The Best Places To Buy Chinese Beer

Chinese beer is a fascinating topic, with a rich history dating back thousands of years. While ancient Chinese beer was made with rice, honey, grape, and hawthorn fruits, the modern brewing process was introduced by Europeans in the late 1800s, bringing with them the pale lager. Today, China boasts a thriving beer culture, with a wide variety of local and imported brands. The emergence of craft beer has also taken off in recent years, particularly in large metropolitan areas such as Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou. With China being the world's largest consumer of beer, it's no surprise that there are many options for purchasing Chinese beer, both within the country and internationally.

Online retailers

If you're looking to buy Chinese beer online, there are several retailers that can help you. Firstly, Beers of Europe offers a range of Chinese beers, including Tsingtao, which is the best-selling beer in China and the most recognisable to other nationalities. They offer free delivery if you spend over £100. Another option is Total Wine & More, which offers Tsingtao beer in 6-packs of 12oz bottles. This website seems to be US-based, as it offers pickup options in Denver, CO, and mentions Arizona, Washington, and California. Similarly, BevMo offers Tsingtao Lager in 12-packs of 12oz bottles, but only offers delivery within California, Arizona, and Washington. For European-based buyers, WorldsBestWines.eu offers Tsingtao Lager in packs of 24x330ml bottles for €38.00. They also offer Lucky Buddha in the same size for €41.15.

Local Asian supermarkets

Asian supermarkets are a great option for purchasing Chinese beer, especially if you're looking for a wide variety of options. These stores typically focus on stocking items imported from countries in the Far East, including East, Southeast, and South Asian countries. While some supermarkets specialise in products from a specific country, many also carry goods from other Asian nations. For example, a Japanese supermarket might offer some Chinese, Indonesian, Korean, and Singaporean products, while a Taiwanese supermarket could have goods from China, Korea, Japan, Thailand, and Vietnam.

In the context of Chinese beer, local Asian supermarkets are a convenient option, as they often carry a range of Chinese beers alongside other Asian beverages. The availability of Chinese beer in these supermarkets will, of course, depend on your location and the specific supermarket's sourcing and product range.

Asian supermarkets are known for providing products that are generally well-suited for Asian cuisines and may be difficult to find or significantly more expensive in typical Western supermarkets. This includes a variety of beverages, such as chrysanthemum tea, bubble tea, sake, soju, green tea, Thai iced tea, and oolong tea.

When it comes to Chinese beer, you can expect to find popular brands like Tsingtao, Snow Beer, Yanjing, and Harbin in local Asian supermarkets. These beers are widely consumed in China and are often some of the lightest in the world, as they are typically light lagers. The light and easy-drinking nature of these beers aligns with the Chinese drinking culture, where people often consume large quantities of beer while eating, socialising, or enjoying activities like karaoke.

In addition to the drinking culture, the immense population of China contributes to the popularity of these beers, making them some of the most well-known brands globally. However, due to the focus on domestic consumption, some of these beers might be harder to find outside of China and local Asian supermarkets in other countries.

Retailers with physical stores

If you're looking to buy Chinese beer from a physical store, there are several options available to you, depending on your location.

In the United States, you can find Tsingtao Beer, China's second-largest brewery and the fifth most popular beer brand globally, at local Asian supermarkets, as well as online retailers like Bevmo, Total Wine, and websites like Drizly and BeerMenus.

For those located in China, the most popular beer is Snow Beer, which can be found at your local Asian supermarket or convenience store. Another popular option is Tsingtao Beer, which is available at its original brewery in Qingdao, as well as various restaurants and retailers throughout the country.

Other well-known Chinese beer brands include Yanjing, Harbin, Wusu, and Laoshan. Yanjing is the third-largest brewery in China and is widely available in Beijing as the official state-sponsored beer. Harbin, the oldest brewery in China, can be found online and in stores like Bevmo, GotoLiquorStore, and InstaCart. Wusu Beer, with its distinctive red packaging, is widely available in supermarkets and corner stores in Xinjiang. Laoshan Beer, a subsidiary of Tsingtao, can be sourced from online websites like FairpriceSG and Buy-Foods.

Additionally, international brands like Heineken, Budweiser, and Pabst Blue Ribbon have a presence in China, either through partnerships with local breweries or as luxury imports.

Breweries

The emergence of craft beer in China began in large metropolitan areas such as Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou. While it was initially targeted at expat drinkers, local consumer interest in premium brands and local and imported craft beers is on the rise. Brewpubs are becoming increasingly popular in China, particularly in major cities with a resident Western community. However, there are some exceptions in more remote locations, such as the Bad Monkey Brewery in Dali Old Town, Yunnan.

Some of the more prominent craft breweries in Shanghai include Shanghai Brewery, Boxing Cat Brewery, The BREW, and Dr. Beer. In Beijing, craft breweries such as Great Leap Brewing, Jing-A Brewing, Panda Brew Pub, and Slow Boat Brewery have become staples in the local nightlife scene. Another popular brewpub is Kaiwei Beer House, a chain based in Wuhan.

• Shanghai Love Brewing Co. (Shanghai)
• 333 Brewhouse Chengdu
• 72 Change Beer Co. Ltd. (Suzhou)
• Beijing Yanjing Brewery Co. (Beijing)
• Budweiser Wuhan International Brewing Company Limited (Wuhan)
• Harbin Beer Company (Harbin)
• Tsingtao Brewery (Qingdao)
• Snow Beer (Shenyang)
• Yanjing Beer (Beijing)
• Zhujiang Beer (Guangzhou)

Beer festivals

If you're looking to sample Chinese beer, one of the best places to start is at a beer festival. Beer festivals in China have become increasingly popular since the early 2010s, with the emergence of craft beer in major cities such as Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou.

One of the most notable beer festivals in China is the Qingdao International Beer Festival, held annually in Qingdao, Shandong province. This festival, also known as China's Oktoberfest, is one of the largest beer festivals in Asia, attracting thousands of tourists each year. The festival showcases a wide range of domestic and international beers, with more than 2,000 varieties available in nine halls. It offers a blend of cultural exchange and entertainment, with activities such as beer tasting, live music performances, parades, contests, and games. The festival is jointly sponsored by national state ministries and the Qingdao Municipal Government. It typically takes place over two weeks in late July and August, with the 2024 festival extended to a month-long celebration.

The history of the Qingdao International Beer Festival dates back to 1991 when it was first held to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the city's establishment. TSINGTAO Beer, one of China's major brewing groups, took the lead in hosting the first festival. The festival has evolved over the years, featuring artistic parades, "Beer Carnival" games, drinking contests, music, food, interactive performances, various brewery beer tents, trade exhibitions, and even bikini model contests. It is held at multiple locations throughout the city, including the main venue at Golden Sands Beach on Qingdao's West Coast.

In addition to the Qingdao International Beer Festival, there are other popular beer festivals in Shanghai, such as the Shanghai International Beer Festival and Shanghai Beer Week, both started in 2012. These festivals have contributed to the growing popularity of craft beer in China, especially among local consumers.

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