Postcards In A Frosty Bottle

The Age

Tuesday July 31, 2007

Willie Simpson

Seasoned travellers often bookmark their adventures with memories of their favourite beers, reports Willie Simpson.

THERE is a surprising number of fine beers from Asia, even if they tend to be a variation on a single theme - a pale golden lager designed to quench a thirst. Beers first encountered while travelling through exotic places evoke rather special flavour memories and a chilled local lager is still the best match for even the hottest Asian cuisine.

China has been called the sleeping tiger of the brewing world but is now truly awake, and leading beer production globally. Significantly, Foster's pulled out of the Chinese brewing scene some time ago, but some of the world's biggest beer producers are now involved in joint ventures there. Tsingtao is the best-known Chinese beer, but Foster's has recently started importing the Shanghai brand, a well-made European lager.

China is apparently self-sufficient in hops and, more recently, has started exporting shiny stainless steel microbreweries, presumably made from Australian iron ore. The potential for growth in the Chinese beer market lies in getting the locals to drink more beer, with consumption still a mere 20 litres per capita.

Japan produces some of the least-bitter beers in the region, including the likes of Asahi Super Dry and Kirin Ichiban. Unusually, the latter is made with the first runnings from the mashing process (Ichiban means "number one") and is a clean, malt-driven beer with little aftertaste. These rather one-dimensional lagers may disappoint hardcore hop-heads but they are a good foil for most Japanese cuisine, complementing the clean, uncomplicated flavours.

The Philippines-based San Miguel group owns the J. Boag & Son brewery in Launceston, but has had little success in persuading Australians to drink its flagship pale lager. San Miguel is a light-bodied lager and fairly bland, it has to be said, but has the advantage of being widely available throughout Asia.

Kingfisher is the staple beer of most Indian restaurants and is a reliable drop, rather than a beer of great complexity; Cobra Lager is a relative newcomer to these shores and is a similar easy-drinking, premium lager style. Both come into their own with chilli-laced curries from the sub-continent.

Dutch brewing giant Heineken part-owns several breweries in the region, including the producers of Bintang (Indonesia) and Tiger and Anchor (Singapore) and the European pedigree is evident in such beers. Singha from Thailand stands out as the most flavoursome Asian lager.

Top Asian drops

Tiger (Singapore)

Packs a solid malt hit balanced with reasonable bitterness to round out a reliable, highly drinkable lager (the parent brewery is part-owned by Heineken, which might explain its European hallmarks). Tiger is one of Asia's finest beers and the obvious match for dishes such as laksa or Singapore noodles.

Singha (Thailand)

From a region that boasts more than its fair share of bland lagers, Singha stands out as a beacon of flavour and the elevated alcohol content (5.8 per cent) carries the complex flavour notes well. It's mouth-filling, with substantial maltiness and a well-bittered finish that lingers for quite a while. Bring on the jungle curry.

Tsingtao (China)

With a hint of aromatic hops, a pleasantly malty mouthfeel and a delicate bitterness, Tsingtao is a satisfying beer. It has the advantage of being widely available, especially around Chinatown, when it comes into its own with most food on offer there. It's pronounced Ching-Dow.

Kingfisher (India)

Still a reliable thirst-quencher from the Indian subcontinent, old backpackers reminisce about this beer with a moist gleam in their eye. A frosted Kingfisher was a sight to behold, indeed, on the long, dusty, thirst-ridden trail through this amazing country. Just the thing with a plateful of pappadums at sunset.