Expensive imported beer at half price

[Chicog]

Apparently Beer Republic are trying to empty some kegs and are doing 2 for 1.

Something for you beer lovers to get stuck into.

[Flanno]

It's probably beer which is past it's used by date.

[Chicog]

I doubt it from them, but probably about to.

[PostmanPat]

From my experiences there, a couple of times, Beer Republic sell expensive imported draft keg beers in poor condition, and charge high prices for it. What I witnessed there was a predominantly local clientele paying ludicrous prices and thinking it was so cool to drink flat beer !!

If you served beer in that condition in any of the modern micro brewery English pubs you would be out of business in no time at all.

[daoyai]

I have been there on a number of occasions and never had beer in a bad condition, pricey yes but so are all imports, the London Pride sure tasted good on my last visit. They also have some good pizza, the margarita is pizza is only 120 baht. Have not heard of a the 2 for 1 offer but that sounds tempting.

[Chicog]

It was a one off last night. I was there last week and the beers are fine. Many of them anyway

[bangmai]

There is a glut of old beer right now in Chiang Mai. Looks like they had weak sales during Songkran, because there is still a lot from April, on the market shelves. I know the owner of BR, and he is a good guy, but prices are too high, and they have problems serving the different kinds of beer. TripAdvisor reviews say the same thing. AYCD Tiger for 115 thb is two blocks away. Dayli is doing 3 large Leo for 139 including ice bucket, but they were old last time I was in, and they seem to have discontinued the use of their freezer. The compressors on the refrigeration systems aren't built to be running in a super hot climate. I used to get about four warnings per year with my electric bill in Phoenix about running a second refrigerator in an unairconditioned garage...it's very costly and wears out the compressor. The outside venues, should just get the big coffin coolers and load them up. I've just about given up on getting a cold one here..most of it should be served at 2-3c....not 10c.

According to TripAdvisor, HOBS is finished.....

Edited July 30, 2015 by bangmai

[daoyai]

Bangmai, if you know the owner of BR then you know is a she, not a he... and yes, there is cheap Thai beer available all over town.

[WinnieTheKhwai]

[LarryBird]

I'm with you Winnie, and I've been pretty much been saying that all along.. Maybe just some beers taste less bad then others..

I do enjoy the occasional Erdingher, which I had at Beer Republik, and found it to be very flat. As others have mentioned, there's no complaining in Thailand, you just take your lousy beer, and don't go back next time.

[daoyai]

2 posters have commented on flat beer and the assumption that is indicitive of freshness or staleness. It is not an indicator, most if not all modern keg beer is flat, that is cabonation is injected as it is dispensed and is actually the process to get the beer out of the keg, so no co2, no beer.

Some people like their beer "flat" with a foamy "head" (Germans and Irish come to mind) so in pouring the staff is instructed to pour directly to the bottom of the glass, foaming the beer and depleting the co2 bubbles. I don't like that style at all and like lots of carbonation in the beer.

I instruct the wait staff to tip my glass and slowly fill the glass to preserve the bubbles. I actually got rebuffed by a bartender once, saying he was ordered by the boss to pour "correctly" the very expensive Irish beer making it flat with a foamy head and he implied I was some kind of unsophistcate (true) for wanting it poured incorectly. They won the argument and lost a customer.

BR staff will pour it the way you want it but you may have to stand by to make sure, for that kind of money you should get what you want !... by the way I really like the taste of good beer and wine. Thai beer tastes ok when the air temp is around 40 the beer is ice cold and you have spicy food to make you thirsty.

[bangmai]

There is a distinct difference between beer that is poured with the glass tilted and a beer that has been left out overnight, or one that has been in an opened keg for two months. Three mentions of flatness right here, so it is obviously an issue. I also agree that ice cold Thai beer is great on a hot day, just like Mexican beer, however, it must be served ice cold, and that is where the local places aren't doing a very good job. Kind of like it taking them 15 minutes to bring you two standard hamburgers at Mcdonald's..."sorry, I made my order so complicated." You go into a bar, and 90% of their business is Thai beer, it's hot as <deleted> outside, and they bring you a warm one in a marginally clean glass. What's next? Are they going to let stray dogs roam the streets, at will?

[PostmanPat]

In defence of Bangmai, yes, the "owner" of beer republic "is a woman", we all know that, but the power behind the throne (ie the money!) is the Spanish bloke. "English beer" or "Irish beer" is NOT served flat, as one poster suggests, it is served fresh ( very important!) and carbonated to just the right extent, a skill in itself which all pub keepers in UK have otherwise they wont be in business long.

The concept somebody mentions of standing over the pourer instructing how to pour it absolutely proves my point that the people at BR are running a beer based bar but without the necessary skills to keep the beer in good condition. I m sad to say that Beer Republic mimics the concept of a beer bar/ pub, but clearly neither they nor their staff have the first idea how to maintain "a good cellar" as it is known in normal pubs.

I repeat, 300 baht for a flat non fresh beer......someones having a laugh.....at the customers expense !!!

[daoyai]

Well postman, as your first sentence in the post above clearly shows you are basing your assumptions on a steriotypical situation that does not apply here.

Obviously imported beer will never be as fresh as the pub in the old sod nor at an Oregon micro brewpub. BR will probably have the freshest offerings in town and the most knowlegable staff also ..., I mentioned that if you want your beer poured "American style" you need to keep an eye on the bar guy, no big deal. are you not aware that the big head pour will result in a flatter beer? whatever, I'm bored enjoy your self ritcheous grumpiness dude.

[bangmai]

Let me make two serving suggestions for beer:

1) Draft...

about 3c..in a clean glass..3 USD per pint HH prices in one of the highest COL areas of the US.

2) Bottles.....

8 200ml bottles in a bucket, with your own opener attached to the bucket, and a wrought iron stand to hold the bucket. 4.50 USD for a bucket of 8. (Sonora, Mexico).

Edited July 31, 2015 by bangmai

[LarryBird]

Thanks for getting bored, Daoyai. It's nice that we can have someone on here that can defend any situation, whether it be poor service, or poor quality of product. Whatever the reason for a lousy beer is, blame it on the customer, that has probably drank 50 zillion beers, and just might know a terrible beer when served one.

[bangmai]

Thanks for getting bored, Daoyai. It's nice that we can have someone on here that can defend any situation, whether it be poor service, or poor quality of product. Whatever the reason for a lousy beer is, blame it on the customer, that has probably drank 50 zillion beers, and just might know a terrible beer when served one.

Yeah, really, I've only been drinking since Nixon was President, and also have worked at a restaurant and a country club. Perhaps, Daoyai can tell us just how long is an opened keg good for?

[PostmanPat]

In answer to daoyai, an opened keg does have a very limited lifespan. Once opened it relies on a regular flow of customers drinking it, probably over a couple of days, otherwise it tends to go off ( flat ). Thats why generally large keg beers dont work here. It works with the Guinness at UN Irish and The Pub because they have both a very regular flow of customers drinking it and more importantly they have someone who knows how to look after it.

At Beer Republic, their emphasis is on "cool and trendy" not on the important practicality outlined above. Put simply, you cant pipe up a keg and leave it for a week or two because it doesnt last that long. Last time I tried BR ( to see if it had improved ) I had a pint of Greene King ( English draft beer ) and to use the old cliche "it was as flat as a fart" , virtually undrinkable and 320 baht cost!

However, when I was in there, Chinese tourists and Thai students were drinking similar, seemingly enjoying it because.....drinking English draft beer is obviously so cool, and they had no idea what they were drinking was crap.....a classic case of "the emperors new clothes" in action !!

....and before anyone suggests that I m some kind of "beer bore" absolutely I m not, I drink local beers much of the time, I just think that when a place sets up as a pub trading draft beers it should make sure its product is sold in the best condition, as you would expect with food bought fresh in a supermarket.

Edited July 31, 2015 by PostmanPat

[piewarmer]

Beware of the date stamps when buying cartons of imported beer. Beer has a short shelf life and I have found It has often gone off in the bottle.

Local beer seems to turn over quickly, so no worries.

[Sparkles]

I've been drinking beer for over 50 years and can't remember ever having a bad one.I obviously have no taste.

[JaseTheBass]

I have been there on a number of occasions and never had beer in a bad condition, pricey yes but so are all imports, the London Pride sure tasted good on my last visit. They also have some good pizza, the margarita is pizza is only 120 baht. Have not heard of a the 2 for 1 offer but that sounds tempting.

The cooler isn't set up up properly on the London Pride and it tastes terrible. Storing real ale in the outside temperature then plunging it down to 3-5 deg doesn't work. The beer should be stored much cooler, but it's impossible for most places in Thailand as they have never been set up to serve ales.

I always get the bottles as they are much better.

[JaseTheBass]

In answer to daoyai, an opened keg does have a very limited lifespan. Once opened it relies on a regular flow of customers drinking it, probably over a couple of days, otherwise it tends to go off ( flat ). Thats why generally large keg beers dont work here. It works with the Guinness at UN Irish and The Pub because they have both a very regular flow of customers drinking it and more importantly they have someone who knows how to look after it.

At Beer Republic, their emphasis is on "cool and trendy" not on the important practicality outlined above. Put simply, you cant pipe up a keg and leave it for a week or two because it doesnt last that long. Last time I tried BR ( to see if it had improved ) I had a pint of Greene King ( English draft beer ) and to use the old cliche "it was as flat as a fart" , virtually undrinkable and 320 baht cost!

However, when I was in there, Chinese tourists and Thai students were drinking similar, seemingly enjoying it because.....drinking English draft beer is obviously so cool, and they had no idea what they were drinking was crap.....a classic case of "the emperors new clothes" in action !!

....and before anyone suggests that I m some kind of "beer bore" absolutely I m not, I drink local beers much of the time, I just think that when a place sets up as a pub trading draft beers it should make sure its product is sold in the best condition, as you would expect with food bought fresh in a supermarket.

5 days max for keg beers. Another consideration is that the pipes are cleaned irregularly (should be done every day and every time a keg is changed), usually every couple of weeks here by the beer suppliers, not the pub staff/owners.

I have given up on the draft ales here as they rarely work unless it's in a place with a high turnover and where the owners know what they're doing.

[heybruce]

I have been there on a number of occasions and never had beer in a bad condition, pricey yes but so are all imports, the London Pride sure tasted good on my last visit. They also have some good pizza, the margarita is pizza is only 120 baht. Have not heard of a the 2 for 1 offer but that sounds tempting.

The cooler isn't set up up properly on the London Pride and it tastes terrible. Storing real ale in the outside temperature then plunging it down to 3-5 deg doesn't work. The beer should be stored much cooler, but it's impossible for most places in Thailand as they have never been set up to serve ales.

I always get the bottles as they are much better.

Bottles don't do that well when stored at outside temperatures or hotter either.

There are many things I like about Thailand, but beer quality and selection isn't one of them. Not that that keeps me from drinking it.

[JaseTheBass]

Bottles do better than draught as they chill slower. One does occasionally get a dodgy bottle, but it's better than always getting a poor draught ale. Unless of course you enjoy your ale with the texture of a lager.

[haybilly]

Totally Off-Topic comment--I just got back from a trip to UK and, wow, is it good to drink Cider at sensible prices once again--Cider is something I rarely drink in Thailand and forgot how much I missed it.

[bangmai]

I have been there on a number of occasions and never had beer in a bad condition, pricey yes but so are all imports, the London Pride sure tasted good on my last visit. They also have some good pizza, the margarita is pizza is only 120 baht. Have not heard of a the 2 for 1 offer but that sounds tempting.

The cooler isn't set up up properly on the London Pride and it tastes terrible. Storing real ale in the outside temperature then plunging it down to 3-5 deg doesn't work. The beer should be stored much cooler, but it's impossible for most places in Thailand as they have never been set up to serve ales.

I always get the bottles as they are much better.

and I think that is where a lot of the trouble began. In London, a cellar is going to be fairly cool year-around. It's much cooler in general, and many don't have a/c. The beer is a lot more suitable to be consumed at a more moderate temp.. San Francisco is world famous for salami because it can be aged with zero artificial cooling or heating. But anyway, you try to adapt that to Thailand and you get a big fail. Very few cellars, anywhere, and room temp is probably 15c warmer on average year around, than London. So it is going to take a whole lotta effort, some good knowledge, and a big client base to drink it fast enough...I doubt it sits more than a day or two in London, which is about how long a bar keg would last in the US, too. And then there is this thing called Excise Tax and Customs.....if you ever have been in either of their offices, it will surely give you nightmares. So the deck is stacked against the bar and the customer. I've never had any problems with a cold fresh Tiger, in a clean frosty glass, and I think if some of you actual had a Leo that was only a few days old, served the same way, you would start demanding more of your sellers.

[dickyknee]

I have been there on a number of occasions and never had beer in a bad condition, pricey yes but so are all imports, the London Pride sure tasted good on my last visit. They also have some good pizza, the margarita is pizza is only 120 baht. Have not heard of a the 2 for 1 offer but that sounds tempting.

The cooler isn't set up up properly on the London Pride and it tastes terrible. Storing real ale in the outside temperature then plunging it down to 3-5 deg doesn't work. The beer should be stored much cooler, but it's impossible for most places in Thailand as they have never been set up to serve ales.

I always get the bottles as they are much better.

I've never had a problem with the quality of the beer, though last time I did have issue with the service.

Service there kinda reminded me of the short film "the plank"

[BestBitterPhuket]

Who says beer has a short shelf life. I am storing some strong beers for years, british barley wine and Belgian strong beers. They age like wine. The "best before" date on some of them is July 2028. Doesn't work with hoppy beers or beers with low abv.

[bangmai]

Who says beer has a short shelf life. I am storing some strong beers for years, british barley wine and Belgian strong beers. They age like wine. The "best before" date on some of them is July 2028. Doesn't work with hoppy beers or beers with low abv.

or beers that come in a green bottle, or beers that are exposed to heat, or beers that are exposed to light, or bottles with the standard caps that rust under certain conditions.....other than that, they can be good for years.

Edited August 6, 2015 by bangmai

[heybruce]

Who says beer has a short shelf life. I am storing some strong beers for years, british barley wine and Belgian strong beers. They age like wine. The "best before" date on some of them is July 2028. Doesn't work with hoppy beers or beers with low abv.

or beers that come in a green bottle, or beers that are exposed to heat, or beers that are exposed to light, or bottles with the standard caps that rust under certain conditions.....other than that, they can be good for years.

Any beers with a pronounced flavor from the aromatic hops, the ones added near to end of the boiling of the wort or after, will have a limited shelf life for peak flavor. How limited depends on how it is stored, but heat causes the complex molecules that give the aromatic flavor to break down quickly.

The aromatic hop flavor is generally associated with craft pale ales, though I've noticed it in some exceptional fresh pilsners in the Czech Republic. Your best bet for finding examples of this type of pale ale is at the Beer Box on Nimmanhamin soi 9, but they aren't cheap.

Most beers also use bittering hops added early in the boil of the wort. Bittering hops were originally used in beer making because they act as preservatives, people later learned to like the flavor. I assume barley wine and (probably) Belgian strong beers use bittering hops but little or no aromatics, they would be wasted. These beers last much longer than lower alcohol beers, and need some time to mellow in the bottle. However even they require proper storage, no beer does well in tropical heat.

If you love your beer, keep it cool from the time it leaves the brewery until the time it enters your mouth.