The Beer Wet Dream - My Top 6 Beer in Asia

by Amanda/Backpacking Tips Asia
(Oslo, Norway)

Getting thirsty? You will be after reading this post.

Forget Heineken and Guinness. In my opinion, Asia offers some of the best tasting beers in the world. What's your favorite?

Singha Beer and Beer Chang in Thailand

'Everyone' who travels in Thailand drink Singha beer. At restaurants and bars in Bangkok, Ko Phi Phi or Koh Pha Ngan, it's common to hear someone order a 'Singha'. When you get a Singha at the bars, it usually comes in bottle or draft, but are also available as cans at local supermarkets.

Singha comes with a 5% alcohol by volume tag and is known for the 'rich man's' beer.

How does it taste? The original Singha has a strong flavor, but not too strong for a girl's taste buds ;-) It's my personal favorite. For some beer brands like Guinness, I have to psyche myself up before drinking. But with Singha, I drink it up like it was juice.

All production of Singha beer happens in Thailand and is brewed by Boon Rawd Company.

Lately, Singha has been challenged by Beer Chang (chang means elephant in Thai). Not only because of its good taste, but also price-wise. Beer Chang is cheaper than Singha and therefore known as the 'poor man's' beer.





If you're on a budget, purchasing Chang beer is a good alternative. Beer Chang is brewed by ThaiBev, one of the largest beverage companies in Southeast Asia, and according to latest news Beer Chang is now the best-selling beer in Thailand.

Beer Lao

Produced by Lao Brewery Company, Beer Lao is the ultimate beer in Laos. What's so special about Beer Lao is that it's based on jasmine rice.





My first Beer Lao experience was in Huay Xai. There's this great restaurant right by the river which serves delicious fish meals. Having a Beer Lao with fried fish was a delight.

Kingfisher

As India's best-selling beer, the Kingfisher beer is an easy drinking beer because of its light taste and malt flavor. No wonder it's a favorite among backpackers in India! Haywards 5000 is also a popular beer brand in India, but frankly I like the Kingfisher taste more. I've been to India twice and it's the only beer I drink.





Brewed by United Breweries Group, the Kingfisher comes in different varieties, including Kingfisher Premium (5%), Kingfisher Blue (max 6%) and Kingfisher Strong (8%).

Tiger Beer

Can you believe that Tiger Beer has been brewed since 1932? If you're backpacking in Singapore or Malaysia, this is the beer that will pop up at restaurants, food stalls and bars. Tiger Beer is a refreshing pale lager beer and is another favorite of mine.





Eating a fabulous nasi dish in Kuala Lumpur and then washing it down with Tiger Beer is heaven.

Angkor Beer

First time I tried Angkor Beer was at a riverside restaurant on Sisowath Quay in Phnom Penh. It's also a light and refreshing beer which goes well with and without food. After a day exploring the Angkor temples, having Angkor beer is truly a blessing.





Good and super affordable, this is the beer widely sold in Cambodia.

Brewed at Cambrew Brewery in Sihanoukville, it comes with 5,5% alcohol content.

What are your favorite Asian beer(s)?




Amanda
(admin and editor)

Posted: March 17, 2013

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