Vietnamese Beer-Drinking Etiquette

In Vietnam, beer is quite cheap and the Vietnamese beer culture welcomes any beer lover, from simple lagers to craft beers at all price levels and service levels. Let's explore the beer drinking culture of Vietnamese people .

Beer is everyone's favorite drink to quench thirst on hot summer days, especially in tropical countries.

When beer first came to Vietnam

Beer production was brought to Vietnam by the French at the end of the 19th century. The beer production process at that time was done entirely manually, without any machinery. This is also the beginning of two major domestic beer brands in Vietnam, Habeco (Hanoi Beer) and Sabeco (Saigon Beer). Since 1970, adaptation to the government's new economic policies has changed many industries and welcomed many foreign tourists to Vietnam. One of the impacts of this change is the growth of Vietnam's beer industry and thus the creation of employment opportunities in other industries such as agriculture, engineering and packaging. Many joint venture companies were also established during this period, and beer production systems were also upgraded with new tools and equipment.

How do Vietnamese people drink beer?

People in the Central and Southern regions often drink beer poured into cups with ice cubes, but rarely drink cold beer from bottles or cans. When drinking with locals, they sometimes say “yo” – which means “cheers” in English, and they will also fill your glass with beer, as an act of hospitality or just to to test your beer drinking ability. If you find this unfamiliar, you can simply order a chilled beer.

A large number of people who drink beer always see it as a party with delicious food. Typical dishes are snails and clams (grilled, steamed, stir-fried), duck eggs, salted fish, fried rice, crispy salted chicken feet, fried frogs in fish sauce, fermented raw sausage (sometimes grilled) wrapped in vegetables Fresh green and dipped in fish sauce or chili sauce. Snacks that come with beer are also very diverse such as peanuts (boiled, roasted), dried beef, grilled dried squid, fried tofu, fried okra, French fries and cheese sticks... Dishes and food The severity also varies in different regions of Vietnam.

Types of beer in Vietnam

Draft beer

Draft beer is a type of beer brewed for a short time (about 7-10 days), evaporated, so it has a shorter shelf life and lower alcohol and sugar content than other types of draft beer.

Bia Hoi is considered one of Vietnam's essential beers. Preservatives are not used during the fermentation and brewing process to contain the fresh aroma. After fermentation, the beer is extracted into barrels and sterilized with compressed air, hot water ((80℃)), sodium hydroxide solution (2 to 3%), hot steam (135℃), then cooled with carbon dioxide gas. This type of beer is most popular in Northern Vietnam and the cheapest, about 10,000 - 12,000 VND/cup. You can also consume draft beer produced in brewpubs with microbrewery equipment, but this can be slightly reduced to those sold in summer evening restaurants.

Bottled beer and canned beer

The amount of hops in bottled and canned beer is usually 30% more than draft beer. Its duration is also longer, the process of ascending the diagram lasts about 5-7 days and the process of ascending the diagram lasts more than 6 days. It is then filtered, stabilized with carbon dioxide gas and extracted. In Vietnam, canned beer is used more than bottled beer. The price of bottled beer is about 15,000 VND and bottled beer is about 20,000 VND at restaurants.

Bottled or canned beer

Almost every province/city in Vietnam has stele named after a place

Some familiar local bottled/canned beer brands that tourists can find in Vietnam are Saigon Do, Saigon Special, Hanoi Beer, 333, Huda and White Lion. Many others also enjoy the taste of imported or international brands such as Heineken, Tiger, Larue, Budweiser and Sapporo beer.

Craft beer

Some craft beer brands in Ho Chi Minh City such as Platinum, Pasteur Street Brewing, East West Brewing, Winking Seal, Heart of Darkness, Fuzzy Logic have become more familiar to Vietnamese consumers. These breweries have brought to Vietnamese consumers new flavors of Indian beer, German beer and more than 70 flavors of local fruits, cocoa beans, coffee beans, passion fruit and own.

Craft beer is more popular in Western-style restaurants

Because of the nature of the brewing process and ingredients, you can expect to pay 100,000 VND for a pint of craft beer.

Where do Vietnamese people usually sit and drink beer?

Street sidewalk

While in other countries, people go to restaurants or bars to drink; In Vietnam, people go to “beer bars” or “pubs” on the sidewalks along the streets to drink beer. The difference is that these places also serve food to go with the beer and they don't have a bar in their bar.

If there are streets selling electronics, flowers, and clothes, in Vietnam there are also streets full of beer restaurants, where you can enjoy some cheap Vietnamese beer with delicious Vietnamese snacks. local.

Where do Vietnamese people usually sit and drink beer?

Sidewalk beer bars in Hanoi attract a lot of attention from tourists

In Hanoi, there are many beer bars in "backpacker" streets like Ta Hien and other shops in the Old Quarter, and sidewalk beer shops can be found everywhere in Hanoi. In Ho Chi Minh City, you can see many restaurants with tables placed outdoors, on sidewalks such as those on Bui Vien, Truong Sa, Hoang Sa streets. You can go to these places and drink a pint of draft beer or enjoy delicious food. Seafood restaurants or any other real food restaurant also serve canned or bottled beer, but you will usually have to pay more.

High-class bars and restaurants

With the integration of Western culture, many young Vietnamese people like to go to more upscale places to drink beer such as sports bars and trendy sky bars. Their prices are of course also higher than those of small sidewalk restaurants.

Vietnamese beer has a younger history than other countries, but it has become a thriving industry in Vietnam since the 90s of the 20th century. There are many types of Vietnamese beer such as "hoi beer", draft beer, packaged beer, craft beer, but "hoi beer" is the most popular beer in Vietnam, especially in Hanoi because of its cheap price and low alcohol content. Food that goes with beer in Vietnam is also very diverse and delicious; If visitors cannot drink, they can still enjoy these dishes. Beer prices will vary depending on the type of beer and the location you choose to visit; If you go to fancy bars, it can be a lot more expensive than roadside beer bars. And just like any other country, drinking and driving is illegal and dangerous, so make sure to read the laws and keep your alcohol level within the legal limit. It's best if you drink alcohol and don't drive!