Even though drinking beer seems to be reserved only for men in Vietnam, I have ventured out to local bia hoi outlets to enjoy good and inexpensive beer (4 tall glasses for less than US$1) and to watch the world go by
Bia hoi is widely available in small eateries and other dives off a busy road throughout the country. Hanoi has hundreds of bia hoi places to choose from.
As a foreigner, you might get a few stares at first when you sit down on the tiny stool next to the tiny table in this tiny joint but it's all worth it. Bia hoi haunts get packed in the evening as the locals congregate to drink and talk.
On a warm Hanoi summer day, a fresh cold glass of beer is a welcomed respite from the sweltering heat. I carefully watch the owner turn the cork on a large keg. Out of a long rubber tube comes out a light, golden lager beer poured directly into tall glasses. Local micro-breweries make bia hoi which is bought by bia hoi retailers and transported in large 100 liter barrels. Some large bia hoi outlets can sell up to 15 of the 100 liter barrels a day and will often resell smaller kegs to street stalls.
Unlike bottled beer, bia hoi is definitely fresh as no preservatives are added so it always has to be consumed immediately and is best when served early in the day ' as close to when it has been made as possible. If you ever feel like having beer for breakfast! As I prefer coffee for breakfast, I do not dare to try it out first thing in the morning, preferring to wait until the sun sets to try out this Vietnamese concoction. My first sip of bia hoi goes down well as the taste is quite light, refreshing, mildly carbonated with no lingering after-taste. Very fresh and very refreshing as well.
Not only can you savour locally-brewed beer but you can also nibble on some excellent Vietnamese food for lunch or dinner. Popular drinking snacks include peanuts, grilled meat, stir-fried vegetables and also certain exotic meat for the real adventurous palate.
I get amused glances from the local patrons, some of them obviously quite enlightened by the local brew. If you ever feel like toasting with the Vietnamese, you should learn the words Mot tram phan tram. This expression means 100% and will require you to down your bia hoi in one gulp.
As large billboards promoting brand-name beers pop up around Hanoi and bottled beer become the norm, classic bia hoi joint may become part to the past. Like its counterparts in Prague or Dublin, bia hoi is a local tradition worth preserving.
Bia hoi is widely available in small eateries and other dives off a busy road throughout the country. Hanoi has hundreds of bia hoi places to choose from.
As a foreigner, you might get a few stares at first when you sit down on the tiny stool next to the tiny table in this tiny joint but it's all worth it. Bia hoi haunts get packed in the evening as the locals congregate to drink and talk.
On a warm Hanoi summer day, a fresh cold glass of beer is a welcomed respite from the sweltering heat. I carefully watch the owner turn the cork on a large keg. Out of a long rubber tube comes out a light, golden lager beer poured directly into tall glasses. Local micro-breweries make bia hoi which is bought by bia hoi retailers and transported in large 100 liter barrels. Some large bia hoi outlets can sell up to 15 of the 100 liter barrels a day and will often resell smaller kegs to street stalls.
Unlike bottled beer, bia hoi is definitely fresh as no preservatives are added so it always has to be consumed immediately and is best when served early in the day ' as close to when it has been made as possible. If you ever feel like having beer for breakfast! As I prefer coffee for breakfast, I do not dare to try it out first thing in the morning, preferring to wait until the sun sets to try out this Vietnamese concoction. My first sip of bia hoi goes down well as the taste is quite light, refreshing, mildly carbonated with no lingering after-taste. Very fresh and very refreshing as well.
Not only can you savour locally-brewed beer but you can also nibble on some excellent Vietnamese food for lunch or dinner. Popular drinking snacks include peanuts, grilled meat, stir-fried vegetables and also certain exotic meat for the real adventurous palate.
I get amused glances from the local patrons, some of them obviously quite enlightened by the local brew. If you ever feel like toasting with the Vietnamese, you should learn the words Mot tram phan tram. This expression means 100% and will require you to down your bia hoi in one gulp.
As large billboards promoting brand-name beers pop up around Hanoi and bottled beer become the norm, classic bia hoi joint may become part to the past. Like its counterparts in Prague or Dublin, bia hoi is a local tradition worth preserving.
