Tsing Tao beer remains the most popular beer throughout China. Walk into any truly local restaurant and you’ll see tables ordering Tsing Tao bottles by the crate. But wander into slightly more upscale establishments in Shanghai along the Bund or at Xintiandi and you’ll find that the only patrons holding a bottle of Tsing Tao will be the tourists. Foreign commercial beers like Heineken, Budweiser are becoming increasingly popular as well as blended whiskies like Dewar’s and Chivas.
What’s also been a blessing with the relaxation of Open Trade Agreements are imported American and European beers. I’ve found labels like Red Seal and Rogue in outlets that cater to the more affluent locals and the growing foreign community in Shanghai. Another emerging trend are both local and foreign microbreweries and we’ve listed a few here for your sampling.
Probably better known for its Southern, Tex-Mex cuisine than the beer that’s being brewed onsite. Of the 2 outlets, we went to the original location at 82 Fuxing Xi Lu, within French Concession. Its location is already a plus being located in a beautifully restored house with a cosy interior and outdoor seating. Adding to the fun is the naming convention of their beers – Title Belt Alt Bier; Knock Out Stout; Donkey Punch Dunkel etc. While they promise to have 4 beers on tap at any one time, there were only 3 available when we were there. It’s a decent place and worth a visit, especially if you’re in the area.
8 beers on the placemat, 4 on tap, but only 3 available.
You know you’re in a developed city when you’ve got Starbucks on opposite
corners of a street. Our equivalent of according such economic status is the availability of German hofbrau. There’s Paulaner Brauhaus at Xintiandi and there’s also the Munich Beer House on the Pudong side of Shanghai. Munich Beer House brews their lager, wheat and dark beers onsite and the smell of yeast is unmistakable once you enter. Like their Bavarian food, their hofbrau is quite authentic. See the map below for the address.
Dark Beer
3) Bund Brewery
Probably the best value offering on The Bund. If you’ve been to places like M On The Bund, Bar Rouge and the now defunct Attica, you’ll be pleased to know the Bund Brewery offers all-you-can-drink for RMB199 from 7-9pm.
Recently refurbished under a new management, it’s truly styled as a traditional beer hall with long benches and nothing but copper and wood.
Despite being around since 1998, it’s limited to only the Bundlander Dawn and Bundlander Dusk, aka light and dark. And like most microbrews sampled in China, they’re decent but not memorable.
Find The Bund Brewery at The Custom House, 11 Hankou Road, Shanghai, The Bund, near Zhongshan Dong Yi Lu.
The Boxing Cat beer looks flat, the Munich Dark Beer looks like an Alsatian poured into the wrong glass, and the Bunlander Dawn looks like the stuff you dip your fingers into after chilli crab. I blame your camera.
Used to get funny looks from the Chinese when I ordered TsingTao Draft or ZhuJiang Draft in ‘high-crass’ restaurants but they go great with Shanghainese and Cantonese food. Drank them all the time during my 4 years in China. Strangely I also grew me a third nipple.