When I think of China and beer, I immediately think of Tsingtao. Some might consider that a good thing, but in reality this is merely a reflection on the relative dearth of Chinese beers imported into the United States. For that matter, the Chinese brewing industry is not what anyone might consider world class, though it does seem to be improving. I’m still waiting, however, for my first taste of a Chinese microbrew.

Until that day, when I want a Chinese beer, it will most likely be a Tsingtao. It’s my beer of choice whenever we’re dining at a Chinese restaurant, and I find it fills the bill quite nicely. Tsingtao (pronounced Ching-Dow) is a German-styled pilsner, and that should be no surprise given the brand’s history.

Back at the dawn of the twentieth century, a number of European countries operated spheres of influence in China, where they asserted exclusive trade rights. Some operated as colonial powers in their slices of China. The Germans, with a newly united country and eager to take their place in the colonial sun, had a presence in Qingdao.

As Germans are wont to do, they promptly set up a brewery in 1903. Today, that brewery survives as Tsingtao, China’s largest brewing concern with 48 breweries across China. With more than 1.2 billion consumers, China’s beer market is potentially huge, and it’s no stretch to imagine that as the country continues to modernize Tsingtao may someday become one of the world’s largest brewers.

Why the green glass bottles? According to an article in the July 1983 issue of All About Beer magazine, the American importer Monarch Imports advised Tsingtao to use green glass in 1980.

OK, enough of the history lesson you say, what about the beer? As mentioned, this is a pilsner style beer. Tsingtao is brewed with Australian and Canadian barley along with “the highest quality hops”, at least that’s what the company says.

Tsingtao pours to a bright golden color with a medium, short lived head formation and a slightly hoppy nose. The palate is refreshingly crisp, with respectable body, and the beer does have a good amount of dry malt character. In the finish, there’s a soft hop aroma and just enough bitterness to balance.

Tsingtao is by no means an exceedingly complex brew, but it is a tasty, refreshing one perfect for washing down spicy Chinese fair. The green glass bottles are a drawback of course, since they make the beer more readily susceptible to skunking. If you buy a six-pack in the supermarket or liquor store, make sure it hasn’t been exposed to light.

I’ll take Tsingtao over a Bud any day. I’ve been drinking this brew for a long time, and I must say that for me, it truly is China in a bottle.



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