Halong Bay
Cruise Trips
Other Junks
Sights
Beer
in Vietnam
There are some local beers in different cities of
Vietnam like
"Hanoi beer", "Halida" (Hanoi), "Huda beer" (Hue) or
"333" in Sai Gon.
You also can find a lot of foreign beers produced in
Vietnam such as Carlsberg, Tiger, Sanmiguel, Heineken,
German fresh beer etc. However, the most popular local
beer "Bia Hoi" has become one of interesting memories
for foreign travellers while visiting north Vietnam.
Please enjoy the following article about Bia Hoi.
Bia Hoi (Vietnamese fresh beer)
Bia Hoi (Vietnamese fresh beer) appeared in
Vietnam in the
1890s, after the secrets of brewing were introduced by
the French. Just one place, the Hommel brewery, turned
out the stuff, and it was a fairly modest enterprise
employing just 30 workers capable of producing 150
litres a day. The beer was also sold bottled, but it was
so expensive that it was only for the very well to do.
After the exit of the French in 1954, the Hommel brewery
was renamed the
Hanoi Brewery. But the refreshing amber fluid still
took a while to become popular – until, that is, the
brewery hit on the novel idea of producing an instant
draught beer known as Bia Hoi, literally translated as
“fresh beer”.
The locals still didn’t think much of the drink; they
preferred the traditional Vietnamese rice wine. Then the
government clamped down on home production of spirits,
and people began to realise that the legal alternative,
Bia Hoi, made a refreshing, low-alcohol summer drink. It
is now popular that Bia Hoi shops where the beverage is
consumed provide one of the abiding images of northern
Vietnam.
Bia Hoi is not merely a drink, it has become a whole
culture and way of life. There are some 3,000 Bia Hoi
shops in Hanoi. Bia Hoi is cheap enough – only 2,000 VND
a glass at most, and considerably less in some places.
Foreigners too, both visitors and residents, have been
seduced by Bia Hoi culture. Sitting on the pavement on a
tiny plastic chair watching the world go by as evening
falls, sinking a few glasses, coughing your guts up
after trying the local tobacco water pipe – it’s all
wonderful entertainment. It’s also fun watching
Vietnamese men, red faced from the alcohol, engaging in
sudden heated arguments and then just as suddenly making
up and falling around helpless with laughter.
Other tips
Useful sites
1. Red Dragon
Junk, Cruise Halong Bay: 5 cabin boat on
Halong Bay
All cruises on
Halong Bay Online,
Halong bay
travel guide, Hanoi Halong Bay Tours, Maps to Halong,
2. Prince
Cruise Halong Bay Vietnam: 4 cabin cruise on Halong
Bay
3. Jayavarman
Cruise on Mekong River Vietnam Cambodia: luxury
cruise on the Mekong River
4. Hanoi Airlines:
book flight tickets to Hanoi
5. Halong Bay
Cruise: list all cruise boats on Halong Bay & Bai Tu
Long Bay
6. Hotel
Vietnam, Vietnam Hotels: book hotels and resorts in
Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia
7. Laos Travel
Guide: book tours in Laos with the New Road Tour
8. Cambodia
Travel: useful guides, hotels, flights, tours in
Cambodia
9. Phu Quoc
Travel Guide: useful information on Phu Quoc Island
Vietnam
10. Travel Sapa
Vietnam: tours, hotels, maps to Sapa Vietnam
11. Mekong
Delta Tours: cruise, hotels, tours in Mekong, Saigon
Other new travel sites
1. Vietnam Travel
Company: First Choice Tours in Vietnam
2. Hue Travel Guide:
guide, maps, tours in Hue Vietnam
3. Sapa Travel Tips:
Sapa guides, tourist information
4. Mekong River
Tours, Mekong Amalotus Cruise, Amalotus Cruise,
Amalotus Boat Mekong River
5. Amalotus.com,
Amalotuscruise.com, Amalotus Indochina Sails Mekong
River
6. Mekong
River Boats: Mekong Tours, Mekong River Tours
7. Hoi An Travel
Guide: Tours, maps to Hoi An
