The best beers in Asia!

I thought I would write up a little peice on what are the best beers in the region, in my opinion ofcourse!

As there is a rather large drinking culture in Asia with the tourists and expats in the region I thought it would only be fair of me to give my side of the story, however not all views and opinions can be made totally sober so I can assure you that I have FULLY road tested my top ten to the extent where I was viewing them with my beer goggles on and off!

So before I start the count down, I think it is important that I point out that I am not going to name microbrewery beers and such only found in specific bars. So the main rule for this judgement is simple. They must be available from super markets as well as bars.

Number 10

Chang

A lot of people will be asking why is this even made the top 10. The answer is simple, anyone that has ever set foot in Thailand has had one or one too many of these bad boys. It is clearly a cheap made mass produced beer and the price in the bars and shops often reflect this. However it's not all doom and gloom, it is quite strong as beers in the region come as well as being the one that is often on offer during some of Thailand’s best happy hour deals, however watch out for that "Changover" It can be brutal.

Number 9

KingFisher

  

Those of you who really enjoy a good Indian meal will know about this beer already. In fact the only reason it is not up higher on the list is purely because it is very difficult to find outside of an Indian restaurant and I have never in my days heard someone say, "Man that KingFisher last night really got me hammered" Fair enough I have not been to India yet. But even then I am fairly sure they drink other beers there! You may ask why the hell is it on the list then, make way for this fictional beer. No chance as it is simply one of the best beers you could ask for... With an Indian meal of course.

Number 8

Singha

 

Pretty much the most popular beer in Thailand among both locals and foreigners alike. I actually really like the taste of Singha but can totally understand why some might not. Actually I remember flying Thai Airways to Hanoi from London once and me and this jolly nice young French lady decided to get absolutely wasted on this stuff, demanding more and more from the very cute Thai Airways hostesses. I could tell they thought by time we had our 12th can we clearly had enough, however they kept bringing them until we passed out. Ah good times. Anyways why is it number 8 in my opinion other than my awesome memory including French and Thai woman? It tastes good, it's cheap, quite strong and easily available across the most of South East Asia.

Number 7

Tiger

This will be a funny one, I know people that have drank it in Europe, America and Australia will demand that it is higher on the list. However any one that has been to South East Asia knows this is the beer that comes watered down in jug's and draught mugs causing you to piss like a dog with a urine infection, giving off a less than stellar taste and when you wake up it leaves you feeling like you have spent the majority of the night head butting the sidewalk, even if you didn’t... This time. But it is on the list as out of a bottle, chilled and with no Filipinos’ gyrating on your leg its one hell of an awesome beer. So my tip is enjoy it out of a bottle and avoid "Tiger Jug" & "Tiger Mug" deals, even if you’re in the lady bars... You dirty bastard.

Number 6

Tsingtao

 

I will own up and say I have not drunk too much of this beer over my time in the region. However I will admit whenever I did drink it I liked it. I know it has a rather large following with the expat communities in Hong Kong & China and is taking off across other regions. Personally I think if it’s not drank within a couple of minutes of opening the bottle/can it can taste a little funky but again, all round strong beer. Checks all the boxes. Just not a great beer. But good.

Number 5

San Miguel

First, this is not the same one from Spain. This is the one from the Philippines and it is a rather tasty little beer if I do say so myself. I have put it right in the middle of our list because outside of some bars it’s actually quite hard to find. Obviously I have seen it in the Philippines and really only ever found it in Singapore again. Well priced and often on happy our in the form of pints and bottles! Which is all win if you ask me, none of this can nonsense. Only real drawbacks are the lack of availability outside of the mentioned locations and the fact after happy hour there is cheaper choices. For me I would much prefer having one of these to the likes of a Tiger or Heineken. Which says a lot really? This beer really does need to find its way across the world a little bit more.

Number 4

Asahi

For me, this is a great beer, but for colder weather. I just never feel as refreshed after a nice cold bottle of Asahi. I can’t quite put my finger on it but the one excuse I could give it would be that it’s too dry! However the taste in my opinion is excellent out of a can or a bottle and is one of the few beers I could enjoy warm. I really can’t fault it and to be fair when I was in Hong Kong and Taiwan it was my beer of choice, always. I just loved it. One of the problems I have found inside and outside of Japan is this beer can get pricey in comparison to others. So with that fact alone it will sit at a respectable 4th in this very official ranking of tasty alcoholic beverages

Number 3

San Mig Light

Now anyone that knows me knows I think light beers are for woman... And Americans. This said San Mig Light is the lighter version of the previously mentioned Filipino San Miguel. However it is still holding a rather high percentage and seems the only thing light about it is the taste. I often refer to it as a better version of Corona which in itself is an enjoyable beer. The reason for such high placement is because this beer is very tasty, often cheap and very easy to find. Also it always seems to come in bottles which are my favourite. Great for nights out and sitting on the beach during the day. I couldn’t ask for more and some of the best times I have had have been around this beer. I once managed to consume 26 bottles of it over the course of an afternoon on the Indonesian Island of Batam which is a story for another day. For all of those reasons this beer sits proudly at number 3. Great beer.

Number 2

Sapporo

I must be honest this is a beer I have only really been drinking in the past year but I would much rather have it than anything else. I really do love it and the fact it is sold in 7/11's across South East Asia, in bars in Vietnam, Hong Kong, Mongolia, China and of course in its native Japan makes it clearly a popular choice. But fuck what others think I absolutely love it and for no other reason than it tastes great, is affordable, drinkable warm, excellent for all weathers and most importantly doesn’t leave me pissing like a racehorse or feeling bloated. I cannot sing its praises high enough and it would indeed be at my top spot of it was not for the sheer memories of the first choice. Sapporo I salute you for being the only beer I don't feel bad about drinking at 8 am. Such a great beer in fact I am having one as I write this!

Number 1

333 (Ba, Ba, Ba)

I totally love this beer and everything it stands for. Being the most common beer drank by the locals and westerners in Vietnam, especially the South it really is bloody fucking awesome. I have never had a beer that tastes so good for the price. I shit you not 1 can of this in a bar will set you back 30p/50cents fuck calculating in Euros but you get my point. Inside of a shop you are looking around 4/5Pounds & 6/7 Dollars which is a super bargain no matter which budget you’re on. This beer is not only cheap but excellent to drink. I honestly would have a can of this over any other beer in the world. It just was the best thing ever about living in Vietnam for me, which I know is sad but fuck it. I and my flat mate during good times and bad times would always have at least 24 of these bad boys stocked in the fridge. The beauty is you can drink and drink and drink then wake up not feeling one bit worse than before you started drinking, actually probably better! I don't want this beer to be pushed across the world as it is everything that is great about Vietnam in one little shiny tin. Thanks for the memories 333. I hope for many more.

So that is that, a long sweaty blog post about the different beers I enjoy in the region. Probably not as informative as some would hope but I am sorry I don't give a shit about hops and brewing techniques. I care about the fun factors and the times they bring.

As always I would like to hear your thoughts on any of the above mentioned and if you think I have overlooked something?