Spring, a pleasant season associated universally with rebirth and growth, is regrettably all too short in Shanghai.  Like is said of summer in Britain: if you blink you’ll miss it.

Not so much “spring” in the pastoral sense of birds chirping and flowers blooming, spring in Shanghai is an almost daily alteration between reminders of winter and premonitions of the hot summer to come.  On the few days you can truly enjoy spring in Shanghai, I’ll be found on my balcony sipping a Saranac White IPA, itself sandwiched between Belgian and American styles just as spring sits between winter and summer.

Traditionally, German bocks have been favored in Europe during the spring season due to their association with Lent.  Higher gravity and more hop forward than typical lagers, Maibocks, or Hellesbocks, were once brewed by Monks to provide sustenance during their Lent fasting.

In present times, absent of the pumpkin ales of autumn, winter warmers of winter, or the various “lawnmower beers” of summer, spring is generally neglected when it comes to the attention which the other seasons garner from the big breweries.  Belgian Witbiers and India Pale Ales, two of the more open and interpretive of beer styles, often provide brewers with plenty of excuses to add and experiment with fresh fruits and spices as well as other non-Reinheitsgebot ingredients; which makes them popular beer choices for spring as a refreshing alternative from the stouts of winter.

Brewed by Matt Brewing Company in Utica, New York, Saranac White IPA is a true hybrid.  Beginning as an American IPA full of Citra hops, it then has coriander, orange peel, oats, and wheat malt added.  Those wary of the term IPA needn’t worry with this beer.  Labeled by Beer Advocate as a Belgian IPA, it is not as bitter as the name typically suggests and is a perfect introductory beer into the wonders of craft; especially with its incredible 20rmb price tag.

Poured into a tulip glass, the Witbier contribution is quite obvious from the cloudiness in this golden-straw colored opaque beer.  Poured properly, the creamy white head is only 1 finger thick but leaves an incredible white lacing along the sides of the glass throughout the duration of the beer thanks to the added wheat malt.  The aroma of fresh citrus drifts up from the glass and surrounds the nose with a scent reminiscent of orange groves.  Beginning with the initial burst from the Citra hops, as the beer warms it fades into the spicy orange tones provided by the coriander and orange peel.  A first sip reminds the drinker of the bitter presence of an IPA but doesn’t overwhelm.  The citrusy flavors of the coriander make themselves known and conceal the 6% abv.  The creamy mouth feel and medium body coming from the added oats and wheat malt provide this beer with a smooth and crisp finish which suits spring.  Lacking the strong yeast or malt presence one has naturally come to expect from Belgian styles, Saranac White IPA finely twists together the traditional spices of a Belgian Wit with the New Age and New World take of a citrusy IPA.

Like many American breweries, Matt Brewing Company’s origins can be traced back to Germany.  Established in 1888 by Francis Xavier Matt, a German Immigrant, the brewery sits at the foothills of the Adirondack Mountain Range not far from the Saranac River system in upstate New York.  Now in its 4th generation of family ownership, the days of the previous Charles Bierbauer Brewery and The West End Brewing Company are long gone.  Surviving the difficulties inflicted by Prohibition, Saranac beer sales now make it the 6^th largest Craft Brewer in the United States, and is increasing its global distribution every year.

Continuing the lasting tradition which has endured it, and ingrained within the local community, the beer today is still brewed with water flowing from the Adirondacks.  Meaning “Cluster of Stars” to the Iroquois, Saranac is true to its namesake with wholesome ingredients creating stellar beers.

As the official Matt Brewing Company states about this beer: “Cheers to twisting tradition!”  And cheers to pleasant weather and Saranac White IPA this spring.

Shanghai offers an impressive selection of secluded hideaways, architectural wonders and people-friendly parks. While spring is still in the air, consider exploring a few of Shanghai’s historical locations which affords you the opportunity to drink in the comfort of Shanghai’s great cityscape.You’ll also be soaking up a hearty dose of vitamin B found in beer while achieving your daily intake of vitamin C (weather permitting). Not a terrible bargain, considering these locations are cost-free.

Zhangjiang Art Park

Transit: Zhangjiang Hi-tech Park station(Line 2) Z

Address: 573 Bibo Road, Pudongdistrict

Zhangjiang’s spacious art park is home to the Zhangjiang Contemporary Art Gallery, known as z-center. Upon entering the grounds, you’ll discover a diverse range of art installations including the irresistible Coca-Cola slide and the enchanting rubescent bird cage, though slightly submerged in pond water.This Alice in Wonderland-like haven was created to so ften the feel of Zhangjiang’s technology hub, while offering a sense of tranquility to typically overworked employees bustling away on IT projects inthe surrounding area. Benches are located in many corners of the park, though there is also ample ground seating for picnic-goers. Across the street from the park, at 635 Bibo road, near the intersection of Zuhongzhi road, you’ll discover the House of Flour, which offers both dine-in and carry-out options. A Lawson’s grocery store is just three doors down from the Hof, and stocks an acceptable selection of local and imported wines and beers, allowing you to make an evening of it.

Shaoxing Park

Transit: Dapuqiao station (Line 9)

Address: 62 Shaoxing Road, Huangpu district

Shanghai’s smallest park, featuring a mere 2,400 sq. meters,boasts more than a meager patch of turf, tai chi classes and haggard exercise equipment. This outdoor venue is conveniently located across the street from Dean’s Bottle Shop – a premium beer and alcohol emporium where you can purchase beer, wine and spirits to go. They’ll even serve up some of your favorites, pre-chilled. Shaoxing Park provides a great stop-off location on any French Concession walking tour or before heading to Jiashan market, which happens to be just around the corner.

Pudong Riverside Promenade

Transit: Lujiazui station (Line 2)

Address: 2967 Riverside Promenade, Pudong district

Everyone knows about the Bund, as it’s a gem along a claustrophobic stretch. However, if you’d prefer to avoid the throngs of tourists snapping photos of the Huangpu river along the Bund, consider slipping on over to Pudong’s Riverside Promenade. The Promenade stretches some 2.5 kilometers in length from south of the river at Dongchang Road (river ferry terminal) to north of the river at Taidong Road. Pudong’s Riverside Promenade is situated just behind Super Brand Mall, where you’ll have access to over fifty eateries while the German restaurant and bar Paulaner Brauhaus, is conveniently locatedon-site. If you’re looking for something a little more creative, head on over to Hong Kong-imported City’Super in IFC, where deli items and a range of imported delicacies, beers and other products are on hand to turn the evening into an al-fresco dinner beside the bank. The seating located along the Promenade is a nice touch, considering that the Bund can only offer you hard concrete and crowds.

Jing’an Sculpture Park

Transit: West Nanjing Road station (Line 2)

Address: 128 Shimen No. 2 Road, Jing’an district

This famous outdoor art venue is Jing’an’s single natural escape from the hustle and bustle of Nanjing Road. The commercial street is among Shanghai’s most tour-worthy destinations, severe foot-traffic in these parts is the norm. The good news is that Jing’an Sculpture Park boasts a staggering 30,000 sq meters of greenery, with ample space to roam and more than three-hundred trees for sun-blocking or back scratching. The sixty-one art instillations aren’t bad to view either. However, the park’s close proximity to Cheers In 2 – a boutique beer storehouse located at 499 Beijing West Road near Chengdu Road, is what makes this recreational area a worthy spot to share a few moments together with a date or even explore the grounds on your own – with a sturdy novel or high-flying kite in hand.

Waibaidu Bridge

Transit: East Nanjing Road (Lines 2 and 10)

Waibaidu Bridge (外白渡桥), Hongkou District

Adjacent to the Bund, you’ll discover Waibaidu Bridge – also knownto Westerners as The Garden Bridge – which featuresthe only surviving camelback truss bridge in Shanghai. This captivating structure connects the administrative districts of Huangpu and Hongkou where the Suzhou River flows into the Huangpu River. Featured in several films including Steven Spielberg’s “Empire of the Sun,”this wooden configuration has withstoodreconstructive effortsover the past century, while remainingone of Shanghai’s unspoiledlandmarks. Locals compare the historical relevance of Waibaidu Bridge to the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco or the Tower Bridge in London. From the center of the bridge you can view photographers snapping wedding photos along the Bund (without getting too close to crowds in that direction). You’ll even see ships cruising the Huangpu River and hagglers selling knock-off antiques. Within walking distance lies Broadway Mansions, Astor House Hotel, The Russian Consulate and Shanghai Mansions.  Directly below the bridge is Huangpu Park, the first public garden in Shanghai. Consider bringing along pre-packed beverages (as the stretch is expansive) or swinging by Zhongshan East Road, just behind The Peninsula Hotel, where foot-traffic remains minimal. 

Do you ever wish you could keep track of all the beer you’ve had? Or share insights of a specific stout with a friend overseas? Or simply find something other than your standard favorite staples at the pub? Well, as is the maxim of the 21century, there’s an app for that.

Released in 2010, Untappd is a social media app developed in the United States by Something More Human, a firm dedicated to beer and the people who drink it. Untappd lets users log, known as a check-in, and rate every beer you could possibly imagine (even home brewed beer). It also lets users share insights with friends within the app or on other social media sites like Foursquare, Twitter and Facebook.

Using a location-aware feature powered by Foursquare, users can discover the most popular beers at the most popular drinking spots in your area. Or, it can help pinpoint the closest brewery to your current location. After your first check-in, Untappd will even recommend a beer for you similar to your recent choice.

After you make your account, get started by selecting the yellow “Drink Up” button in the app.  Then, type the name of the beer you are currently drinking:

Then, tap on the beer. Here, you can see the overall rating of the beer from everyone who has checked-in the beer. You can add it to a “wishlist” of beers you want to drink in the future, follow the brewery that made the beer, or check-in.

Now, you can add the location of where you are drinking, your rating and a photo. You can choose to share the check in on Foursquare, Twitter or Facebook. Then tap “Confirm your brew.”

If you check-in during major events, check-in a certain style of beer several times, or check-in for the first time, you’ll receive a badge. Each badge is earned for a myriad of different beer drinking scenarios. The more varied your drinking scenarios, the more likely you are of earning a badge.

If you chose to share your beer with Twitter, odds are you’ll find that you’ve directly tweeted the check-in to the brewery. Greg Avola, one of the founders of Untappd, said that this feature allows breweries to directly engage with customers if they have a bad experience. For example, if a keg is skunked, the bottle is old or if the user simply didn’t like the beer.

While logging your drinks is the backbone of Untappd, there are many other features that allow users to engage in the experience.  The app’s other buttons have a wide-array of possibilities.

The Pub, which is the tab on the far lower left, is where you can see what all you friends are drinking in a classic chronological social media setting. You can “Toast” a check-in, or just leave a short comment.

Discover, the button right of The Pub, is where you can find beer if you find yourself stumbling into a new town. Find beers that have been checked-in nearby, or the bars where they have been logged. You’ll also be able to find a list of breweries in the city too. Just like this map of Shanghai:

Three of Shanghai’s breweries: Dr. Beer, Boxing Cat Brewery and The BREW all show up on a brewery search.

My Tab, the button right of Drunk Up, is where you can see your beer history. This feature is perfect for those people who want to keep track of beers you’ve had already.

The button on the top left screen on My Tab is also where you can add new friends based on connections in your other social networking sites, or by name.

Notices, the button on the far right on the bottom screen. Here you can see notifications of Toasts, comments and news from Untappd about updates to the app and beer week events from around the world.

Untappd is available on iOS devices like iPhone and iPad, Android devices, Blackberry Devices and the Palm Pre.

If you don’t have a smart device, you can log onto Untappd.comto check in and rate beers. However, you won’t be able to add your location to the check-ins.

Untappd ‘s CTO and co-founder, Greg Avola, gave Hops Magazine an inside look into the app, its development, and the future of beer through social media.

Hops Magazine: Hi there, Greg. Could you tell me a little bit about yourself and Untappd?

Greg Avola: My name is Greg Avola and I’m the co-founder and CTO of Untappd. I’m responsible for building all the apps, site and architecture. My co-founder Tim Mather is the CEO and is responsible for the front-end development including the Design and Badge Artwork. Tim is based out of CA and I’m based out of NYC. We actually met over twitter in April of 2009 when I was looking for a designer for a small Twitter project. We’ve worked together ever since.

HM: How did Untappd get started? What were some of the biggest hurdles to overcome in the beginning?

GA: This all started when Tim came up with idea back in 2010 in June. We wanted to build a network that focuses on making a very social action (like drinking) into an online social network – and thus Untappd was born. The biggest hurdles were finding the time to build this massive project since we were both working part-time. We were able to get a prototype done around 24 hours, but it was rough around the edges. Now the biggest challenge is also the time, but scaling and making sure our service is stable. As we grow, things need to be tweaked more and more to make sure they run smoothly.

HM: As of now, how many total active users are there for the app? Outside of the United States, where do you see the largest use of this app? Is there any particular place you find surprising in usage of the app?

GA: I can say that we have around 410,000-plus users and 21 million-plus check-ins. Outside of the US and Canada the biggest countries are Australia, Brazil and the UK. Brazil is surprising to me as I’m unaware of the beer culture down there!

HM: I’m not much of a craft beer drinker, why should I join another social media site like Untappd? What would be the biggest advantage if all the beer I check in are Bud Light, Corona, etc.?

GA: Untappd is a beer app for all. Although we have large craft beer audience, the top beers on the service are Bud Light, Coors and Miller. I think the draw from this is that the app will recommend similar types of beers so it forces you to try new things. The more of one style you try – the more the service knows about other beers. I think the other part of it is more of the logging and keeping a history of what you are having. That’s an important feature as well, as you can always look back to see what you had on a particular day.

HM: Conversely, would you rather have this app be more oriented toward the Beer Advocate or RateBeer.com crowd in rating beer and tracking trends?

GA: I think we want Untappd to be a beer app for all, for the Beer Advocate, RateBeer and new beer fans. Sometimes posting a review of beer on Beer Advocate can be daunting, and with Untappd you can feel free to rate or review any beer without the requirement for long-winded reviews. It’s a simple way to rate, review and discover new beer without feeling the need to be an expert.

HM: What would you like to see in the future of Untappd?

GA: We want to improve our recommendation system based on location so the beers that are served nearby you can be recommend, so you can actually seek out and try them. Since not all beer is distributed locally – this is very important.

HM: Why did Untappd decide to create a feature for breweries?

GA: Breweries don’t have a lot of social tools that help them track, review and see who is drinking their beer. With Untappd for breweries they can now see a live, real-time feed of people consuming their beers, interact with them and manage their profile. They can also see a live check-in stream of activity to see their daily check-in rate. These stats are basic, but we hope to have more detailed ones in the future that allows breweries to better understand their customers through the service.

HM: When you check in a beer on Untappd, you are able to send a Tweet directly to the brewery; have there been any instances of breweries engaging in a discussion with a user? Do you want breweries and the consumers to be more engaged with one another?

GA: With the new brewery tools, we want to bring the conversation back on our platform to help give the brewery a chance to fix or explain the issue. We’ve heard stories about breweries finding out that tap-lines are dry from a partner, which made the experience bad for the consumer. These tools existed on Twitter, but through Untappd communicating directly with the consumer is something that helps improve your brand.

HM: What do breweries hope to obtain with the type of data that is provided by this app? What information can they glean from it that wouldn’t be available otherwise? Additionally, given the user base, do you think for the time being that some of the information may be skewed to only a small percentage of drinkers?

GA: We want to help connect breweries with customers better, plain and simple. Currently – a brewery can’t see demographics on how their beer is performing or see comments, ratings or feedback all in one place. Bigger breweries spend a lot of money to see how their brand is doing around the world, and Untappd aims to help them make better decisions about where and what they produce. While we are small, we hope to grow to a level where our data can help make this possible.

What:  Hops Beer Tasting Featuring Chimay

Where:  De Refter (181 Jinxian Lu)

When: April 25th, 7-8pm

How much: 150 includes beer tastings/one pint/Belgian food/in-depth presentation and Chimay gifts

The bartender looked at me quizzically. “Can I have an Orion?” I asked, interested in the local common beer. Still, a soft confusion on his face, then a moment’s pause, then realization. “Oh,” he said, “you mean Oh-ree-on. Sure,” and he turned around in the small confines of the van that doubled as a bar and found a bottle. It was light and soft in taste. This draft beer was the first sample in the trend of the evening.

This bar, of sorts, was unexpected. I had been walking along one of the canals that stretch through Naha, the main city of Okinawa, heading toward the bustling Kokusaidori street. It was early Friday night, and the soba restaurants were throbbing. On the streets friends laughed and strolled, taxis rushed hither. Passing the public square outside Miebashi monorail station, I saw the van.

One side of the vehicle was open like a large, long window, and a small bench stretched under this glassless window with beers and cocktails atop. People reclined on beach chairs, snuggling under blankets, periodically reaching for their drinks. The bartender, Kazuhiko Matsuo, an amiable 30-something with a caring, almost protective, charm searched inside the cluttered but orderly van, reaching for beers or spirits stacked on wooden shelves. Surfing posters showed in patches. A hanging lamp brushed it all with soft light. Crooners from the 1950s sang from a small sound system. At the van’s rear, meat cooked on a barbeque.

“It is called Yatai style,” Matsuo told me, explaining the van-bar. Fukuoka, near where Matsuo grew up, is famed for its Yatai-style dining experience: miniature restaurants or, in this case, bars which, transformer-like, fold up and rush off at the end of the evening. For Matsuo there is sound economic logic to this style: “if I rent a room, then I pay room rent.” With his van, which he parks in a number of evening hotspots around Naha, he avoids this ugly overhead.

Orion is arguably the biggest beer in Okinawa. On buses, on billboards, in magazines, in bars, it is proclaimed and sold and drunk. On the bottle, the beer described itself thus: “Orion Draft Beer’s clear mild taste is widely loved as an Okinawa original.” “Clear” and “mild” I underlined specifically in my notes. I asked Matsuo his impression of the brew. “It is like a lot of Asian beers. It is light.”

It is, I thought, a beverage for the end of the surfing day, something to enjoy after sweat and sport. It is appropriate, then, that it is so popular in Okinawa, renowned as the island chain is for its many gorgeous beaches and for its generally relaxed demeanor. The beer is an amendment to relaxation; not a culinary experience for devoted attention.

For those who are lucky enough to stumble on Matsuo’s Yatai-style bar, I would recommend not a beer but rather a wine. He serves a warm red wine, laced with a rich cardamom and cinnamon flavor. It was this drink that lingered in my mouth as I left and walked on toward Kokusaidori street.

It is a renowned strip: a blur of light and noise, tacky and false but fun. Buskers play the sorrowful, three-stringed Sanshin on the street side, hawkers sell sketches, and from within the restaurants and bars boom outward percussive song.

Okinawa is increasingly known for its micro-breweries and it was on this street that one of the island chain’s more famous boutique blenders — Helios — had a bar. A spacious beer-barn, Helios Pub was pleasant enough but lacked the character of Matsuo’s cramped beer-van.

 I had my eye on three brews, each Helios originals. The first, their Weizen, was a fruity affair, rich with hops. On the fore it arrived fervently — honey and banana notes — but tired on the back end, the flavor too quickly evaporating. Such incompleteness gave the beer a lighter profile, something which it trumpeted. If there were one, this may be the Weizen to sip as you lie tired after a surf.

The next beer, the Goya Dry, excited with its biography. In 2011 it took gold in the freestyle and light lager category at the Tokyo International Beer Exhibition and Conference. Cloudy and with a pleasant gold color, the Goya was clean and sweet, with the suggestion of white wine on the fore and a fruity tang on aft. Something, however, was wrong. It had a metallic hue across its taste profile. An undue addition.

“Bad pipes on the Goya,” I was told by a group of ex-pats — Australians, British, Americans. Regulars at Helios, they assured me the Goya more often lives up to its award.

Next, the pale ale. It filled the glass with an endearing rust color. This 2003 Silver Award winner at the Japan Beer Grand Prix (so the menu said) was an exception to the rule. It offered a full taste: spicy in the initial wash, and then rich with chocolate hues in the after. For its make and model, this was no wafer-light beer. Neither in intention nor in accident. It was a sole voice clamoring against the surf.

I asked the group for opinions. The votes went to the pale ale.

Helios Pub offers a “find your favorite” deal. For 700 yen, you could get three sample serves from their selection; for 1100 yen you could get five. As for the standard serves, the smallest glass went for 400 yen, while the biggest (1 liter) was 1500 yen. Every beer cost the same.

I left Helios bar with the ex-pats as guides. “Baku,” they mentioned, “a good bar for boutique beers,” they said, “wonder if it’s open,” they pondered.

Just off Kokusaidori St., on a calmer parallel road with a strip of styled and cozy bars, is Craft Beer House Baku. It is nestled on the second floor of a nondescript building.

The owner, clearly, is enamored with the sea. The doormat was white sail roping joined together. Beer bottles hung like wheat bushels above the thin entrance walkway, lassoed together with thick yacht rope. On the walls of this snug, single-room bar showed paintings of wooden vessels — square sails strong and firm.

The bar boasted 18 taps. The bartender, an engaging man with bleached, short-cropped hair and a willingness to conversation in spite of language, recommended a selection of Okinawa beverages.

The first was a Miyako Pale Ale, sourced from Okinawa’s Miyako-Jima Microbrewery. With a rusty hue and clear visage, the beer was a fruity pleasure on the fore. The taste was quick in nature: both arriving briskly and departing gingerly. In this it was perhaps too eager. It is nice for a pale ale to linger a while in your company.

Following the pale ale was a Nihede Alt, from the island’s Nanto Brewery. If the pale ale was hurried, the Alt was plodding. It arrived, after a brief pause, with a bitter taste. This shifts into a burnt coffee veneer, with a smoky hue.

Another offer from Nanto was their Nihede Black Ale. It gave a taste of chocolate, a cocoa flush that arrived late and lounged in the mouth’s top palate. This beer, though pleasant enough, failed that most important test of a dark beer — the kebab rule. Were it a long, late night of drinking, would this dark beer, in its weight and substance, ensure you don’t need to stop by the kebab shop on the journey home? A good Guinness always answers yes.

I asked a group of Okinawans their thoughts. It was hard. Language was unaccommodating. Yet, a few spare, blunt words sufficed. “Black one, too light,” I said. They nodded and murmured in agreement. The bartender turned his head in question. They explained to him what I had said. He nodded and murmured in agreement. I said the Miyako was my favorite. More nods and murmurs. Pale ales seemed to win the evening.

The night soon ended. In the day I woke, boarded a ferry, traveled on the swelling sea for a short while, then arrived at a small island west of Naha. The sun was crisp and the coral sand massaging underfoot; the water a good temperature. Any of the beers, dark to light – even the Helios Pale Ale, would have been welcome. Each products of their place.

Details on the bars:

Matsuo’s Yatai-style bar. It’s a roving set-piece so you’ll be lucky to find him. Nonetheless, Matsuo said he is often at the public square just next to Miebashi monorail station on Fridays or Saturdays.

Helios Pub. Its address is Okinawa, Naha City, Makishi, 1-2-25 Ryukyu Central Building, 1F but once you’re on Kokusaidori St. it is hard to miss. They can be reached on 098-863-7227. They have an official website, of sorts, at: http://r.gnavi.co.jp/f051600/. This is in Japanese, so it may not be so helpful. An English resource is: http://en.okinawa2go.jp/is/OCVB1EN0600005437/show.

Craft Beer House Baku. Its address is Okinawa, Naha City, Kumoji, 3-9-21, UD Kumoji Building, 2F. Its phone number, useful if the taxi driver gets lost, is 098-861-8915. It has a website, again in Japanese, at: http://baku.ti-da.net.

The sleepy nation of Laos is Southeast Asia’s only landlocked country and is often overlooked on the well-trodden backpacker trail. People are beginning to take notice however, as with few unexplored places left to discover, Laos’ offer of ‘real Southeast Asia’ is appealing to more and more travellers. But perhaps the People’s Democratic Republic’s most famous export – Beerlao – is also having a say in the rising fortunes of Pathet Lao.

Launched in 1973 in a joint venture between the government and foreign investors, Beerlao has recently started making waves outside the country (where it enjoys a 99% market share). Brewed in the capital Vientiane and purportedly using only the finest ingredients from home and abroad, Beerlao’s flagship 5% rice-based lager really is a smooth and laid back brew. Billed as “Asia’s best local beer” by Time Magazine, this longstanding local favourite is now being enjoyed by beer drinkers all over Asia.

Back in Vientiane it’s impossible to ignore the pride Laotians have in their national drink as you arrive in the city. The brand is literally everywhere and it’s without doubt the most popular design amongst bootleg t-shirt sellers. Wandering around the quaint and swelteringly hot capital it wasn’t hard to see why it’s so popular – taking a crisp, cold Beerlao by the banks of the Mekong River was most definitely a trip defining moment.

Since around 2005 LBC, the company who brews Beerlao has been partnering with Danish beer giants Carlsberg. This partnership led to a large increase in production and two additional beers being brought to market – Beerlao Dark and Beerlao Gold.

The Dark incarnation is on first glance a typical European style darker lager. Stronger than the original at 6.5%, it has a rich, nutty palette and a really soft mellow feel in your mouth. What makes it interesting for me however is the rice flavour, which really is evident and sets it apart from other dark beers you may be familiar with.

Beerlao Gold was less of a success for me. You don’t see it nearly as much as the original lager around Vientiane, which on reflection is no bad thing. Perhaps it was the fact I drank it out the bottle in a hostel bar (rather than from a chilled glass in one of Vientiane’s many decent restaurants), but it seemed to me to be an ever so slightly sweeter imitation of the original lager.

Laos is a tiny rice-producing country populated with laid-back, welcoming people and somehow they have successfully managed to recreate this in a bottle of beer. The city of Vientiane is remarkably small for a capital – the smallest I’ve ever visited – but it has a real charm about it and the French influence that remains gives the city a unique Asian European mix – the baguette has become the staple street food and you can’t walk more than 50 yards in the centre of the city without stumbling into a patisserie (well I couldn’t at least). It can be a little hard getting around the country and the infrastructure is not as developed as with some if it’s neighbours, but it is ‘simply beautiful’ as their tourist board suggests and, for the beer and the baguettes alone, it’s worth a visit. 

When one imagines the plethora of historical, cultural and natural pleasures that the Middle East offers, quality beer is not usually in the mix.  Always redefining rules and sticking to their own doctrine, Turkey rejects this notion and has made sure that their national beer, Efes, is something of a hidden treasure.  Like any beer enjoyed by the masses, Efes is not a particularly strong beer, however is a quality 4.5% pilsner that is thoroughly enjoyable with a kebab or a bowl of hummus.  Having just returned from an extensive trip throughout different regions in  Turkey, I can say that Efes is offered in every bar, market, or local bodega and seems to be enjoyed just as much by the locals as it is by the tourists.

Named after Efes (otherwise known as Ephesus, the ancient Greek town in southern Turkey), Efes pores from their classic green bottle with a small white head and has an herbal aroma with a some-what bitter hoppy aftertaste with a light malt body.  Although not your most exciting pilsner, this is a classic standard light beer that does not disappoint the masses.  It tends to keep the beer enthusiast tourists happy, as well.

If you’re looking for something a bit more exciting and want to keep to the same decent price range, try an Efes Extra Strong.  It’s still a pilsner, however with a 9%ABV it packs much more of an alcoholic bite although remains curiously smooth due to lack of strong aroma.  Efes Strong is mildly bitter with a quick finish and a pleasant after taste.  A crisp carbonation keeps this quality beer refreshing and easy to drink.

Hidden treasures are perhaps what Turkey does best, as Efes is named after quite possibly the best preserved ancient Greek/Roman town in the Mediterranean.   Not nearly as famous as Pompeii or Rome, Ephesus is a site to behold and has not been pictured to death in posters around the world.  Although hardly matching the grandeur of its ancient namesake, Efes Beer is a great hidden treasure in a non-obvious context.  With world-class historical sites, divinely delicious food, and the nicest people you could ever hope to meet, Turkey is well worth a visit.  As the Turks say before having a cold, refreshing sip of Efes, “Şerefe”!

What is a craft beer revolution? Why does it happen? What sets the stage?  What fuels it and what limits its potential?

A craft beer revolution is a dramatic change in a country’s beer culture, and is typically marked by change from mass consumption light, fizzy industrial lagers to the appreciation of real beer. These “great beer awakenings” are most dramatic in countries that are disproportionately dominated by monopolies of a single style, usually light, adjunct-laden lagers, whose presence is so ubiquitous, that the general population is scarcely aware of the existence of anything else.  What is missing, simply, is choice. Culprits for this lack of choice stem from highly successful corporate mass marketing campaigns and legislation that favors their stranglehold on the market.

Prohibition dealt (Volstead Act of 1920) the American craft beer industry a lethal blow. Before then, beer was mostly produced and consumed locally (although the invention of ice cars on trains allowed for distribution). By the end of prohibition in 1933, only the largest breweries were able to stay in business by producing malted grain, malt extracts, and even soda pop, and numbered under a hundred; a far cry from the nearly 2000 local breweries that existed in the late 1800′s.  Companies with their newly-instated brewing licenses easily dominated the market with their beers, and increased profit margins by loading them up with cheaper adjuncts, including up to 50% rice, and watering them down. Beer was no longer beer. The tax man was also partially to blame, and many beers needed to be 3.2% ABV or less. The 1970′s saw a time of huge market consolidation, as competitors were bought and scrapped, or rendered obsolete, reducing the number by the end of the decade to 44. Industry experts predicted the number of breweries would soon be down to just 5.

Across the pond in England, people were getting fed up, and rightfully so. CAMRA (Campaign for Real Ale) started in 1972 to bring back real ale. In the late 1970′s, Jimmy Carter legalized homebrewing in the United States and the craft beer revolution was beginning to take shape.  Many homebrewers opened up microbreweries, unleashing remarkable creativity and that saw revivals of traditional brews from other countries and an evolution of new styles such as Anchor Steam beer. In the 1980′s and 90′s, the industry saw double-digit growth, and the craft beer revolution was in full swing.

China parallels the United States’ “pre-revolution” period in many ways, but for entirely different reasons.  The lack of choice had nothing to do with a dry period; it got this way wet. Beer is proudly the most widely consumed beverage in China after tea.  Surprisingly, more beer is produced in China than anywhere else in the world, with Tsingdao firmly holding the largest slice of the market share, and Yanjing holding an astounding 85% of the market share in northern China.  The beers’ light alcohol (2.5 – 3.5%) and Chinese drinking culture favors its consumption in mass quantities and it’s cheaper (and safer) than water, a big plus in a country with questionable water quality.

As China continues to open up to the outside world, craft beer is slowly infiltrating into China, and locals are starting to take notice. Beer importers like Vandergeeten and DXCEL are stocking the shelves with an impressive selection of imports and deserve as much credit for getting Chinese access to craft beer as the microbreweries. Speaking of which, 2010 witnessed the opening of Great Leap Brewery in Beijing, and with that, support of the homebrewing culture. Carl Setzer, their brewmaster, taught several homebrewing classes, and machined miniature versions of his brew system for his students. Homebrewing is the true catalyst in any craft beer revolution.

If China is to follow the USA’s footsteps in the craft beer revolution, then Chinese need to have their own grassroots movement, and now Chinese now outnumber expats in the Beijing Homebrewing Society, which is a harbinger of good things to come. The year 2010 also saw China’s first Chinese language book on homebrewing. Gao Yan’s “Get your own brew” arms Chinese homebrewers with brewing knowledge, DIY know-how, and even supplies on taobao. After several months of homebrewing gatherings, the Beijing Homebrewing Society made its public debut at the 1st Annual Beijing Craft Beer festival in June 2012, and then held its first Homebrewing Festival in December. The exuberance and electricity in the air were palpable, and the cheers to the winners speeches (each participant took home a prize) had the aura of a pep rally.  The Chinese made it fun, and everyone went home feeling they were part of something special.

Despite this good news for beer in China, there are sobering limitations. The biggest obstacle restricting the craft beer revolution is questionable quality of raw ingredients, lack of basic infrastructure (refrigeration and space), and ultimately, the law.  Under current law, real beer (and yogurt for that matter) are not allowed to exist. If China-produced bottled beer tested positive for yeast, or any other microbiologicals, it will fail to meet quality control standards for production and distribution. Yogurt receives equally unfair treatment: it must be pasteurized, and robs consumers of any probiotic benefit.  The laws are unjustified because no pathogenic bacteria have ever been found growing in beer.

Chinese bottled beer is either filtered, pasteurized, or both, stripping them of yeast (and lots of hangover preventing B vitamins) that destabilizes or removes flavors the brewer intended to have in the finished beer. Internationally produced beer is allowed to have yeast (e.g bottle-conditioned Belgian ales such as Chimay, Rochefort, Westmalley are all here). The double standard is unfair to China’s microbreweries. Put this way, China deserves to have its Yanjing, Tsingdao, Harbin, and Snow beer everywhere… but why punish the people?

Is real beer banned in China?  Absolutely not. Kegged beer is not held to the same standard as bottled beer (so some wiggle room is allowed for yeast). Unfiltered Tsingdao is offered at the main Qingdao brewery tour, but they can’t bottle it for distribution. At least not yet. Any licensed restaurant or microbrewery can produce beer on-site, or, depending on licenses, brew off-site and distribute to themselves.

Yes, these are the early days of the homebrewing and craft beer movement in China, and is probably reminiscent of the beer scene in the USA in the 1970s. As China’s microbreweries and homebrewing culture continues to grow (there is an estimated 1000 homebrewers and counting), so will support for new policies to accommodate the movement, and the craft beer revolution will sweep over China.