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Drink

Where to Eat & Drink in Baker City, Oregon

September 8, 2020 By Hangry Backpacker 2 Comments

Baker City, Oregon isn’t known as a foodie town, a haven of eccentric eating or a place to eat unique, local food. Fortunately for roadtrippers and other visitors in Northeast Oregon, Baker City has surprisingly great food and plenty of good restaurants.

Giraffe statue on Main Street in Downtown Baker City, Oregon

Baker City has a lot more to offer visitors than one might expect. Most people come for the natural beauty in the area, but you have to eat at some point! And you might as well eat good food when you can.

For a small city in a largely rural part of the United States, there are a lot of quality restaurants. Whether you’re passing through or spending a few days, this is where you should eat and drink in Baker City, Oregon:

Where to Eat in Baker City, Oregon

Restaurants in Baker City are more diverse than most small, American towns. Ranging from taco shops to classic staple foods of the American West, there is a decent variety in town. Baker City even has fine dining and artisan bakery options.

Oregon Trail Restaurant

For the real Eastern Oregon restaurant experience in Baker City, go to the Oregon Trail Restaurant. This unassuming diner in a motel parking lot is everything you want in a local, small town cafe.

The Oregon Trail Restaurant is on the edge of Downtown Baker City. Complete with elk and antelope mounts on the walls, this is authentic dining straight out of the American West.

Oregon Trail Restaurant Diner Baker City

Friendly, attentive staff are a bonus, but the food is what stands out. Traditional American diner fare – chicken fried steak, biscuits & gravy, corn beef hash – and prices that will make you double check that it’s the 21st century are the main reasons to eat here. Breakfast is delicious and the best deal in town.

Sweet Wife Baking

Want something a little fancier, perhaps on the sweet side, for breakfast? Sweet Wife Baking is a fantastic bakery in Baker City, and the menu isn’t limited to sweet eats.

Sweet Wife Baking, at first glance, seems like it would be too fancy for a town like Baker City. Stereotypes of Small Town USA aside, this little bakery a block off of Main Street fits in perfectly. 

Sweet Wife has excellent coffee that would easily pass the standards of the world’s most pretentious coffee town, Portland. In other words, the coffee is good; so if boring, probably-burned drip coffee isn’t your cup of, uh, coffee, get a quality pour here.

Breakfast is the obvious reason to go to a bakery, and Sweet Wife has several delicious breakfast options. Breakfast sandwiches, quiche, scones – it’s all great. I would drive the 5 hours back to Baker City to eat another one of those maple bacon scones.

Sweet Wife Baking maple bacon scone in a to go box

Aside from breakfast, Sweet Wife Bakery has cookies, tasty lunch options and other baked goods. They even have fresh baked bread that varies each day. If you want quality – and, most importantly, delicious – baked goods in Baker City, Oregon, this is the place.

Lefty’s Taphouse – Pizza in Baker City

Lefty’s Taphouse is the go-to local pizza restaurant in Baker City. Beer and pizza, one of the world’s greatest culinary combinations, is the focus here.

Lefty’s (as in southpaw, or a left-handed pitcher) is a cheerfully baseball-themed restaurant. Baseball memorabilia hangs in every corner, and a large Babe Ruth mural occupies a wall between the bar and kitchen. Even the tap handles at the bar are mini baseball bats.

Leftys Taphouse baseball bat draft beer taps

As far as the beer and pizza goes, Lefty’s has the best pizza in Baker City, and it’s pretty good. It’s not pretentious or innovative – it’s just good. The ‘taphouse’ portion of Lefty’s consists almost entirely of craft beers. There are a few local Northeast Oregon brews, several other Oregon craft beers, a few Washington beers and the obligatory one or two cheap American domestics.

Geiser Grand Hotel

Even way out in Baker City, Oregon, there is a fancy restaurant. The Geiser Grand Hotel is an historic hotel that is a destination in itself. It was once considered the “finest hotel between Salt Lake City and Seattle.”

Gesier Grand Hotel Downtown Baker City Oregon

This is the fanciest restaurant in Baker City. The hotel itself may be the more standout attraction, but the food is good, too. Not to disparage the hotel or the town, but this is “Baker City fine dining.” And, to be clear, I mean that as a good thing!

The restaurant at the Geiser Grand Hotel is quality food with high-quality ingredients made in the local way. It’s not pretentious and, while it is visually appealing, the food is the priority – not the plating. You can save a few bucks eating in the bar and checking out happy hour snacks.

Northeast Oregon is a land of agriculture and farming. The Grand Geiser Hotel is the place to eat when you’re craving a fancy burger, filet mignon, prime rib or lamb chops. It’s the best presentation of local food. The historic hotel will also be the go-to for any brunch-seeking foodies in Baker City.

Haines Steak House

First impressions of Haines Steak House are that it looks like a typical themed, touristy restaurant. The thing is, though, little bitty Haines, Oregon is not a tourist town. Baker City is not really a tourist town, and nearby Haines is tiny and has a lot less to attract a visitor. The only reason I ate here was that a local bartender highly recommended the place.

Exterior of Haines Steak House in Northeast Oregon

Haines Steak House is an adequate attraction and a good reason to drive even farther out into the middle of nowhere. 15 minutes from Baker City is the quintessential Eastern Oregon Restaurant.

Interior of Haines Steak House with old wagon used as a salad bar

This restaurant serves typical American home-cookin’ in a family-run environment. Seriously, a little old lady is the hostess and her husband still works in the kitchen. This is the kind of restaurant most people only dream of finding on their great American roadtrip through the West. But it’s the real thing!

In between relics of the Old West, reminders that you’re in farm country, animal skins/mounts and the conestoga wagon salad bar, this is Oregon dining of days past. Chunks of meat, hefty portions, heaps of potatoes, cobbler and – seriously – the best rolls on the planet. That’s what you get here – great American food that is simple, friendly, local and aplenty.

More Restaurants in Baker City, Oregon

  • Inland Cafe – another great, no-frills American diner
  • D&J Taco Shop – simple & straightforward; the best tacos and burritos in Baker City
  • Mad Matilda’s – coffee shop and random vintage stuff, very Portland in Eastern Oregon
  • The Little Bagel Shop – bagels and bagel sandwiches made right here – need I say more?
  • Lone Pine Cafe – good food in a slightly prettier cafe setting than others on this list
  • Latitude 45 – nice little gastropub on Main Street

Where to Drink in Baker City, Oregon

After deciding where to eat in Baker City, you’ll need to determine where to stop for a pint or a nightcap. Small towns (those without a college presence) aren’t known as destinations for unique drinking options. Baker City is an exception.

Barley Brown’s

Oregon is famous for its breweries and love of craft beer. If there is a single reason to visit Baker City, like so many other places in the state, it’s the beer. But this beer is different. One of the best breweries in Oregon, if not the best, is Barley Brown’s in Baker City.

Whenever I see a Barley Brown’s beer on tap in the Portland area, it wins. All other beers are out of consideration. Whether it’s a Pallet Jack IPA, Handtruck Pale Ale, Point Blank Red, etc – the answer is yes.

When I decided to spend a few days in Baker City, a visit to the Barley Brown’s taproom was at the top of my list. I was not disappointed. Barley Brown’s beer is in the upper echelon of Oregon beer, and the taproom, adjacent to the brewery, is perfectly located in Downtown Baker City.

Draft Beer in a glass at Barley Brown's taproom in Baker City Oregon

Like most taprooms, they offer flights of beer for quick and easy sampling. I rarely waste my time on flights of beer. Sure, it’s an easy way to try several different brews, but good beer deserves to be tasted and enjoyed slowly. A pint of quality beer will have different tastes as you drink down and the temperature slowly reaches equilibrium.

Barley Brown’s beer is so damn good that it deserves every consideration to get the full experience. A visit to the simple taproom is not about atmosphere or decor. It’s about beer.

The benefit of drinking at a brewery, especially a small brewery, is the beer options that aren’t exported off-site. With beer this good, you definitely want to stop in for the more exclusive options. Barley Brown’s, for quality of product, is the best place to drink in Baker City.

Geiser Grand Hotel

Yep, it’s on here again. The Geiser Grand Hotel is also a great place to drink in Baker City. Imbibing at the fancy hotel is a lot different than elsewhere in town, but it’s worth it for a special treat.

Geiser Grand Hotel Bar Baker City Oregon

The bar at the Geiser Grand Hotel is old, and, I can imagine, it would have been quite the site many, many decades ago. Today, the bar is picturesque and features several elements paying homage to its history, but the allure of having a drink at this historic, once-illustrious (though still very nice) hotel is the cocktail selection.

Colorful and strong cocktails at the Geser Grand Hotel patio in Downtown Baker City

The bartenders at the Grand Geiser Hotel are good at their job. The cocktails, though on the expensive side, are made to perfection. The menu primarily consists of older cocktails, labeled as “mid-century modern.” Some of the concoctions are still popular, but many are rare sights on today’s bar menus.

Whether you go for something classic like a French 75 or Caipirinha, or something less obvious like a Brown Derby or a Boulevardier, the cocktails at the Grand Geiser are in a class of their own. Weather permitting – Eastern Oregon gets really cold and occasionally really hot – grab a table outside and enjoy watching Main Street life in Small Town, USA.

More Baker City, Oregon Bars

Downtown Baker City has several other drinking establishments. These vary from wine shops to blue collar local bars. Here are some of the other top refreshment options in town:

  • The 41 Club – normal bar with arcade games
  • Main Event Sports Bar – I think the name kinda says it all
  • AJ’s Corner Brick Bar & Grill – small bar with good food in a nice, cool downtown setting
  • Copper Belt Wines – local winery
  • Glacier 45 – local vodka distillery

Read the Hangry Backpacker’s Baker City Travel Guide for a thorough breakdown of visiting the Northeast Oregon town.


Eating & Drinking in Baker City, Oregon

Small towns, especially those in more rural, remote parts of the United States, are hardly known these days as great culinary destinations. Food in Baker City is an exception, and it’s a shining example of what makes Small Town, USA so fascinating.

Baker City, Oregon Mosaic Corn beef hash with eggs, hash browns, toast and coffee in Baker City, Oregon restaurant

Unassuming small towns, places where life is a little slower and seems uneventful (to outside spectators), offer some of the most unique eating in the USA. To be fair, the bars and restaurants in Baker City, Oregon punch above their weight, but that’s all the more reason to take a few days and spend some time exploring and eating in Northeast Oregon. You just might like it.

Filed Under: Drink, Eat

Drink: Portland Cider House

May 28, 2019 By Hangry Backpacker 1 Comment

The hard cider revolution is upon us, with Portland, Oregon and the Pacific Northwest at the forefront.

Portland Cider House Hawthorne

As cider grows in popularity, quality and variety is increasing. The Portland Cider House is the gold standard for cider taprooms. This bar in Southeast Portland is the stop for cider lovers and curious drinkers looking for a refreshing taste of something new. [Read more…] about Drink: Portland Cider House

Filed Under: Drink

Beer in Southeast Asia

October 17, 2018 By Hangry Backpacker 3 Comments

Beer in Southeast Asia – it’s part of backpacking and long-term travel in the region. One of the best parts about backpacking, especially in the laid-back travel realm of Southeast Asia, is you can wake up and drink a beer at 9 AM and no one will judge you. If they do, you can’t understand the language anyway, so why not?

hanoi beer ninh binh veitnam tam coc

When beer – our precious, ice-cold, golden-crisp, liquid refresher – is less than a buck for a pint, you indulge. It’s just a rule. Okay, fine. If you have a responsibility or some other real-world downer, maybe you should wait an hour or two. If you’re backpacking, just think of it as cultural imbibing. Grab a few bucks and go buy an armload of ale! In Southeast Asia, beer is cheap. Sometimes frighteningly so.

Beer in Southeast Asia: Everything You Need to Know

This information is neither groundbreaking or new. In the 21st century, it’s pretty much common knowledge that a cheap bit of travel and fun (and beer) can be found in Southeast Asia. All that endless bragging about cheap brews in exotic locales gets annoying… Until you experience this paradise for yourself.

There is, however, a shortage of reviews of our frothy friend from these parts. After all, when you’re surrounded by dramatic scenery or lazing in paradise, who cares if the brews are good or not?

You should. Or you should at least travel aware, prepared and educated a tad bit more than the backpacker next to you.

For 6 months, I wandered through Southeast Asia learning and exploring. One of my most important objectives was gaining a greater understanding of the beer.

These are crucial questions of utmost importance that need answering. It takes a lot of work to get an adequate sample of beer from several countries. Countless man-hours, heavy lifting (of mugs), all while running the risk of dehydration, or even worse, the munchies.

Despite this seemingly insurmountable task, someone has to solve this mystery. Fortunately for you, I have undertaken this responsibility and I am here to report my findings on the beer of Southeast Asia.

Nearly every country in the world seems to have its own national brand of beer. Many nations even have regional or local brands. Yeah, this is pretty obvious stuff here. The same can be said for the beer of Southeast Asia. With the exception of Malaysia, it seems each country in the this part of the world has, at the very least, a distinct, national beer. These banner beers with generic names and brands are synonymous with their homelands.

But, as a whole, which of these Southeast Asian brews stands out among the rest? Are there a few that really set themselves apart?

Beer in Southeast Asia: The Breakdown

Beer in Cambodia

Cambodia does not have as many beer options as neighboring Vietnam or Thailand. Nearly every bar in Cambodia has Angkor Beer or Cambodia Beer. These are two mass-produced, cheap lagers, sometimes called American lagers. Simply, these beers are potable and that’s about it. When it’s hot out and you want a cold one, these are your options in Cambodia.

There is no difference, each with the same alcohol content (ABV) at about 5%. Like may travelers, I prefer Angkor, probably because of the name and label, with a silhouette of the temples of Angkor. At least the marketing is good.

angkor beer phnom penh cambodia southeast asia

Klang is another common Cambodian beer. It is usually cheaper than the two brands mentioned above and has the added bonus that it comes in at 7% ABV. While the others aren’t very good, Klang is truly terrible; however, cheap and strong deserves its place in every conversation.

klang cheap beer cambodia southeast asia cambodia draft beer phnom penh southeast asia

Cambodia has its own currency, the Cambodian riel (KHR), but the country relies heavily on the US Dollar – bring NEW, CRISP US dollars with you. This reliance on the dollar (ATMs dispense US Dollars… in Cambodia!) amounts to overcharging for cheap beer. You can still get a beer for 2,000 KHR ($0.50 USD), but often times the charge is simply $1 USD. They know you have dollars, so learn to deal with your not-as-cheap, cheap beers. One dollar at a time.

Beer in Vietnam

Each region in Vietnam has its own beer available in a small area. With the exception of the larger brands (Hanoi Beer and Beer Saigon) found nationwide, your beer depends on your location.

Vietnam’s two main cities, Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon) are home to Bia Ha Noi and Bia Saigon (Bia = beer), respectively. Ironically, both of these beers taste like the flavorless, cheap American lagers that have been drowning the United States for generations. However, the Vietnamese won the war of crappy beer, too. These two lagers are for mass production, which translates to really cheap beer for you.

beer in hanoi old quarter vietnam southeast asia beer saigon ho chi minh city vietnam southeast asia

Other regional brews with boringly similar profiles: Bia Hai Phong (city of Haiphong) found in northeastern Vietnam; Huda (Hue) found in central Vietnam. These beers are similar in taste and ABV to the larger brands.

hai phong beer cat ba island vietnam southeast asia huda beer hue central vietnam southeast asia

Biere Larue is another option found in southern Vietnam. The general characteristics of this lager are the same, light and boring. But Larue seems to have a slightly sweeter finish, making it a little more palatable.

biere larue beer hoi an vietnam southeast asia

All of these beers are extremely cheap. From the top of Vietnam all the way to the bottom, you can start your party for 10-20,000 Vietnamese đồng (VND), or about $0.50 USD. Keep in mind that most bars and restaurants geared towards tourists will charge at least this amount, but mini-marts and places a block or two from hotspots are your friend. Locals often drink by carts on the street. I paid 4,000 VND for a street beer in Hanoi.

Vietnam has a small, emerging craft beer scene. Saigon is home to a few brewpubs and there are also a couple in Hanoi.

Beer in Laos

Laos is seriously limited among countries of Southeast Asia when it comes to options for beer. Not to worry, though, Beerlao is the national brand and is readily available at nearly every turn. Another mass-produced lager, it is a little better than those available other beer in Southeast Asia. The beer is brewed in Vientiane and has three variations: lager, gold and dark. The lager is king. Beerlao is marketed as using local rice and good, imported malts. True or not, it tastes better than most large volume lagers of the world.

4000 islands beerlao mekong river

A Beerlao in most cafes, restaurants and bars will usually cost about 6,000-12,000 Lao kip (LAK), about $0.75-1.50 USD. Mini-marts will sell Beerlao for 4,000-6,000 LAK, with the gold or dark brews falling on the higher end of that spectrum.

Heineken has a growing presence in Laos, which brings in Heineken and Tiger for more expensive choices. The company also brews Namkhong, a local product. Namkhong is harder to find, a little more expensive than Beerlao and not as easy to drink. In Laos, you want an easy drinking beer.

namkhong beer luang prabang laos

For cost and quality sake, when in Laos, drink Beerlao.

Beer in Thailand

Beer in Thailand is a more interesting topic. In some ways, Thai society is more liberal than its neighbors – “liberal” is used very hesitantly here. The nation has been more open to Western visitors, investment and influence than most of the other nations in the area. The result, as far as beer is concerned, is more drinking options for you.

The three most commonly found beers in Thailand are Chang, Singha and Leo. Chang and Singha are the most internationally recognized brands, with exports reaching shelves thousands of miles away.

Chang is the beer of Southeast Asia, an easy drinking American-style lager. It comes in at 5% ABV and will usually cost about 50 Thai baht (THB), approximately $1.50 USD, in most (backpacker) tourist bars. Chang, the beer that American lagers wish they were (translated: potable), has become synonymous with Thailand.

chang beer tropical paradise koh lipe thailand southeast asia

Singha is the oldest beer in Thailand. It is a Thai take on Heineken, complete with the skunky smell. Singha is slightly more expensive than its competitors and comes in with the same 5% ABV. Overall, it’s mediocre. Like the infamous durian fruit, if you can get past the smell, you might enjoy a fresh Singha.

singha beer ko lanta island thailand tropical paradiese southeast asia beach

Leo is another very common beer in Thailand. It is produced by the same company as Singha, perhaps as a competitor to Chang. With a similar taste to Chang, Leo comes up a little short, with notes of bland and hints of boring. However, Leo is cheaper in some parts of Thailand.

cheap leo beer koh lipe restaurant thailand island southeast asia

The craft beer industry in Thailand is emerging more than any other Southeast Asian nation. Due in part to the openness towards foreigners, craft breweries have opened up in recent years.

In Thailand, let the price be your guide. The difference in product is insignificant. After you’ve got your Chang beer photo for Instagram, be stingy and buy the cheaper option, whatever that turns out to be.

Beer in Malaysia

With the exception of dry Brunei, the brew situation in Malaysia is the worst of beer in Southeast Asia. Simply, it sucks. Due to obvious religious reasons, alcohol production is strictly monitored and there is a limited amount of beer available. Your options are not unique. Tiger beer, the de facto national beer, is the most widely available beer and even this is from neighboring Singapore.

tiger beer sri lanka bar ipoh perak malaysia

In nearly a month in Peninsular Malaysia, I was unable to find a locally produced beer.

In addition to Tiger, your options in Malaysia are other imported brands. Carlsberg, Heineken, Guinness and the occasional Budweiser are what you get. And they will not come cheap. In a bar or restaurant in Kuala Lumpur, expect to pay 20 Malaysian ringgits (MYR), about $5 USD, for a crappy import. A few places are cheaper, but 30-40 MYR for a Corona is not out of the question.

You do not come to Malaysia for beer. Fortunately, the food is worthy of your visit. But it sure would be nice to pair that cheap food with a cheap beer.

nasi lemak malaysian food ipoh perak malaysia tiger beer
The beer cost twice as much as the food

Beer in Myanmar

Myanmar, formerly Burma, has a big taste for beer going back to its days under British control. The country has a national brand and some regional beers along with a tad bit of variety. Myanmar Beer is the national beer and it is very obvious, as the brand and product are everywhere. Myanmar Beer is one of the few brands of beer from Southeast Asia that is exported.

myanmar beer yangon busy street myanmar southeast asia burma

Myanmar Beer is yet another American-style lager, coming in again at 5% ABV. It is nothing special, other than its place as a treat on those blistering Southeast Asian days. The national beer of Burma is in no short supply and can be found at most bars or restaurants for 1,000-2,000 Myanmar kyats (MMK), roughly $0.50-1.00 USD. Mini-marts are, of course, your cheaper option. Nicer restaurants and bars, especially in Yangon (formerly Rangoon), will push the price of your beverage to 2,000 MMK and higher.

Like other big cities in Southeast Asia, Yangon has a beer street. Beer Street (19th Street) in Yangon is a great stop for cheap dinner and a fun time with locals and the few other tourists around.

Mandalay, the main city of Upper Burma, is a cultural center of the nation. As far as beer is concerned, the city is dominated by Myanmar Beer like the rest of the nation. However, Mandalay Beer is also available in the area. It is a little better than the national brand and seems to be cheaper, too. But it is not worth an extensive trek to find. No beer in this part of the world is worth going out of your way to find.

mandalay beer upper burma myanmar bagan southeast asia dagon beer myan mar bagan southeast asia

Dagon and Andaman are more options for your monotonous lager-tasting of Southeast Asia. Andaman makes a gold lager and a gold lager special. These have an ABV of 5% and 6.5%, respectively. They are usually found in supermarkets and mini-marts, coming in a little cheaper in those places than a Myanmar Beer at a bar. At 6.5% in the Andaman Gold Special, you can suffer through the beer for the extra boost. There is no need for further mention of Dagon.

andaman beer gold special alcohol yangon myanmar burma southeast asia andaman gold beer yangon myanmar southeast asia burma lager

Yoma is another Burmese brew that you may see in Myanmar. Yoma is a newer product (same boring-style lager) from a global beer giant brewed in Myanmar. Over the course of one month in the country, I only saw Yoma in a single restaurant. It really is not any better than Myanmar Beer, but it has a slightly higher ABV at 5.40%. If you have no other choice, Yoma is fine. However, when in Myanmar, the national brand is likely the cheaper option and should be your go-to beer.

yoma beer bagan myanmar shwe moe restaurant burma southeast asia

Overall, Myanmar is in the middle of the pack for beer in Southeast Asia, perhaps slightly above average.

Imported Beer in Southeast Asia

Beer from the brewing giants around the world have found their way to Southeast Asia, on the shelves of mini-marts and in the coolers of bars. If you need a Budweiser, Corona, Heineken or Carlsberg, you can find these options. Why you would ever want to consume any of these is a discussion for you and your physician over your ineffective taste buds.

Craft Beer in Southeast Asia

Craft beer is in. What used to be the realm of nerdy chemists, beer snobs and pretentious boozers is now mainstream. However, many people forget about Southeast Asia when they think about the craft beer world.

Bar hopping in Bangkok is definitely not the heavenly indulgence that is Belgian bars or the IPA wonderland of dingy Portland dives. To the surprise of many, you can find plenty of quality craft beer options in the chaos that is the infamous backpacker hub of Southeast Asia.

Due in part to the openness towards foreigners, craft breweries have opened up in recent years. Several expatriates from North America and Europe have relocated to this Kingdom in Southeast Asia and brought a love of quality beer with them. Thanks to these brave, enterprising runaways, you will find craft beer options across the country. The downside is that these beers are usually geared towards tourists or wealthier people. There will be no deals on craft beer.

thai craft beer bangkok thailand southeast asia thai craft beer chiang mai thailand southeast asia red truck pale ale thai craft beer phi phi krabi brewery thailand islands southeast asia

Cambodia does not have much in the way of craft beer outside of Phnom Penh. Even in the capital city, there are only two or three options. Notably, Hops Brewery in the city center is a fantastic option to satisfy your beer-drinking needs. Hops follows traditional German purity laws of brewing and is owned and personally run by a German expat. While the food is not as cheap as what you find elsewhere in the city, it is probably the best German food you can find in the country, if not all of Southeast Asia.

Sitting at the bar in Hops, looking at the tanks and brewhouse around, you will forget you’re in the middle of Phnom Penh. Hops is a unique scene for beer in Southeast Asia. The Hops IPA and Red Fury are my personal favorites.

hops brewery phnom penh cambodia craft beer southeast asia

The western influences so obviously visible in Ho Chi Minh City have yielded a few craft brewing operations. While still on a very small scale, this has even spread north to Hanoi.

Pasteur Street Brewing Company originated in Ho Chi Minh City and also has a location in Hanoi, right behind St. Joseph’s Cathedral. The beer here is very good. The quality stands up to craft beers in the west, but the the prices do too. Stop in here if you have an extra 100,000 VND or are in dire need of a good quality beer. Sipping a double IPA on the balcony, I briefly felt as though I was in Oregon. Sometimes it gets cold in Hanoi.

craft beer pasteur brewing hanoi vietnam southeast asia

The State of Beer in Southeast Asia: The Results

National Brands

It’s all pretty bad. While there are a few brews that are significantly worse than others, nothing stands high above. Overall, the mass-produced labels in Southeast Asia are basically the same product in different packaging. Lagers. Pale lagers. Wheat and rice beers. Occasionally, someone throws in a stout for confusion.

Beer in Southeast Asia might be crap in the giant continuum that is beer analysis, but that doesn’t mean it’s all bad news. There are positives about drinking beer in these countries.

Cheap beer is good thing. Maybe you aren’t going to get top quality in Yangon, but you won’t pay five bucks for uncertainty either. That lager in Hanoi might not be the Bavarian treat you dreamt of, but how about a large bottle for less than $0.50? Yeah, sounds good. And certainly a hell of a lot better than 10 Euros in a Munich bar.

The basic beers of Southeast Asia are nothing in comparison to the products many of us are used to, and quite frankly, with which we are spoiled.

Craft Beer

As far as the craft beer industry is concerned, growth in Southeast Asia is exploding. That is, where there may have been a handful in the past, today you can find a couple of handfuls. This is unlikely to turn into exponential growth anytime soon. After all, many of these countries are corrupt, totalitarian states that wouldn’t want to see the profits of state-owned breweries diminish.

Perhaps even worse than intensely government regulated beer is that many of the flagship/national brands mentioned above are, in fact, controlled or owned by the giants. That’s right. Heineken and Carlsberg are owners, at least in part, of leading brands in Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Malaysia, Myanmar and Singapore. As long as these giants keep paying and are in control of the regional market, craft beers will be few and far between.

Nevertheless, even slow growth is progress. If you want to see a change in beer for the better, there is certainly a politician to be found in Southeast Asia awaiting your bribe!

The Takeaway

Most travelers do not arrive in Southeast Asia seeking or expecting anything exceptional when it comes to beer. Nearly every option would leave a beer snob disappointed. And that’s the key: leave the beer snobbery at home. The beautiful thing about beer in this part of the world is that it works. It works wonderfully with a plate of spicy mystery in Mandalay and pairs perfectly with paradise in Ko Lanta. Your relief from the Saigon sauna is an ice-cold beer for less than a dollar and that ain’t a bad thing.

Southeast Asian beers might not be the best, but refreshing and cheap goes a long way. At the end of the day, at least it’s not a Bud Light.

Filed Under: Drink

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The Magnolia State! I've always thought Magnolia The Magnolia State! 

I've always thought Magnolias are cool flowers, all the way back to 3rd grade when I brought one from my grandparents house to show the class.  Nyctinasty (plant circadian rhythm!) - fascinsting how they respond to light, opening in the day and closing at night. Not sure the other 8-9 year olds were impressed 😆

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#HangryBackpacker #travel #travelblogger #magnolia #mississippi
Staple (noun) - a basic or necessary item of food Staple (noun) - a basic or necessary item of food

Pizza fits that definition and there is always time and always room for awesome pizza.

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#HangryBackpacker #pizzaislife #pizzaislove #pizzaishappiness #brickovenpizza #foodblogger #eattheworld #foodporn #justeatit
I love a good view! This one, from the Clock Tower I love a good view! This one, from the Clock Tower of Tirana, offers great views over Skanderbeg Square.

From the top, you can see that Tirana is different than what people may assume. It's green and lively with a mountain backdrop, modern and historic at the same time. 

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#HangryBackpacker #travel #travelblogger #albania #tirana #albaniatravel #skanderbegsquare #visittirana #visitalbania #viewfromabove
The Church of St. Michael, Berat. This tiny Orthod The Church of St. Michael, Berat. This tiny Orthodox church sits on the cliffside between old town and Berat Castle. Though it isn't the most majestic church, it dates back to the Byantine era of the 14th Century and has great views.

The walk up may be difficult for some, but it's easier and shorter than it appears from street level. To my surprise, only a few other people were up there the whole time we were looking around.

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#HangryBackpacker #travel #travelblogger #berat #albania #visitalbania #albaniatravel #shqiperia #omsystem #unescoworldheritagesite #travelalbania #olympusomdem10 #worldcaptures #skymileslife #traveltips
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