Chinese Beer - History and Some Major Brands

Beer in China (中国啤酒 Zhōnggúo píjǐu) has become increasingly popular, first in China in the last century, and then internationally in the last few decades. While most Chinese beers are pale lagers, other styles are occasionally found, such as Tsingtao Dark Beer.

History

The history of Chinese beer is around nine thousand years, with recent archaeological findings showing that Chinese villagers were brewing beer type alcoholic drinks as far back as 7000 BC on small and individual scale made with rice, honey, and grape and hawthorn fruits, with the production process / methods similar to that of ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia. The ancient Chinese beer was important in ancestral worship, funeral and other rituals of Xia, Shang and Zhou dynasties, and the beer was called as Lao Li (醪醴 in oracle bone script). However, after Han Dynasty, Chinese beer lost its prominence to huangjiu, which was the case for the next two millennia. Modern beer brewery was not introduced into China until the end of 19th century when Russia first set up a brewery in Harbin, with another three followed (also in Harbin), set up by Germany, Czechoslovakia and Russia respectively.

Economy

Tsingtao Beer, produced by Tsingtao Brewery, has been the best selling beer in China for eleven consecutive years, and is also the brand most widely exported to other countries, followed by Zhujiang and Yanjing. Tsingtao Beer is brewed in the city of Qingdao (formerly spelled Tsingtao) which was a German base in the time of unequal treaties and late-colonial western influence in China. The Germans needed beer for their sailors, soldiers and traders, and production continued after they lost the city to the Japanese in World War I.

Apart from Tsingtao, other major Chinese brewing groups include China Blue Ribbon, Yanjing, Sie-Tang Lio and Zhujiang. Many major international brewers now have interests in, or joint ventures with, Chinese breweries, and popular international brands such as Carlsberg are now produced in China. This gives them access to the Chinese market, while providing capital and expertise to help upgrade local brewing standards, albeit at the cost of variety.

Only a few brewpubs exist in China, primarily in major cities such as Shanghai and Beijing which have a resident western community. The most well-known craft brewer in China is Kaiwei Beer House, a brewpub chain based in Wuhan.

Chinese beers often contain rice, sorghum and sometimes rye in addition to barley.

Interestingly, some beer is produced that uses bitter melon instead of hops as the bittering agent.

Major Chinese Beer Brands

The following is a partial list of China's major breweries. The vast majority of China's breweries serve only their local vicinity.

Anchor Beer (力加啤酒)

Beijing Beer (北京啤酒)

Chifeng Beer (赤峰啤酒)

China Blue Ribbon (蓝带啤酒)

Dali Beer (大理啤酒)

Ginsber (金士百啤酒)

Guangming (光明啤酒)

Guilin (桂林啤酒)

Haizhu (海珠啤酒)

Hangzhou Qiandaohu Beer Co., Ltd. (杭州千岛湖啤酒有限公司) - producer of Cheerday Beer

Hans Beer (汉斯啤酒)

Harbin Beer (哈尔滨啤酒)

Jinling Beer (金陵啤酒)

Kingway Beer (金威啤酒)

Kinglong Beer (金龙泉啤酒)

Meixue Beer (梅雪啤酒)

Mingyuedao (明月岛啤酒)

Reeb (力波啤酒)

Shan Cheng Beer (山城啤酒)

Shanghai Beer (上海啤酒)

Snow beer (雪花啤酒)

Taiwan Beer (台湾啤酒 or 台啤)

Tianmuhu Beer (天目湖啤酒)

Tsingtao Beer (青岛啤酒)

Tsingtao Dark Beer (青岛黑啤)

Valor (威尔啤酒)

Wusu Beer (乌苏啤酒)

Xinjiang Beer (新疆啤酒)

Xinjiang Black (新疆黑啤)

Xuehang Beer (雪航啤酒)

Yanjing Beer (燕京啤酒)

Zhonghua (中华啤酒)

Zhujiang Beer (珠江啤酒)

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