Never had a good Asian beer

[Cheesefood]

S & S (Sushi & Sapporo). Not like Sapporo is very good. It's kind of like those dry beers the macro guys were doing in the states but its japanese in origin. Think I heard AB owns Kirin? Anyway it's my tradition if I'm eating sushi. Yep, you either love it or gross out... and that could be for both Sushi And Sapporo

I always like to try a beer that is related to the restaurant ethnicity. Italian - I gotta drink italian beer (can't remember what; the one with the mafia dude on it). Greek - Keo (actually Cyprus there).

Basically, I like beer.

The chef at my fave sushi restaurant was laughing at me and my friend for drinking Sapporo. He told us it's crap beer. We asked why he overcharges us for it.

He later told us his favorite beer is Budweiser. We told him to hang his head in shame. He reminded us that in China, Budweiser is an import and has a high perceived value, but then laughed and admitted it's crap beer. He also told us his fave meal is a Chicago style pizza from Uno's and a bottle of Bud.

Nice guy. He gave us free sushi, including a joke piece he gave my friends which was almost pure wasabi.

 

[Catfish]

Sapporo is pretty crappy, in general. They have a higher end line which is difficult to find, even here, it's pretty good though.
Bottled or draft Yebisu is my all around recomendation for Japanese beers.
Singha for Thai
333 for Vietnamese

There's a long story behind why we only have Easy-drinkin-beers in Japan, but it's a history lesson.
You do get 20 packs of 633ml bottles full of beer for less than $50 US.

Catfish

 

[Somerville]

I always liked Tiger beer from Singapore...especially the special edition one.

 

[Cheesefood]

Sapporo is pretty crappy, in general. They have a higher end line which is difficult to find, even here, it's pretty good though.
Bottled or draft Yebisu is my all around recomendation for Japanese beers.
Singha for Thai
333 for Vietnamese

There's a long story behind why we only have Easy-drinkin-beers in Japan, but it's a history lesson.
You do get 20 packs of 633ml bottles full of beer for less than $50 US.

Catfish

If you're in the typing mood, I'd love the history lesson.

 

[Catfish]

It's taken me a while to get around to it but here is my understanding of why Japanese beer is Japanese beer. First let me mention that all of my facts are unchecked for factual value, most of them come from the former owner of a sake/ alcohol wholesaler who now runs a bar. When I talk to him he is usually pretty drunk (as am I) also our converations are in Japanese so my understanding may skew the facts. (Also there may be plenty of misunderstanding and conjecture).
OKay.
Japan has 4 major breweries, Kirin, Asahi, Sapporo and Ebisu... but Ebisu is distributed by Sapporo, and Ebisu don't seem to get the numbers the other breweries do. I don't know when these breweries opened, or when they forced the competition out of business. All 4 of the breweries contribute massive sums of money to the government... Massive. In return the government makes it prohibitively expensive to open a mircobrewery. With the money to be made in Japan you would expect a few brave (rich) people to shell out the money and open the brewery. But, until recently (I think the last couple years) it has been illegal to homebrew anything above a 1% alcohol content, who wants to brew near beer? By preventing anybody learning to homebrew they effectively stop the potential brew pubs from opening. Even now the gerneral idea of homebrew (jibiru, ponounced G-beeru) is more similar to the Mr.Beer uncooked fermented wheat juice.

No homebrewers mean no aspiring brewpubs... no microbrews make a stagnent market. It isn't so much that Japanese people want light beer, just that their only choice is light. Because of an increase in Import beers (exposure to something hoppier, darker, etc.) the major breweries have released their own "black beers" Kirin has just (last month) put out a line of faux-microbrews. Things are changing here, but slowly, and once they change it won't do anything to alter the image of Japanese beer abroad.

So that's my understanding of beer in Japan. It goes without saying that Japanese beer in Japan tastes better than the exported stuff... any beer in a storm, I guess.

 

[Cheesefood]

Thank you. Interesting to know.

But, with the advent of the internet, isn't it easy to just order supplies online and make it at home? I'm sure that shipping charges would be pretty high (or would they? Are there other homebrew countries nearby?) but it might be worth it.

 

[Catfish]

I am truely sorry Cheesefood, but i will need to start a new thread in the Asian Beer section.

 

[justbrewit]

i bought Saporro once, took one drink and poured it in the sink

Tsingtao is the only asian beer i can drink at all and thats only if they don't have any thing else

 

[homebrewer_99]

Makgully / Takju / Moju
Unsettled milky rice wine. Normally add water to make about 8%. unmatured.

Dongdongju
settled semi clear rice wine. few rice float on top. about 12-18%, unmatured.

Yakju/ chungju
settled clear rice wine. about 16-20%, normally aged for week to months.

Bubju
Made during certain time of the year with certain way. Normally make starter with rice gruel, add rice cake or steamed rice after certain days. Takes about 100days to brew and mature. 18-20%

Soju
distilled liqueur. Similar to vodka. 18-45%

I just got home from 2 weeks in Korea last night. I was in Seoul 3 times, Waegwan and Uijonbu.

I had a whole bowl of dongdongju at one of the Korean restaurants last week. It tasted good, like sweet sake. I didn't think there was any alcohol in it from the way I didn't feel anything (no, I was not numb). I took some pictures of the ddj that I'll post on the net later.

I had some OB, and you're right Cass and Hite, even Prime is better.

I brought back a bottle of Soju (made with potatoes, more like a light vodka)and 2 bottles of Hite.

I can't get Mockly past my nose because of the sour milk smell (and I like Kimchi a lot - go figure) and the rice gruel they served at breakfast was unfermented of course.

 

[SwAMi75]

I just got home from 2 weeks in Korea last night. I was in Seoul 3 times, Waegwan and Uijonbu.

I had a whole bowl of dongdongju at one of the Korean restaurants last week. It tasted good, like sweet sake. I didn't think there was any alcohol in it from the way I didn't feel anything (no, I was not numb). I took some pictures of the ddj that I'll post on the net later.

I had some OB, and you're right Cass and Hite, even Prime is better.

I brought back a bottle of Soju (made with potatoes, more like a light vodka)and 2 bottles of Hite.

I can't get Mockly past my nose because of the sour milk smell (and I like Kimchi a lot - go figure) and the rice gruel they served at breakfast was unfermented of course.

I love soju. You can mix it with anything. It's best with fresh squeezed fruit juice over ice, though.

 

[rewster451]

Soju is really pretty ok. A friend of mine from Korea bought some for me once (I've since found it at an eastern food store), and I drank it on ice. I've since been told that's not the way to enjoy it. But it tastes like a cross between good vodka and white wine. Not quite the same as Sake.
Sapporo (spelling?) is pretty much the same as Budweiser. It's got that eastern twist to it, and I kind of like it. Catfish's history lesson kind of confirmed my theory that it might be the best Japanese beer, but I've only had a few.
I only just realized that good Sake is supposed to be cold. Is this just the legend my local Sake bar pushes on us, or is this true?

Maybe this should be a new thread. Feel free to start a new one for an answer.

 

[stat quo]

try the San Miguel brand of beers, and Red Horse in philippines.

 

[madrean]

S & S (Sushi & Sapporo). Not like Sapporo is very good. It's kind of like those dry beers the macro guys were doing in the states but its japanese in origin. Think I heard AB owns Kirin? Anyway it's my tradition if I'm eating sushi. Yep, you either love it or gross out... and that could be for both Sushi And Sapporo

I always like to try a beer that is related to the restaurant ethnicity. Italian - I gotta drink italian beer (can't remember what; the one with the mafia dude on it). Greek - Keo (actually Cyprus there).

Basically, I like beer.

Drink a Japanese beer if you are looking for a cool, crisp taste. It goes excellent with Japanese food- not so much sushi, but all the other stuff you can get as appetizers..

Try some edamame (salted)-- it goes EXCELLENTLY w/ Kirin or Sapporo.
Some more really good appetizers are age dashi tofu (fried tofu) and gyu tataki (basically a yummy tender fillet of beef that is essentially served raw, save for a quick grilling).

You can pick up frozen edamame in some grocery stores. Just boil for a few minutes, drain, salt and voila, an excellent snack with your Kirin or Sapporo.

 

[madrean]

Soju is really pretty ok. A friend of mine from Korea bought some for me once (I've since found it at an eastern food store), and I drank it on ice. I've since been told that's not the way to enjoy it. But it tastes like a cross between good vodka and white wine. Not quite the same as Sake.
Sapporo (spelling?) is pretty much the same as Budweiser.

It's actually Shouchu (showchu). In Japan, I had it on ice with a tad bit of water. A very good way to get drunk very fast. Very smooth, almost don't detect the alcohol.

As for the Japanese beer being like a Budweiser, I definitely agree (albeit slightly crisper). I worked with a Japanese guy (he was here for a 3 month stay) and EVERY day after work, he downed a 6 pack of Bud. It was a daily affair.

When I visited him and his family in Japan, he would set (kinda a slam) beer glass on the table and say "biru!" then his wife would calmly get up and refill his glass. kinda funny.

 

[Alestar]

When visiting China on a gap year, I took a liking to the Yanjing beer there. Admittedly I hadn't tasted proper (i.e. English ) beer for a while at that point.

I haven't been able to find it since getting back, even the chinese supermarkets only seem to sell Tsingtao, so haven't been able to reassess it. I just remember it didn't taste half bad in Beijing!

 

[Beermaker]

I've yet to try an Asian beer I truely enjoy. Any suggestions?

And you never will. Like finding a great beer in Italy.

 

[Dude]

Went up to a local korean restaurant tonight, and the bro-in-law and I revisited OB. OMFG is that stuff bad. It actually tasted better in Korea when it was skunked.

 

[Genghis77]

The real question is whether the beer is actually imported from another country. Read the small print and it usually says brewed in New Jersey under license of the foreign beer company. So the bottom line is that the foreign beers are like Bud and other domestic beers and the imported beers is still pointed toward domestic tastes.

 

[Francis Eric]

I dont drink beer that much at least not for taste, but my friend brought back some from Romainia, in the UK I think he traveled all over the place their and I had what was left over in the can the can was almost bone dry good stuff.WHY I POSTED IS about sake here's another link or two about sake just checked on other one server down. Which states some add ethanol alcohol to fortify it :cross: illegal to sell over here. any one have a recipe of Norgri sake?So I can help somone out.

http://www.tibbs-vision.com/sake/instrct.html

just replying somewhere about champagn and I wonder what would champagn sake taste like http://www.winemakermag.com/mrwizard/56.html

 

[Nonbezamurai]

Can't agree that all Asian beer is no good! If in doubt, try a smooth, icy-cold draft Asahi! It's magic! I find it much better than the largers in the UK.

Don't like Kirin though! When I say I don't like it that doensn't mean I won't drink one that's offered! There seem to be fans of either Asahi or Kirin. Sapporo isn't bad either but it runs at 4.5%, not the usual 5% so...

The Japanese have a weird beer substute called Happoshu. Not sure what it is exactly but I think it's shochu made to taset a bit like beer.

 

[dancingbarefoot]

It's actually Shouchu (showchu).

In Japan, yeah. But in Korean, it's soju (or so my Korean friends tell me).

I've never had an Asian beer that I liked. Now, umeshu (plum wine)... yum!

 

[Genghis77]

Sapporo Draft One is brewed from soy beans and peas. It gets taxed at a lower rate than using malt barley. Other Japanese breweries have similar products.

 

[El Pistolero]

Sapporo Draft One is brewed from soy beans and peas.

Wasn't it John Lennon who said "...just give peas a chance."?

 

[usmcruz]

Like beer, sake needs enzymes to break down the rice to sugar. The enzyme they use is a mold spore called komi koji, and most homebrew shops sell it. All you need is some yeast nutrient, some acid blend, rice, and a special sake yeast that homebrew stores also sell. I made some and it came out pretty good, but i like beer.

Oh as for asian and american beer, it all taste's like carbonated urine!!

 

[XTrmXJ]

When I was in Japan, Kirin was the choice, at 9% it was good.. You also have to remember if you get any beer in the US with an Asian, German, General overseas, will not be a true beer.. The tastes are way different, basically its Americanized.. Soju mixed with Gatorade, Ammo bowl.. Tialand: if your man enough get some Macong.. Shin Lo Chue, my favorite.. Turkey, the choice it Tuborg, dont drink the Tuborg Red.. Barf, its there beer mixed with Vodka

 

[Chairman Cheyco]

I like Tiger beer. I think it's from Viet Nam. Nice crisp pilsener style.

 

[Sasquatch]

Tiger is great with curried anything, and I have to say, I have a huge soft spot for Tsingtao. Sometimes it's not so good, but when it IS good, it's arful durn good. Way better than Heineken on a hot day.

 

[user 574]

I just have to toss this in... This thread has been going on since 2004!!!!!! Why won't it just go away!

 

[Chairman Cheyco]

Tiger is great with curried anything, and I have to say, I have a huge soft spot for Tsingtao. Sometimes it's not so good, but when it IS good, it's arful durn good. Way better than Heineken on a hot day.

Tsingtao is really good when it's good but the good/bad ratio is way below .5 and therefore not worth the risk to me. Tiger is rarely bad. As for Hieneken, as you well know the stuff they serve in Europe is ten times better than the stuff we get here in NA. I imagine that's a freshness issue though.

 

[Brewers United]

I suggest that you try a beer from Thailand called Singha. It is quite good