Beer in Vietnam - A Traveler's Primer

I am a frequent traveler. I travel domestically several times a year and internationally two to three times per year. I am also a home brewer. While I don't use any apps to track the beer I have tried, I like to try the local brews when I travel. I have found some great ones and some forgettable ones. On my recent trip to Vietnam, I had the opportunity to try quite a few varieties.

Before I get into the brand name beers, I want to talk about fresh beer, like the one pictured above. Many restaurants carry fresh beer made on site. These quaffs can be had cheaply. I have seen them run as low as 5,000 dong, which is less than a quarter. The one I had above was chilled, as you can see from the photo. I think it ran about fifty cents. The beer is very cheap, but good quality. You are likely to see locals drinking this, although the craft beer revolution is alive and well in Vietnam.

Larue

Larue Beer. I would describe this as Vietnamese Heineken, since that is Larue's parent company. However, it is a French-style beer, medium to dark amber. It is crisp with no unpleasant aftertaste. The beer has been brewed since 1909 when it was first brewed by a Frenchman named Victor Larue.

Huda

Huda Beer. This was one of my favorites. Very crisp and refreshing. Huda, founded in 1990, is owned by Carlsberg and based in Hue, Vietnam. The name is a combination of Hue (Hu) and Denmark (Da). It is THE beer of Hue. They seem to be very proud of this libation. And Huda dumps quite a bit of money into advertising around Hue. To include a large, gaudy neon sign along the river that is lit up like Vegas at night. This beer is totally panned on the beer rating websites. Taste is subjective. I like it.

Bia Ha Noi

Bia Ha Noi (Hanoi Beer). Not my favorite. This straw colored beer is produced by state-owned Sabeco, which controls half the beer market in Vietnam. Carlsberg has a minor stake in this company as well. The beer is easy to find around Hanoi, where it is based.

333

333 Beer was originally known as 33 beer during the vietnam era. The communist government changed the name to 333 after Saigon fell to the North Vietnamese in 1975. The beer was once made with rice. This beer doesn't get favorable ratings on the rating websites. And I concur on this one. For an export beer that entered the US market in 1994, they could have done much better than this one.

Saigon Beer.

I don't have a photo for Saigon beer, because I forgot to take one. This photo is courtesy of Saigon Beer website. There are three beers you will find throughout Vietnam from this brewer. The two you will find most often are the red and green labels. I prefer the green label version. This is another export style beer. Much better than 333. Easy to find in Vietnam and available overseas depending on your country. This one is worth seeking out and giving a try.

If you happen to visit Vietnam and you like beer, you are in for a treat. While the beer in Vietnam tends to be in the lager family, the quality of the beer varies by brand. There are several good ones to select from. More importantly, I encourage you to try a home brew if you get the chance. Smaller restaurants often have their own. And it is cheap.