Beer Lao is one of the best, if not the best beer in Asia – that’s what all expatriates say who live in Laos. Beer Lao comes in large bottles that sell for well under $US1. Drink it cold, and enjoy.
– Just a little self-promoting Laos restaurant guide and travel info
Having just returned from a week in New York, the fridge is about as empty as it’s been since I moved into my wee apartment. Off to the grocery store for staples (milk, OJ, wine), a glance at the store’s beer fridge stopped me. In the middle of an eye-level shelf, almost unseen behind the border of the two doors of the fridge, were bottles of Beer Lao, the official and surprisingly tasty brew of the Lao PDR (People’s Democratic Republic).
Claudia spent a few weeks in Laos, and it was one of the best parts of her trip. She told me many a time that Beer Lao was good, quite good, amazingly good. Asian lagers on the whole – Tiger, Tsingtao, Singha, Chang, Lhasa, Angkor and such – are all pretty good, but the taste of each is about the same. Beer Lao, however, has some body to it, a bit of oomph. It’s also not as bitter as the others, and just has this flavor undercurrent that’s got some strength, but isn’t bitter, and is nearly sweet, but not quite… it’s just right. I’d try to come up with other ways to describe the taste, but that’s just lame and pretentious.
Beer Lao is good. If I had to pick one Southeast Asian beer to knock back during some hot-as-balls, sweat-rolling-off-you Bangkok night (or in this case, Vientiane), I’d pick Beer Lao.
Go buy a bottle and broaden your cultural horizons. Can’t find Beer Lao in your town? Come to Eugene and buy one – or better yet, really broaden your horizons, and go to SE Asia for a while. But that’s another post, and I want another swig of this fine beer.
Now THAT is what I call quality posting…I’m so moving to Laos for a few months…and going to BevMo…
MMmm….. Beer Lao. I saw where they make the stuff just outside of Vientiane.
Was it as fun as the Guinness tour in Publin?
You know, if you’re good I just might bring you a bottle of Beer Lao when I come in for Thanksgiving
Publin? That’s mine, Anto… and you know it!!
Copyright(c)the ging, ca2000
Whoops! How ’bout I buy you a pint and we call it even, huh JB?
Sure… I’ll agree to ‘anything’ for beer, you know that
You’re so “easy” to please
Funnily enough, I think you left this comment while I was relieving the grocery store of their last 4 bottles of Beer Lao!
where can i buy beer lao online??
please help!!!
charlie
hey, Ant, you’re the first hit for “buy beer lao online”! Congrats
http://www.google.com/search?q=buy%20beer%20lao%20online
Sweet! Now if only the supermarket across the street would get it back in stock…
Charlie – I did some searching around, and so far haven’t found a place online where you can buy Beer Lao. Here’s what I’d suggest you try…
- Are there any specialty booze shops in your area? If so, they may be able to source some Beer Lao for you, and you can probably work out an arrangement to buy. You’ll probably have to buy in quantity, say at least a case.
- Check with your area supermarkets. Here in Eugene, our PC Market of Choice, for example, will order rare, specialty, etc. beers. I haven’t done this yet, but have spoken to some of the store employees. Should I decide to snag a case or 10 of Beer Lao, I’ll let you know
If you do have some luck with the above, be ready to buy in quantity. Ask around your friends, etc., and see if there’d be anyone willing to chip in for a share of the brew. Good luck!
Beer Laos is good, but not that good. What makes Beer Laos the best beer in Asia is spending 8 hours riding in the back of a pickup on a dusty bumpy road, then sitting down to your only choice of beer in most of Laos, Beer Laos. Then Beer Laos is the best beer on earth. But, only then.
Good pint, er, point – the enjoyment of Asian lager is rather, well, contextual, isn’t it? It was like Kingfisher in India – didn’t like it, but after 8 hours of incessant horn honking and watching out for whether or not someone was trying to grope my then-girlfriend? Yeah, I wanted a beer.
But. Beer Lao is one I’ll drink now. In my comfy Eugene, OR home. With no dusty roads, loud horns, or constant fear of my existence. For me, it’s still a tasty beer.
But I’d rather have a Mirror Pond
Just now, I did one of my random Google searches — this time, “drink a bottle of wine” (yes, the whole phrase) — and I found your post on Beer Lao, which I intend to try as soon as I can find it.
I just moved to the Seattle area from the Washington, D.C. area. But, here’s the thing that made me post this comment: I also (sort of) grew up in Roanoke, Va. I graduated from Cave Spring High in 1985.
I love the Internet! Cheers to you in Oregon.
Sweet, a fellow transplant! Wow – all my time out here, and any other former Virginians I’ve met have all been from around the D.C. area.
Must be something about my 10-year high school reunion coming up – there have been some old friends from back then who’ve found me via the blog. Craziness.
Well, one more reason to make another trip to Seattle!
Hey All,
I need to know if anyone has managed to get Beer Lao in the UK. my girlfriend is still travelling and has ordered that i find beer lao before she returns!!!! i have 6 weeks and counting! please can some1 help – as my searches come up with nothing and im afraid i’ll not meet the challange!!!
Cheers guys – i know u’ll do me proud!!!!
Gemma
xxx
Gemma – so far, no luck; here’s the latest:
http://www.antsaint.com/ant/2005/10/beer_lao_in_lon.html
Good luck turning something up, and if you do, please leave a note here. (And I hope your girlfriend has a good trip!)
I spent 2 years logging in Laos, Ber Lao was the available beer out in the boonies, good beer, but got a sour stomach after a few months of it, switched to good old Mekong Whiskey for a week or so and right back to Beer Lao. Hard to find it on ice in most places but I’ll drink it again if available.. With what the Lao folks have to put up with they deserve a good beer if anyone does…