Asian Dad's Beer: Brand Preferences And Drinking Culture

Asian dads have a wide variety of beer brands to choose from, with Asia being the largest beer-producing region in the world since 2009. The most popular beer brands in Asia include Heineken, Carlsberg, San Miguel, and Budweiser. In specific markets, other brands like Anker in Indonesia, Beck's in Vietnam, and Singha in Thailand are also favoured. China, as the world's largest beer producer since 2001, boasts several well-known brands such as Tsingtao, Harbin, and Snow Beer. With such a diverse range of options, it's no wonder that beer is a popular beverage among Asian dads.

Beer in Vietnam

Beer was first introduced to Vietnam by the French in the 19th century. At that time, brewing was done entirely manually, making the process very slow but resulting in high-quality beer. The two big beer brands that emerged during this time were Habeco (Hanoi Beer) and Sabeco (Saigon Beer). Vietnam's beer industry saw significant growth following the country's independence, with the government implementing changes to the tourism industry that also benefited beer production. Today, Vietnam's beer industry is large and technologically and commercially advanced. Beer is an integral part of Vietnamese culture and is associated with celebrations, gatherings, and business deals.

Vietnamese Beer Culture

Beer is often consumed with food in Vietnam, and it is customary to invite others for a beer when doing business, attending events, or celebrating. Drinking beer is a social activity, and it is common to see people gathering on the streets, drinking beer served from local stores. The preferred way to drink beer in Vietnam is from mugs rather than cans or bottles, and ice cubes are typically added.

Popular Beer Brands in Vietnam

Some popular beer brands in Vietnam include:

• Bia Saigon (produced by Sabeco Brewery)
• Bia Hanoi (produced by Habeco)
• Bia hơi (a unique type of very light draft lager produced locally in small batches)
• Heineken
• Tiger Beer
• 333 Beer
• Saigon Red
• Saigon Special
• Huda
• Su Tu Trang (White Lion)

Craft Beer in Vietnam

Vietnam's craft beer scene is growing, with many independently owned microbreweries. Some notable craft beer brands in Vietnam include:

• Platinum
• Pasteur Street Brewing
• East West Brewing
• Winking Seal
• Heart of Darkness
• Fuzzy Logic

These breweries have introduced new flavours to Vietnamese consumers, including Indian and German beers and beers made from local fruits, cocoa beans, coffee beans, passion fruit, and durian.

Beer in Cambodia

Beer is a popular drink in Cambodia, with several local brands available. Here is an overview of beer in Cambodia:

Commercial Breweries in Cambodia

Cambodia has three main commercial breweries: Carlsberg Cambodia (formerly Cambrew), Heineken Cambodia (formerly Cambodia Breweries), and Khmer Beverages (a subsidiary of the Chip Mong Group). Other breweries in the country include Hanuman Beverages, Vattanac Brewery, Ganzberg, and Mattrid.

Popular Beer Brands in Cambodia

• Angkor Beer is a Cambodian lager named after the iconic Khmer Angkor temples near Siem Reap. It is the most widely consumed beer in the country and is known for its light and refreshing taste.
• Cambodia Beer, also known as Cambodia Premium Beer, is a local favourite. It is described as having a smooth, rich finish and subtle notes of malt and hops.
• Tiger Crystal is a Singaporean beer that is popular in Cambodia. It is known for its golden pale colour and light taste, with a noticeable malt flavour.
• Beer Lao is a sweet and mild beer that is highly regarded by some, despite not being widely available on tap in Cambodia.

Craft Beer Scene in Cambodia

Cambodia also has a growing craft beer scene, with various microbreweries and craft beer associations emerging. These smaller breweries offer unique and innovative beers, contributing to the diversity of the Cambodian beer market.

Beer in Japan

Beer is the most popular alcoholic drink in Japan, with a long history in the country. The Dutch started brewing beer for their own use in Nagasaki during the Edo Period, but the first brewery to serve the Japanese market was founded in 1869 in Yokohama by a foreign businessman. This brewery would eventually become the Kirin Brewery Company, one of the cornerstones of the Japanese beer market.

The popularity of beer increased sharply in the second half of the 20th century, and it has long since overtaken sake as the nation's favourite drink. Today, beer is widely consumed at homes and drinking establishments across Japan. The standard type of beer sold is light lager beers with an alcohol content of around five per cent.

Four companies currently dominate the market: Asahi, Kirin, Suntory and Sapporo. These major breweries primarily make Pilsner-style lager, as this was the style that first sprung up when Europeans brought beer over to Japan. It's a style that's easy to enjoy and matches well with social settings where drinking is common, such as after-work get-togethers and year-end parties.

However, in recent years, Japanese beer drinkers have been branching out. Regional craft beers have become popular, and microbreweries have been increasingly opening since deregulation in 1994. There is a particularly vibrant craft beer scene in the big cities like Tokyo and Osaka, where dedicated bars sell beer from a particular brewery or a selection of breweries. There are also an increasing number of brewpubs that brew and sell their own beer on the premises.

The craft beer boom has also led to the rise of craft beer bars all over Japan, with many providing English-language menus to cater to tourists. There are also a growing number of regional microbrew festivals held throughout Japan, including the Great Japan Beer Festival series held annually in Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya and Yokohama.

Beer in China

In the 21st century, China became the world's largest consumer of beer, and commercial-scale brewing expanded. The country has been the world's largest beer producer since 2001, and the largest beer market since 2002. China's beer industry is also the fastest-growing globally, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5.98% between 2023 and 2025. The industry is highly consolidated, with the top five businesses accounting for most sales and a high industry concentration. These top players include CR Snow, Tsingtao Brewery, Anheuser-Busch InBev, Yanjing Beer, and Carlsberg.

Chinese beers often contain rice, sorghum, and sometimes rye in addition to barley, and some use bitter melon instead of hops for bitterness. The most popular beers in China include Snow Beer, Tsingtao Beer, Yanjing Beer, Harbin Beer, and Wusu Beer. Snow Beer, produced by CR Snow, is the best-selling beer in China, recently overtaking Tsingtao Beer, which is the brand most widely exported to other countries.

The emergence of craft beer in China began in large metropolitan areas such as Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou, initially catering to expat drinkers. However, local consumer interest in premium and craft beers is on the rise, and craft beer festivals have gained popularity in Beijing and Shanghai since the early 2010s. While Chinese government regulations have been cited as obstacles for new breweries, the country's beer market presents opportunities for foreign investors, particularly in the premium and craft beer segments.

Beer in India

Today, beer is not as popular as stronger alcoholic drinks like whiskey, but the most popular beers in India tend to be strong beers. The largest-selling Indian beer brand is Kingfisher, produced by United Breweries, which also owns the popular brand Zingaro. Other major Indian brands include Hunter, Kalyani, Haywards, and Knock Out.

In recent years, foreign companies have entered the Indian market, with the likes of SABMiller India, Carlsberg, and Anheuser-Busch Inbev acquiring local businesses. Modern craft beer also arrived in India in 2009, with the first Indian brewpubs opening in Pune and Gurgaon. Bira91, an Indian witbier brand, has become extremely popular across the country.

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