A Favourite Thing : Out of Asia (Tsingtao)

Member Name: michaelhudson

Product:	Tsingtao
Date:	18/07/02 (142 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Goes well with Chinese food, increasingly available, tastes great

Disadvantages: Only sold in 330ml bottles

I first fell in love on a sultry, exotic Asian evening. We flirted pensively for a few moments as beads of sweat formed on my brow and the solitary fan spluttered on trying to stir the still air. Mosquitoes homed in on my leg and the locals stared on with brooding impassivity as I lifted the green bottle to my lips for the first time. Perhaps it was merely the ambience of the moment-a backstreet bar in Beijing, dimly lit by the neon lights intermittently flickering above-but for Tsingtao and I it was definitely love at first sip.

THE BACKGROUND

Germany arrived late at the great colonial carve up of China, but finding the murder of two missionaries during the Boxer Rebellion a sufficient pretext, the Kaiser coined the phrase 'yellow peril' and seized the eastern port city of Qingdao as a German Concession in 1897. The Japanese took the city soon after the outbreak of World War 1 leaving a Teutonic legacy of Bavarian architecture and a brewery, founded in 1903. The German expatriates who owned the brewery called their flagship product Tsingtao after the contemporary romanisation of the city's name. One hundred years later Tsingtao accounts for 10% of the Chinese market, more than 90% of China's total beer exports, and has acquired a number of prestigious awards including the Bronze Medal/Pilsner Category in the 1994 World Beer Championships and the Silver Medal the following year. It is exported to over thirty countries worldwide including Britain, the USA, Canada, Italy, Spain, Germany, France, Japan and South Korea (thankfully).

THE PRODUCT

Light in both taste and appearance, Tsingtao has a very crisp flavour and only a slightly bitter aftertaste. With a hint of citrus, a nice malt flavour and a light aroma produced by high quality domestic hops, the beer complements Chinese cuisine as exquisitely as a refilled pot of Jasmine Tea and knitting needle chopsticks. The clean taste is derived from the famed spring wate
r of the nearby Laoshan (Mount Lao), which is used in the brewing process. I've heard that the quality is variable, but I haven't personally detected much difference in the bottles I've drunk in China, Britain and Korea. Formerly confined to the shelves of Chinese supermarkets, Tsingtao is increasingly appearing in stores such as Asda and Morrisons. The usual retail price is 99p for a 330ml bottle. The alcohol content is a relatively high 5%.

THE VERDICT

While Asian beer in general, and Chinese beer in particular, is a hit and miss affair, Tsingtao deserves more than just the last page of a Chinese restaurant menu. It more than holds its own against comparable pale lagers such as Heineken-by which I mean the variety that's brewed in Holland and exported worldwide as opposed to the inferior, gassy concoction that's on sale in Britain-and forms a perfect accompaniment for any Chinese meal. And unlike certain other Chinese beers, I can promise it won't temporarily blacken your teeth.


"Jill Murphy asked me to write about one of my favourite things to help her celebrate her fourth anniversary of cancer-free living and to remind ourselves of all the nice things in the world. It takes more muscles to make a frown than a smile you know. If you'd like to join in, whether you've only just joined dooyoo, or you've been here ages, you're more than welcome. Just write about one of YOUR favourite things, make your title "A Favourite Thing: [your choice]" and include this paragraph at the foot of your opinion. And post before Friday, 9th August."

Good on you Jill, and everyone else who's fought and beaten the odds. The next green bottle I raise will be dedicated to you.

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