So, Chinese beer. Even the phrase itself sounds somehow strange. It seems that such a booming Asian country simply cannot produce a low-alcohol drink of Europeans. But this opinion is misleading.
Chinese beer really exists, moreover, this drink is very popular in its homeland. It jumped in popularity ratings even the famous national vodka "Matoy". And if we recall that the population of China is about 1.4 billion inhabitants, it is not at all surprising that it is in this country that they drink the most foamy drink.
But brewing companies in China make their profits not only because of large volumes of consumption. The quality of the drink is really at a high level. Since the specialists of the companies were not too lazy and very carefully studied the work of the world's leading breweries, adjusted it to their market and received an original and unbroken product.
A bit of history
Of course, if you start to delve into history, some facts will come up, for example, that beer for the Celestial Empire is not such a new drink. If you rely on archaeological excavations, it turns out that frothy alcohol was brewed here long before our era. It turns out that Chinese beer is a rather ancient drink that was drunk in the seventh millennium BC.
But this information does not coincide with the official version. After all, everyone has long been accustomed to consider Mesopotamia as the birthplace of beer. The first foamy drink appeared at the Sumerians. But do not delve into such ancient events. The main thing that was able to find out: Chinese beer is a rather ancient drink (however, like many other things). Of course, that frothy alcohol that was produced before our era has practically nothing to do with lager, ale, porter or stout. These are the drinks that came to China relatively recently.
Market expansion
Despite the fact that Chinese brewers already have at their disposal the largest global market, they are increasingly looking at other countries. The export of a foamy drink from the Middle Kingdom is increasing every year. It is unlikely that anyone would be surprised if, after a few years, Chinese beer ceases to be considered exotic, and bottles with this drink will be on the shelves of all grocery supermarkets.
Of course, it is now worth exploring the most popular brands of Chinese foam, but more on that later.
Drink features
The beer that the current generation represents appeared in China only in the 19th century. Its production was exclusively occupied by foreigners, immigrants from Russia, Poland, the Czech Republic and Germany. Gradually, the breweries began to become the property of local businessmen.
Then the drink began to acquire distinctive national features:
- Chinese beer has a low strength. None of the manufacturers make hard drinks. Most often, the strongest beer has 4 degrees. But in the bulk of foam drinks, the strength does not exceed 2-3 degrees. All experts from Europe unanimously decided that such a drink as lemonade is drunk. To get drunk on him, you need to try very hard. It is worth noting that among Asian peoples, rapid intoxication and a predisposition to alcoholism are genetically incorporated. So for them, the "low degree" is not only acceptable, but even recommended.
- Chinese alcohol has a specific sweet taste. This is easy to explain, because along with the classic ingredients, rice malt is added to Chinese beer. And some varieties of the foamy drink include sorghum, bitter melon and algae.
- Chinese beer foams poorly. Caps subside after a maximum of 15 seconds. And again, rice malt and other additional ingredients are to blame.
- Reliable information is not always found on the label. For some reason, the Chinese allow themselves to interpret the main parameters in their own way. So, for example, the density of beer can be much lower than what is stated on the label.
Is it possible to compare
Chinese beer is very popular in its homeland. Consumption is more than 52 billion liters per year. And this, for a minute, 25% of the global volume. But, as mentioned above, this does not prevent the best companies from conquering the international market. This beer is best sold in Asian countries.
Of course, the taste of our or European consumers, accustomed to lager or stout, Chinese beer will be at least specific. But these drinks, in fact, cannot be compared. In any case, according to the classical characteristics. But if you take a foamy drink from the Middle Kingdom as a separate type of alcohol and do not require a bright aroma saturated with malt from it, then it is likely that this alcohol will appeal to you.
Popular brands
Chinese beer Tsingtao has long occupied a leading position. Now his level in the ranking has dropped a little. It began to be released back in 1903 in the city of Qingdao. The company's assortment has a lot of positions, as the manufacturer is trying to cover the largest circle of consumers. The line begins with a soft drink and ends with a stout. "Qingdao" in China differs from other species by its characteristic acidity and light aroma of burnt malt.
Chinese beer "Harbin" (Harbin) more often than other brands is exported. Its production was opened back in 1900, but until the mid-50s the brewery passed from hand to hand - from Poles to Czechs, from Czechs to Japanese and vice versa. The company does not find a place in the ratings in any way. Specialists consider some varieties to be completely tasteless. But those positions that have a higher fortress will leave a trace of a floral aftertaste and soft aroma in their memory for a long time.
How to drink beer from China
Foamy Chinese drink goes well with local cuisine. Spicy dishes are especially suitable. But our traditional beer snacks in the form of croutons, chicken wings, crackers, chips, squid rings and a variety of sausages are generally better to hide away.
The Chinese also cool their drink well before serving - so that it is almost icy. But, unlike us, they serve beer in small glasses (150 ml).