After doing my last post and looking up some info on Chinese beer, I found this article from CnnGo. If you've never checked out CnnGo, you should. It's a treasure trove of all sorts of interesting things on Asia and has a very extensive and varied range of topics on all things China. My husband and I have tried most of these beers listed, except for Naale beer, at least that I can remember. Sinkiang Black beer is our favorite on the list and we drank Tsingtao most of the time because it was cheap (2.5 rmb for a big bottle). Do you agree with this list? What's your favorite?
Guide to the best, and worst, Chinese beers
By Hunter Braithwaite 18 November, 2010
John Lennon once said that French rock was like English wine. Chinese beer is like both, and also like Chinese wine. But we keep coming back for more.
There is a hierarchy of price, taste, and most importantly, alcohol content.
To save you kuais and calories, here are the most popular local beers, the best, the worst, and, dare we say, the tastiest.
Naale Stoutbeer
Alcohol content: 4.5 percent
Most frequently spotted at: Your local bodega
Most frequently spotted at: Your local bodega
This baby don’t go down easy. Described by a local beer drinker as “Pittsburgh factory weather runoff,” this is like the backwash of an actual stout, yet it remains popular.
With hints of chocolate, coffee, and indiscriminate metal that could be melted into bullets, it’s still one of the most popular and readily available in town. Your guess is as good as ours as to the reason people keep drinking this stuff.
What it says about you: You’re an adventurous son of the British Empire.
Naale White Beer
Alcohol content: 3.3 percent
Most frequently spotted at: Your local bodega
Most frequently spotted at: Your local bodega
The albino cousin of the stout, if you’re not interested in taste, and not interested in catching much of a buzz, then this is your best friend. Like many of its fellow white beers, this one's unsatisfying and smells like fermented coconut milk.
At least the nationalist graphic label design gives you something to ponder while drinking. This beer, if nothing else, is proud of how boring it is.
What it says about you: You like boring beer and you need more variety in your life.
Snow
We'll probably catch you and your bros chugging on some of these after your skate "seshes." Why? Duh, there’s a rock climber on the can.
So technically it’s for rock climbers. But since Shanghai doesn't have many cliffs, unless you count the odd skyscraper, skaters embrace the next best extreme sport. Characterized by its chilled watery froth, this beer beats all on a hot day.
What it says about you: You're a sidewalk surfer, or maybe fruitbooter.
Suntory
Alcohol content: 3.6 percent
Most frequently spotted at: Where is it not spotted?
Most frequently spotted at: Where is it not spotted?
This beer is omnipresent and cheap. It’s well carbonated, well balanced, and the label harks back to Japanese woodblock printing. It’s usually cheaper than Tsingtao, and comparable in taste, so this is usually what people reach for.
What it says about you: You drink beer.
Tsingtao
Alcohol content: 3.3 percent (although there are several different varieties)
Most frequently spotted at: On overpriced drink menus.
Most frequently spotted at: On overpriced drink menus.
The most frequently mispronounced words in Mandarin, Tsingtao is a staple. Hoppier than Suntory, but also more expensive and less potent, Tsingtao is resting on its laurels.
The beer also has better international distribution, so people who frequented Asian restaurants back home know it by name and will order accordingly.
What it says about you: You’re a victim of clever advertising.
Taiwan Beer
Alcohol content: 4.5 percent
Most frequently spotted at: Stores in mainland China.
Most frequently spotted at: Stores in mainland China.
Since you can drink beer anywhere in this country (we spotted someone drinking in an ICBC yesterday ... makes waiting in line easier) this puts the punk rock back in day drinking.
That said, it’s not very palatable. But at a whopping 4.5 percent, who cares?
What it says about you: You root for the underdog.
Sinkiang Black Beer
It’s hard to drink this beer without thoughts of cumin, lamb, tacky decor and delicious Xinjiang food. But once you manage to separate the beverage from the dining experience, life seems fuller.
Sinkiang is a marvelous beverage, rich in buoyant Loulan hops, full-bodied without being overbearing, dark and mysterious yet welcoming.
What it says about you: You like this beer enough to drink in a Muslim restaurant, and they like it enough to serve it.
* To buy Sinkiang without eating Xinjiang food, grab a bottle from the Feidan grocery store at 158 Anfu Lu (Shanghai). One will set you back RMB 6.5.
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