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JoecrappieOffline
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Post  Posted: Sep 20, 2005 - 08:37 PM  Reply with quote  Back to top

Ba Bai Bun is the Chinese name for the Nextage Mall (or Yaohan for the Japanese). I think the grocery store is on the 7th or 8th floor. It is in the imported goods section that is just outside of the grocery store.
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Post  Posted: Sep 21, 2005 - 01:51 AM  Reply with quote  Back to top

Just got back from the States and my god I was in beer heaven. Even the rednecks drink Sierra Nevada or Pete's Wicked Ale. I think I frightened people with my enthusiasm.

Some general comments... they don't use enough hops in Shanghai-brewed Heineken (I have not found any imported here, if you know somewhere, tell please), which is significant because Heineken is known for being a strong top hop brew. I've been drinking Grolsch because it's the only non-Shanghai beer they carry at my local Lawsons, even still it's not a favorite of mine.
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Post  Posted: Sep 22, 2005 - 02:07 PM  Reply with quote  Back to top

OOOOooo Petes.
Used to be my favorite mass market beer.
Now I dig on Anderson Valley Boonesville Oatmeal Stout.
YUM.

Theres an interesting article on Trappist beers if any cares to read. Whet my appetite for a Chimay (well, actually a few others but you cant find in China).

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/09/21/dining/21wine.html
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Post  Posted: Sep 23, 2005 - 11:01 PM  Reply with quote  Back to top

Jiuguang Mall (beside Jingan Temple) has introduced a beer section into the supermarket itself. This is a new beer section, near the softdrinks and juices, not in that little wineshop in the corner.

They have some interesting things. The most interesting is a couple of Adnams beers from the UK. They have Broadside (a strong ale, 6.3% vol), and Suffolk Strong Bitter (4.5% vol).

Don't get the Suffolk Strong confused with 'Strong Suffolk', the classic dark ale from Greene King (an unusual beer for the UK in that it is a mixture of a young beer with a strong aged beer). This looks to be more of a bitter.

Could be good though. I don't remember having tried these before. Just got back from a long run (20k) so I'm knocking back a thrist quenching qingdao or two. I'm not going to try the adnams just yet becuase in my current state it will be gone in 30 seconds. 22RMB a bottle so I want to savour it a bit.

Will report back latter.

They also have Old Speckled Hen from Morlands (decent stuff but a bit sweet), and Abbot Ale from Greene King (a classic well balanced dry bitter).

Also, there are two or three french beers. One claims it is a 'Biere de Garde' (don't know if I spelled that right). Supposed to be an ale style that is slightly stronger than average. It was brewed in the spring and designed to be laid down to last over summer (when the temperature would get too warm for brewing). I've tried a few of these Biere De Garde in the past and they are usually disappointing. Problem with French beer in general I reckon. Maybe the French make some good beers but they don't get exported much. After sampling quite a few French exports I've noticed a trend. They seem to export an awful lot of slightly strong (maybe 6%), nicely packaged (swing caps, maybe even corks), but very bland beers.

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KiwiOffline
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Post  Posted: Sep 24, 2005 - 03:13 AM  Reply with quote  Back to top

Just tried the Suffolk Strong . A very decent pint. Still prefer Abbot Ale from Greene King though. Abbot Ale has more hops. Suffolk Strong is more restrained. A little mineraly taste that is interesting. A quality brew but it doesn't grab me the way some others do.

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Post  Posted: Sep 25, 2005 - 10:30 PM  Reply with quote  Back to top

When i was back home in Cali last week I did a blind taste test of all the Mexican beers and Negro Modelo came up best by everyone's. (I like how the good Mexican restaurants scoff when you ask for Corona.) Anyway, just found Negro Modelo for 12 rmb at that grand gateway Lianhua. Not bad!
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matOffline
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Post  Posted: Sep 25, 2005 - 11:04 PM  Reply with quote  Back to top

I will have to try that Negro Modelo. I don't really like Corona, although Sol is ok.

Re the Heineken. It is definitely brewed here. Pretty much all of those standard beer labels are brewed here, although Asahi is imported.

Re Tiger. it is amazing how much better this is in Singapore. It really is a good beer, but not when made here. I think the best ones made here are Steinlager and the Heineken. Although the imported Heineken is still much better. It is what i would buy to treat myself to a couple of special beers in Australia on a hot day.

There is a new beer distributor around, selling specialty english and french beers. Speckled Hen etc.... That is why you are starting to find them on the shelves.

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Post  Posted: Sep 26, 2005 - 12:46 AM  Reply with quote  Back to top

Asahi ... some are imported, most are made here. Have to read the label.

Yes, the Tiger is the most noticable in quality difference. Singapore's brew is 100 times better.
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Post  Posted: Sep 26, 2005 - 12:51 AM  Reply with quote  Back to top

Speaking of beer .... can someone explain why a country like Cambodia has such a better beer selection than friggin' Shanghai? There are several GOOD beer labels in Cambodia, including 3 decent stout drafts. Not one here.
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Post  Posted: Sep 26, 2005 - 12:46 PM  Reply with quote  Back to top
Post subject: Re: beer

Joecrappie wrote:
I had some Hoegaarden with dinner last night that was pretty good. Seems that you can get Hoegaarden everywhere here.


Sounds great. I haven't seen it anywhere... Do you mind sharing with me where you have found it? Can you buy it retail or just in bars?

Cheers.
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Post  Posted: Sep 27, 2005 - 12:30 AM  Reply with quote  Back to top

Yeah I was kind of surprised to see that one around a lot in Shanghai....getting Duvel caught me by surprise, too....felt like home (^_^)
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Post  Posted: Sep 27, 2005 - 12:42 AM  Reply with quote  Back to top

I have Hoegaarden on tap at Senses, 30rmb a glass. The only other place i have seen it is that French restaurant La Bouchon. (spelling?)

You can pick it up at the Western supermarkets.

Duvel i am thinking of putting in, but it is REDICULOUSLY expensive to buy. Someone mentioned they saw it for under 20rmb a bottle somewhere in a supermarket, well that is way below my buy price. They must be parrallel importing.

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Post  Posted: Sep 27, 2005 - 03:11 AM  Reply with quote  Back to top

just a recurring theme i find, but when i buy a beer in a new place ( or a new beer here in Sh) anything with rice in the ingredients is raly disgusting.

dont buy if it has rice in it , believe me, not even 4 curioousity.


i feel so satitaed and fly for having guzzled tonnes o booze at weatherspoons beer festival..

Am i just being a ponce or does hoegarten really need the lemon slice, austrian style.

i put a slice of lemon in every beer now, all beers turn to pleasure, just 1 little slice o lemon
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Post  Posted: Sep 27, 2005 - 03:17 AM  Reply with quote  Back to top

"I'll definitely try that dark Pabst. Pabst has a really bad reputation in the states for being a gross cheap beer and a lot of the older generation (like my wife's grandpa) drinks the Pabst Pilsener. It's so bad though, that it has gained kind of a retro-kitschy following"

i really do actually love the old Harp-ic lager from NI, nasty but nice

cxant recommend enough memories, by me, jiang pu rd, kongjiang rd crossroads, sun-weds 58 rmb all u can drink, nice black beer brewed on micro brewery u can see plus all u can eat brazilian BBQ. the pale ale is better for me, but not for the all u cab drink/ eat deal.

the taxi is worth it. not far off that german microbrewery down town, near bund but a 5% of the price

it gets a subway stop next month. learn people




only downside is u can drink a tonne without getting drunk, or that may just be me..............
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Post  Posted: Sep 27, 2005 - 11:14 AM  Reply with quote  Back to top

rutuman wrote:
anything with rice in the ingredients is raly disgusting.

dont buy if it has rice in it , believe me, not even 4 curioousity.


You don't say?

rutuman wrote:
Am i just being a ponce or does hoegarten really need the lemon slice, austrian style.

i put a slice of lemon in every beer now, all beers turn to pleasure, just 1 little slice o lemon


Please, no lemon slices in Hoegarden. Totally wrecks the taste. When it first appeared here (used to be on tap at Amber - since gone) they were throwing lemon slices in there. I sent mine back and we had the inevitable argument. . . The barman claimed the manufacturer had requested they do it that way. Totally impossible (I actually contacted the manufacturer to ask if they were encouraging this). Just maybe the distributor had asked them to do it to help create an image. But I think it was more likely that the bar had this stupid idea themselves.

If you were to go and put some fruit in Hoegarden (not that you should) I think an orange slice would be better. Lemon is too acidic and totally kills it.

Hoegaarden is also on tap in Arch BTW.

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Post  Posted: Sep 27, 2005 - 02:26 PM  Reply with quote  Back to top

mat wrote:
I will have to try that Negro Modelo. I don't really like Corona, although Sol is ok.


Dos Equis (2 X's) is a good mexican brew, too.

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Post  Posted: Sep 27, 2005 - 02:36 PM  Reply with quote  Back to top

A thousand hits and 66 replies!!
Makes you think that the Ex-pat magazines need to have a BEER column instead of the endless wine columns.
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Post  Posted: Sep 27, 2005 - 03:18 PM  Reply with quote  Back to top

Absolutely, Thats Shanghai should sack Mat and give those column inches to me.

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Post  Posted: Sep 27, 2005 - 11:37 PM  Reply with quote  Back to top

Lemon slices in Corona is even more bizarre... and never done in mexico except at tourist traps. I think lemon slices in a real cloudy hefeweizen is good, not sure about hoegaarden...

I'm now trying the Adnams Bitter... not bad -- refreshing and thirst-quenching for an amber ale.
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Post  Posted: Sep 29, 2005 - 02:57 PM  Reply with quote  Back to top

Uh, seems like That's Shanghai must be psychic. They started a beer column last month. If memory serves me right, it was directly opposite Mat's wine piece.
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Post  Posted: Sep 29, 2005 - 06:25 PM  Reply with quote  Back to top

Yeah, I picked up a copy in the gym this afternoon and saw it. Quite a crap column actually. It didn't quite make sense, but maybe the editor had chopped a big chunk out.

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KiwiOffline
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Post  Posted: Oct 09, 2005 - 12:57 AM  Reply with quote  Back to top

Tried the Adnams Broadside (6.3% vol) from Freshmart by Jingan Temple.

Not bad. Typical UK strong ale style thing. Not really a strong bitter, not much hops, more malty and sweet. A decent beer but not with the qualities I really like. Could still be a good one for the winter though.

Also tried the French so-called Biere de Garde from Freshmart. It is called Jellains or something. Nothing special. Also quite high alcohol, maybe 6.5%, but definitely a chemically commercialized type of beer. Comes in a corked bottle though which is cool.

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Post  Posted: Oct 09, 2005 - 09:46 AM  Reply with quote  Back to top

For those with an oven, here's a great recipe for beer bread - taste changes with the variety of beer used.


* Exported from MasterCook *

SHERYL'S BEER BREAD

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
3 cups flour
6 T. sugar
1 T. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1 12 oz. bottle/can of beer -- at room temperature
1/4 cup Melted butter

Preheat oven to 375*. Lightly grease a 9 x 5" loaf pan; set aside. Combine dry ingredients in a mixing bowl. Add beer all at once, mixing with a wooden spoon just until combined. Pour batter into pan. Top with melted butter. Bake 35 to 45 minutes until toothpick or skewer inserted comes out clean and top is lightly golden. Turn onto a rack to cool.
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Post  Posted: Oct 09, 2005 - 10:14 AM  Reply with quote  Back to top

business trip out to Wuxi + Zhangjiagang during the PRC national day holiday and we went to Jiangyin and visited the Hofbräuhaus Jiangyin (authentic german microbrewery) in Jiangyin.

tasty solid German food and very good home "boutique" brewed beer in lager, dark, wheat beer versions available at Hofbräuhaus Jiangyin.
much cheaper compared to Paulaner Shanghai venues.

in case your out in the sticks (Wuxi / Zhangjiagang):

Hofbräuhaus Jiangyin
Jiangyin New Jasmine Beer Co., Ltd.
Yijian Road / Chaoyang Road
214431 Jiangyin
phone: (0510) 6700804

hours: Monday-Friday 11:00am-midnight, Saturday-Sunday 10:00am-1:00am.
Opened: 2003
Brewer: Bernward Gehle.
Annual Production: 1,000 hl.
Affiliated with Hofbräuhaus München

cheers, prost, ganbei.....
DILLIGAF
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Post  Posted: Nov 30, 2005 - 12:54 AM  Reply with quote  Back to top

Time to give the beer thread another shot of adrenaline. .

Was out in Pines Supermarket at Jinqiao and picked up a six pack of Coopers Best Extra Stout from Australia. This is a simply outstanding beer, especially for winter, so it is good to see it available in Shanghai with the colder weather arriving.

I’m just having a bottle now. I stuck it in the freezer for 10 mins rather having it out of the fridge because especially in this weather I think it tastes best not too far below room temperature. Treat it like you would an English bitter.

The alc/vol is quite high at 6.3%, and you can really taste this in the full flavor. The taste is so robust. The emphasis is on dark roasted malts with a big shot of molasses. It isn’t a hoppy beer but still has enough hops to keep things dry. Like all the Coopers beers it is bottle conditioned with quite a heavy sediment, and the yeast adds a fantastic extra dimension.

This is my favorite of all the Coopers beers. To me Guinness is perfection, while Coopers Best Extra Stout goes where Guinness might if it was more daring. Coopers Best Extra Stout doesn’t have the perfect balance of Guinness, but it is less restrained and more challenging. Actually, the totally fantastic bottle conditioned Guinness (almost impossible to find outside Ireland) shares some of these characteristics with Coopers.

I think it is selling for around RMB75 a six pack, or about RMB15/bottle.

Well worth picking up.

I think Pines are also selling the Coopers Pale Ale, which is a nice beer too but not as good as the Sparkling Ale.

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