Beers in Vietnam – A Guide For Lager Lovers

TGIF … Thank God it’s Friday … So it is appropriate to published this article by Sitara Kumbale for https://www.holidify.com/. If you are like us, the weekend represents, here in Saigon, the moment to meet friends and family members. It’s also wedding season…so time for celebrations. Who says moment of rejoicing also says having a drink and in Vietnam it is therefore having a glass of beer ( in fact many 😉 )! For the connoisseur, and our readers we hope this article will refresh you! Must See In Vietnam Editor. Mot, Hai, Ba, YO ! 🍻

***Must See in Vietnam Editor with Bob and Michel drinking Bia Ha Noi***

Beer first came to Vietnam in the 19th century. Beers were brought in by the French. At that time, brewing was done entirely manually and this made the process very slow, but highly perfect. Two big beer brands came into the picture during this time – Habeco (Hanoi Beer) and Sabeco (Saigon Beer). The Vietnamese Beer industry did not grow much until Vietnam attained independence. After the Vietnam War, the government began to implement changes in the tourism industry, thereby offering an impetus to the beer industry as well. The fuel to the tourism industry brought in a lot of foreign tourists and foreign business owners, and this, in turn, led to a lot of foreign beer imports and many more kinds of beer being produced in Vietnam as well. Today, the Vietnamese beer industry is quite large and developed both technologically and commercially. The beer has an integral place in Vietnamese culture. It isn’t just associated with a party, but also beer is greatly associated with events, celebrations, friendly gatherings and reunions. In fact, Vietnamese business owners often take clients out for a beer when they are discussing business deals. For the Vietnamese, Beer is a social drink. They prefer to drink their beer in mugs than drink it in cans or bottles. The Vietnamese prefer adding ice cubes to their beer. The unusual thing about drinking in Vietnam is it is never just beer. It has to always be accompanied by sumptuous food. Seafood such as snails, clams and fish, balut, French fries, tofu, fried okra, chicken feet, fried sausage and fried frogs include some of the side dishes.

Canned and Bottled BeerThe fermentation time for canned and bottled beer is longer than for draft beer. The beer is initially fermented for 5 – 7 days, processed and then fermented again for about 6 days. Then the beer is processed with compressed air, water, steam and carbon dioxide. In Vietnam canned beer is more common as compared to bottled beer. Canned beer costs around VND 15,000 onward and bottled beer around VND 20,000 onward. Some canned and bottled beers are local and some of them are imported. In Vietnam, beers are served in bars and pubs, but the most “Vietnamese” way of drinking beer is sitting on the street and drinking beer served in the local stores all over the streets. Plastic stools are placed around tables on sidewalks. Feel free to grab a stool and a beer and enjoy it the Vietnamese way. These street stalls also serve food along with beer.

Vietnam has a number of beers that you must not miss. These beers include:

333

This beer was first produced in 1893 and initially known as Beer 33. Later, another digit was added to it. It is most commonly available in the south.

Bia Ha Noi

It is the most popular beer in Vietnam. This beer is brewed and served fresh and has a nice and crisp taste. It is found easily in Hanoi and the northern region in general but not as much in the south. It is estimated that around 3 – 4 litres of Bia Hanoi are sold in Hanoi every day.

Saigon Green and Saigon Red

These are relatively lighter beers produced in the south but are found all over Vietnam. The beer has about 4.7% alcohol and has a very distinctive Asian Rice flavour.

Biere Larue

Established in 1909, this beer was named after Victor Larue, founder of the Brasseries et Placieres de L’Indochine Brewery. In Danang during the Vietnam War, it was known as Tiger Beer.

Huda

This beer’s name is derived from Hue (Hu) and Denmark (Da). This beer is confined to Central Vietnam and rarely found outside.

Zorok

This is the kind of beer for the health freaks. Brewed in Binh Duong Province, each bottle has 150 Calories, which is 16 per cent less than the average beer

Heineken

This foreign beer brand is vastly popular amongst foreigners and expats in Vietnam.

This beer is brewed by the Asia Pacific Breweries and is considered premium bran everywhere else in Asia but is the cheapest international beer you can buy in Vietnam.

Draft Beer

Craft Beer

Beer may often remind you of college frat parties, or old men sitting around a table, discussing boring topics, but no matter, everyone will agree that no party or setting is complete without some good beer to add to it. Beer is everyone’s favourite drink to cool down and refresh after a long day. In fact, most of Vietnam’s nightlife is based on beer. This makes Vietnamese beer inexpensive and rich in variety. Vietnam has a variety of beers, suited for all kinds of palates. Whether you take your beer light or you prefer the stronger kind, whether you wish to indulge and experiment with the local beer or you want to stick to tried and tested international brands, whether you want an aged beer or fresh raft beer, Vietnam has it all! Get set to explore and wet your palate with some Vietnamese Beer.

Our sources for our articles are from Must See in Vietnam Reporters, Local-Insider , Vietnam Express, The Crazy Tourists, Road Affairs , Vietnam Plus, The Travel, Vietnam Discovery and What about Vietnam, the No 1 Vietnam Travellers Podcast website

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This article is sponsored by MiKi Chef Vietnam and VGlobal Partners Vietnam