Beerlao (Lao language: ເບຍລາວ) is the name of a range of beers (lager, light beer and dark beer) produced by the Lao Brewery Company of Vientiane, Laos.
Contents |
The beer is based on locally grown jasmine rice; the hops and yeast used are imported from Germany.
Beerlao Original (5% Alc./Vol.), the original lager produced by LBC, is sold in 330 ml and 640 ml bottles and 330 ml cans. It is available throughout Laos, and in western-style restaurants in Cambodia. It is increasingly available in bars in Thailand. As of 2007, restaurants in Laos charge upwards of a base price of 8,500 kip for a 640 mL bottle, which is a little more than US$1. In limited places, the beer is available in draft form (on tap). This is referred to as biá sot ("fresh beer") by the locals. As of March, 2011, restaurants in Vientiane charge around 10,000 Kip for a large bottle, which is approximately 40 Thai Baht or $1.33 USD.
In 2005 LBC launched a locally produced Carlsberg beer and two new Beerlao products, Beerlao Light with a lower alcohol content (2.9%) and Beerlao Dark with an alcohol content of 6.5%. These both come in 330 ml bottles
Also, in April 2008 LBC launched another beer brand, a 5.5% alcohol lager called LaneXang.[1] The term LaneXang means Million Elephants and was the former name of an historic Lao kingdom, 1354-1707. Since its launch LaneXang beer has been continuously gaining popularity among local drinkers though it is relatively hard to find.
The company claims to have a 99% market share of the national beer market in Laos, though this may have been eroded by the arrival of Singapore's Tiger beer on the market.[2]
Beerlao was an official sponsor of the 2009 Southeast Asian Games held 9–18 December 2009 in Vientiane as well as most sports events in the country. They are one of the main marketers in the country and issue one of its most popular calendars, showcasing the year's winners of the Bia Lao beauty pageant.
Beerlao is now exported to the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Korea, Ireland, Japan, Vietnam, Cambodia, France, Thailand, Denmark, Hong Kong & Macau, Switzerland, China, Singapore and the Netherlands. It is available duty-free at most Lao border crossings, especially those with Thailand, where it is usually priced in Thai baht (from 20 baht per can, as of 2006).
Beerlao is very popular with foreign travelers in Vientiane. Many guidebooks recommend enjoying a cold Beerlao at one of the riverside restaurants by the Mekong River as a 'must-do' experience when visiting the city.
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||