What is the best beer in Vietnam?

Question

My Dad and I are debating which beer is (or was) the best in Vietnam. He is a Vietnam Veteran (1964-1965), and claims that San Miguel was the best when he was there. My travels through Vietnam have found just about every province with their own brew, a few national brands and several imports. I have sampled at least the following brews in Vietnam:

- Bia Hanoi

- Bia Thai Binh

- Bia Hue

- Bia Saigon

- Tiger Beer

- 333

- Heineken

- San Miguel

- Something from a dead cobra

I would like to hear about other Vietnam beer drinking experiences to continue the intellectual conversation with my Dad. My questions are as follows:

1) What kind of beers did you experience in Vietnam?

2) Which one did you like the best and why?

3) Do you prefer bottled or draft (a.k.a. bia hoi)?

4) If you are a Vietnam Veteran, what beers did you drink back then and how do they compare to the Vietnamese beers now?

5) What would someone have to pay you to drink something that was fermented from a dead cobra?

Answer 1

Lol. I would have to say that I thought that Heineken was the best beer that I drank in Vietnam as well as the US for that matter. I also drank Saigon Beer but after I drank, the next day, I had a terrible rash on my arm. I think that I'm allergic to Saigon Beer. Lol.

Um, I liked Heineken because it's pretty strong and well, to me, it's just plain good. xD

I would prefer bottled better than draft. =]

Um, that question, I'm afraid that I wouldn't know the answer to the first part to #4, but for the second part, I think that beers has probably tasted better over the years as people and companies decide what kind of flavors people are most attracted to and they change the taste according to the way that the customers prefer most.

Eeewwww... I would never drink something that was from a dead cobra, unless the amount of cash was rather large.. xD

Lol. I didn't know that I remembered so much about my beer drinking. I guess that it's because my first beer that I drank was in Vietnam, and I was underaged. xD

Answer 2

beer from the USA

Answer 3

The best bottle beer is Saigon, Saigon Special. The best draught-beer is hanoi Bia hoi, that can be found in hanoi city only. This bia hoi goes to street side beer places in town directly  from beer factory, fresh taste is something you would get addicted within 5 minutes.

Just go trafest, we'll show you how men drink in Vietnam.

Mike

Answer 4

ok dan, as usual dad is correct. "back in the day" san miguel was top shelf... and sought after when we came home to "the world ".   now a days there are many more preferred beers [ at least by me] dinkle acker, pilsner urquel.. but they are european.. as for bia viet nam i preferred sai gon in a glass of ice.. its more refreshing that  way in the tropics, plus my daddy taught me to always drink beer from a glass [ and dad is always right]... beers to stay away from "con cap do" [ red tiger bia] but i'll still enjoy a btl of that when i can for nostalgia sake... got more dan but i gotta go .. got tix to the ball game tonight where the best thing they serve is "rolling rock "... i'll meet you in sai gon /w your dad and all your uncles , we'll sample them all ,duoc khong ?

Answer 5

bia hoi is da most popular . we brew wine (not beer) with animals,such as: cobra, turtles, birds.....

fly to hanoi - the capital . i'd show u places of intersest for free, as i used to work as a tourist guide . mail me

mail & ym  [e-mail]

fone  049037584   0914339439

Answer 6

The only thing I could get that wouldn't gag you was Carling Black Label.  Now you gotta know the other stuff available was really really really bad.  Schlitz was green and would give you the trots worse than the anti-malaria horse pill.

I have no point of reference for anything in contemporary Vietnam.  All I know is I spent a lifetime there, fixed trash haulers, ranch hand, and shadow aircraft.  I got back to the world about a million years ago.  Still have flashbacks.  It was SHlT.

Answer 7

when my family and i went back. my dad would always drink TIGER.

Answer 8

I prefer Tiger because it seems that you can drink them like water (if you are so inclined) and not suffer a hang-over the next day. Sai Gon and 333 are not beers I drink in excess. They put the hurt on me if I over indulge.

Heineken has the same skunky taste in Vn as it does in America. At least it's consistent but I really don't like it.

Something new that you might want to try is 30 packs of Budweiser at the duty free in Tan Son Nhut. I didn't buy any because I usually bring a case of Bud with me, but I'll buy one the next time I go.

I haven't found anyplace in Ben Tre that serves draft. We've been to a couple of places in Saigon that had very good bia hoi, but we generally stay pretty close to home.

As far as the last part of your question, My father in law makes his own hooch. I've had snakes, lizards, turtles and even sea-horses once. I figure it's a small price to pay for the daughter he gave to me ;-)

Answer 9

There is no answer accept for Hanoi beer

Answer 10

I think tiger beer was good.I drank some snake wine too.They say it is good for ur back.

Answer 11

I tried beer 333 and I liked it a lot.

Answer 12

the best beer in Vietnam is Heineken....then Saigon (the green bottle).....