinking in the heat. No strength is given on the label, but we would guess around 4-5% ABV. To be critical, it lacks depth, but there is a reasonable amount of hop character and it is clean and refreshing. The beer is priced in Thailand as a premium beer (slightly higher than the well-known and ubiquitous Singha). It is definitely worth trying in the correct context (hot climate and spicy food), but otherwise nothing special.

ADD A COMMENT TO THIS BEER

http://www.bottledbeer.co.uk/beer.asp?BeerID=923

:cool:

[george]

The best beer (Chang) will be listed soon at SET!

No IPO for us supporters???

Beer Chang to be listed on Thai Stock Exchange

http://www.thaivisa.com/index.php?514&backPID=10&tt_news=272

Singha??

[Curious George]

I don't see any mention of Phuket Island Lager distributed by Island Pride Co., Ltd. under contract from Thai Amarit Brewery, Bangkok. I've never had it, but it is supposed to be packaged in 330 ml bottles, having 5% abv.

Does anyone know if this is still available?

[pschef]

Just for information, I think Ammarit is a very good beer. No it is not so available in other parts of Thailand, Shame on you Ammarit.

I was told recently that beer Chang is not even brewed in Thailand, but is in fact shipped here in Frozen consentrate? However it tastes Okay and is very affordable. Most Thai people drink this beer, I guess more because of the price than the taste?  

[TLok]

SoCal Girl you've fallen for an urban legend NO BEER contains formaldahyde (sp?) that is brewed in mass. Not only is it toxic it would be a very expensive additive and ruin the taste

[poohbah]

A few years ago a batch or 3 (probably more) was found to contain formaldihyde. I think Singha is one of the worst beers here. It has a bloody terrible after taste. Ick!

We're a Chang household.

[Rinrada]

Yeah I remember I am sure I drunk them....Zonk.

[pschef]

Funny I tend to agree with SoCalGirl, some Thai beers make me feel a little off. I guess we just need to be careful how much we consume? I see no body has diputed the fact about my point, Frozen consentrate beer? Where exactly in Thailand do we grow Hops Etc, the products used to brew beer? maybe they are imported too?:laugh:

[pizzaman]

At home I drink Chang beer, and I like it!

At tennis-court we drink beer Leo, and I like it!

My friend always have Thai-beer at home, and I like it!

Sometimes restaurants have only Singha beer, and I like it!

Some pubs have Carlsberg draft, and I like it.

Tryed Super-Lion, and I liked it!

Tryed the dark beer, whatever it was called, and I liked it!

I like beer!

[sanook2me]

Number one beer for me is Leo, wish they'd serve it in more restaruants. I hate the waste of time looking at menus, and then been told "mai mee" klosters-amstell-mittweida-

oh mee chang oh mee singha.... oh i'll have a whiskey then!

pizza man i agree with you, but i'm on a diet and a health kick so i've switched to whiskey!!  ha-ha

[drbones666]

SoCal Girl you've fallen for an urban legend NO BEER contains formaldahyde (sp?) that is brewed in mass. Not only is it toxic it would be a very expensive additive and ruin the taste

What's in those cans beside beer?

------------------------------------------------------------------------

From:Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering at Notre Dame

  It can now be revealed why bottled beer and beer from a tap tastes different from beer in a can.

Be forewarned: if you're a six-pack enthusiast, you're not going to like the explanation.

When you sip a can of your favorite brew, you are savoring not only fermented grain and hops but just a hint of the same preservative that kept the frog you dissected in 10th-grade biology class lily-pad fresh: formaldehyde.

What is formaldehyde doing in beer? The same thing it's doing in pop and other food and drink packaged in steel and aluminum cans: killing bacteria. But not the bacteria in the drink, the bacteria that attacks a lubricant used in the manufacture of the can.

Notre Dame's Steven R. Schmid, associate professor of aerospace and mechanical engineering, is an expert in tribology — the study of friction, wear and the lubrication — applied to manufacturing and machine design. The co-author of two textbooks, Fundamentals of Machine Elements and Manufacturing Engineering and Technology (considered the bible of manufacturing engineering), Schmid has conducted extensive research on the manufacturing processes used in the production of beverage and other kinds of cans.

Schmid explains that back in the 1940s, when brewers and other beverage makers began putting drinks in steel (and, later, aluminum) cans, the can makers added formaldehyde to a milk-like mixture of 95 percent water and 5 percent oil that's employed in the can manufacturing process. The mixture, called an emulsion, bathes the can material and the can-shaping tooling, cooling and lubricating both.

Additives in the oil part are certain bacteria's favorite food. But if the bacteria eat the emulsion, it won’t work as a lubricant anymore. So can makers add a biocide to the emulsion to kill the bacteria.

Before a can is filled and the top attached, this emulsion is rinsed off, but a small residue of the oil-water mixture is inevitably left behind, including trace amounts of the biocide. The amounts remaining are not enough to be a health hazard, but they are enough to taste, and the first biocide used back in the 1940s was formaldehyde.

In the decades since, can makers have devised new formulas for emulsions, always with an eye toward making them more effective, more environmentally friendly and less costly. But because formaldehyde was in the original recipe, people got used to their canned Budweiser or whatever having a hint of the famous preservative's flavor. For this reason, Schmid says, every new emulsion formula since then has had to be made to taste like formaldehyde, "or else people aren't going to accept it." Extensive tests are run to make sure the lubricant and additives taste like formaldehyde.

"It's not that it tastes okay. It's just what people are used to tasting," he says. (Miller Genuine Draft and similar brews, Schmid says, use biocides that have no flavor.)

The formaldehyde flavor legacy is one little-known aspect of can-making. Another involves the smooth coating applied to the inside of cans. The rinse cycle that attempts to wash off the emulsion also aims to remove particulate metal debris that forms on the metal's surface during the bending and shaping of a can. Like the emulsion, some of the microscopic debris always remains after rinsing. Unlike the emulsion, it can be dangerous to swallow.

To keep powdered metal out of a can's contents, Schmid says, manufacturers spray-coat the inside with a polymer dissolved in a solvent. When the can is heated, the solvent boils away, leaving only the protective polymer coating.

The coating not only plasters any microscopic debris to the can wall and away from the food, it keeps the food from interacting with can material, an especially important consideration with steel cans.

"Say you've got tomato soup in this steel can. You don't want that acidic soup corroding your can. It would kill your can, and the can would adulterate your food," Schmid says. "It's also why you're advised that when you go camping and you have Spaghettios you don't cook them in the can, because the polymer will degrade and you're going to be eating polymer." (Industry sources tell Schmid that the typical consequences of such a culinary blunder are headaches and constipation.)

Schmid says can manufacturers are forever searching for ways to improve efficiency in their struggle to stay price competitive with plastic and glass bottles. A single can-tooling machine can form 400 cans a minute. In a typical process, all but the top is shaped during a single stroke through a disk of aluminum or steel. The top, seamed on after filling, is made of a more expensive aluminum alloy, rich in magnesium. The added ductile strength of the magnesium is necessary so another machine can mash down a pillar of the metal to form the rivet that attaches the pop top. Today's beverage cans are "necked" near the top for a reason. The narrower-diameter means less of the expensive lid alloy is needed. It saves a minuscule fraction of a cent per can, but it adds up, Schmid says.

"In this country alone we use about a can per person per day, so you have to make 250 million cans per day. It's an amazing thing to watch these machines kick out these cans."

The cost of a can accounts for only about 4 cents of the price of a canned beverage, Schmid says. About 10 cents goes for advertising. The 12 ounces of beverage in the container typically costs less than a penny to produce.

— Ed Cohen  

 

 

[wowpow]

The beer of choice seems to be Heineken though other beers outsell it as they are cheaper.

Thailand seems to hve been very fortunate in it's beer quality. Singha is a strong, very good, well made and tasting beer. All foreign breweries setting up in Thailand had to at least produce as good a beer to be successful - not a problem for the Dutch breweries but Carlsberg just copied Singha successfully.

Coming from the UK it great to have so many excellent beers around. Coming from the US it must be fantastic.

[Rinrada]

All the help I can get-FYIO

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[ajahnlau]

Chang beer is the stongest beer made[6%],that's partially why it's so popular with the poorer Thais. The other reasons are cheapest and availability. Many small shops out in Nakon Nowhere stock it only because they have to take it so they can get the lao kao. A couple years back when I worked for Big C they used to blow out Chang out the back door for about 10 bht a bottle to reduce stocks. Really not a good tasting beer and don't drink it because it's a few baht cheaper.

[markt]

Boon Rawd Brewery, the manufacturer of Singha, Leo and Thai beers, says it is making large advances on its major competitor, Beer Thai (1991).

Boon Rawd has consistently claimed that Beer Thai (1991), the manufacturer of Chang Beer, subsidises the price of its lager with sales from traditional white liquor, known as lao khao.

I've just been trawling through past topics and saw this one.

I met Jutinant Phirompakdi,  president of Boon Rawd , and i asked him why is it, when i go up to Korart, the village shops that used to sell nothing but Singha now sell only Chang ?

He said it was because Beer Thai gave away free soda water to the shops to entice them to sell Chang instead of Singha.

[chonabot]

It's nice to see the consumers have a choice...

[markt]

And what a choice.  

First time i went to Thailand you could only get Singha, Gold and Kloster.  

[chonabot]

I chose Mekhong...with lots of coke   )

[markt]

Mekhong ?  Strewth!

What is it about a word and memories ?

Sitting at Best Friend bar, couple of friends with me.  One drinks mekhong/coke.  I try it, it's OK.   Buy a bottle.  

It's all good, man.  

Next thing i'm waking up in strange hotel bedroom with Tui.

        :cool:

[chonabot]

Tui?  That's the bird who owns the big travel company innit?

[markt]

I wish!  

I saw her a few times after that.  Then one day i went round her place and she was in the room with a policeman.  

Put me right off.  

[chonabot]

Dixon of Dock Green?

[Axel]

I have no problems with local beer. My favorite pub has Singha draught, which is ok. They also got Warsteiner, from Germany, on tab, believe their advertising is better than the beer itself. There's KLOSTER's (bottled) sounds from Europe, but only availble in Thailand. Like Singha they also use rice besides of hop and malt. I have no problem with beer, when I drink it, I get drunk, when I am drunk, I fall asleep, when I sleep NO PROBLEM.

BTW overheard this converstation the other night in Sukh Soi 5, believe from down under.  I pass it on, after all it's Saturday afternoon:

"Bruce, my wife says I don't use enough lubricant before we have sex."

"Exactly how many beers are you drinking before you root her?"

[markt]

Blimey!  That ain't my old mate Bob, is it ?