Bia! (Beer-ness Friday Session Vietnam Edition!!!)

I was drinking beer in Saigon as early as 9:00 o'clock in the morning. I was also drinking beer in Cai Be Province at 1:00 o'clock in the afternoon. Of course I drank beer the whole night in most days of my stay there.

Come on, who wouldn't want to consume these light golden, thirst quenching liquid in a beautiful place like Vietnam? I sure did and I sure will love to do it over again.

Although generally their beer is watery and has very little body, I still think that i fairly enjoyed consuming them while I was in Ho Chi Minh.

Now let me please share with you some of the Vietnamese lagers that I tried.

Im gonna be showing you 5 of the most common beers that you will see around Vietnam.

1. 333 Premium
2. Saigon Lager
3. Saigon Export
4. BGI
5. Zorok

Alright then, lets get the beer party started!

1. 333 (Ba Ba Ba) Premium
Sabeco Vietnam
Style: Pale Lager
Alcohol content : 5.3% ABV
My rating: 2

Bia 333 (ba ba ba) (VND 15,000)

Ba Ba Ba is 333 in Vietnamese. :) Drank it straight from the can. Nose is fruity and malty at the same time. Taste is pretty flat though. Felt like its very thin and watery, not even a hoppy finish. Bought this beer at the sidewalk on our first night in Saigon. :)

2. Saigon Lager
Sabeco, Vietnam
Style:Pale Lager
Alcohol content: 4.3 % ABV
My rating: 3

Saigon Lager (around VND 18,000 - 20,000)

Had this on my last dinner in Ho Chi Minh. The nose gives off that rusty smell but with hints of citrus fruits maybe of lime. Drank this straight from the bottle. The taste is slightly sweet, no malt flavors at all with very faint hop finish which disappear right away upon gulping. Carbonation is ok with a watery finish. It was actually great for a warm night.

3. Saigon Export
Sabeco, Vietnam
Style: Pale Lager
Alcohol Content : 4.9% ABV
My Rating: 3

Saigon Export (around VND 25,000)

I was totally on a high when I fist drank this beer in Cai Be Province during lunch in our Mekong River tour. I was totally overjoyed with the fact that I was consuming this in the middle of a warm sunny day in a quiet little town. I think it was a perfect thirst quenching lager. Drank this straight from the bottle. The nose has that citrusy scent, very light and crisp taste with very little hops and malt flavors. Again, just like other Vietnamese beers that I have tried, it is watery but with a clean finish. Carbonation is just enough. Totally perfect for that great tour. And oh, I remembered having one again at Thi Cafe Bar in Pham Ngu Lao one night while listening to a Filipino band. :)

4. BGI
(Vietnam Brewery Lmtd)
Style: Pilsner
Alcohol content: 4.5% ABV
My rating: 3

BGI (around VND 30,000) a little expensive (well not really compared here in Manila, haha) since we had this on a famous bar in the city.

Had this a Go Go Go bar at the heart of backpacker's district in Ho Chi Minh. That brown bottle with a silhouette of a lazy tiger lounging up, it gives me an impression that this beer is a laid back one. Drank this straight from the bottle. It has that usual rusty lager scent. The taste was crisp and light. Found a little citrus and a faint sweet honey or caramel flavor. Very very little hop element with a watery ending and no lingering bitterness. I dont know, but its blank but its refreshing.

5. Zorok
Sabmiller Vietnam
Style: Pale Lager
Alcohol Content: 5% ABV
My Rating: 3

Zorok, (around VND 18,000)

Had Zorok beer on my last morning in Vietnam. That was around 9 o'clock in the morning before heading down for breakfast at the hotel. Drank it straight from the can. It has a flowery scent with flowery and honey taste. Carbonation is just ok with slightly malty flavor. Hoppiness is actually not that prominent. It has a very shot lived bitter after taste. A little flat, a little watery but still so damn good early in the morning. Hehehe.


Well no matter how watery or bland the flavors of these beer are, I still enjoyed drinking them all up. Traveling for me wouldn't be complete without sampling the local brews. Its something that I do enjoy and it makes myself be really immersed in their culture. I love Vietnam beers mainly because I can see how Vietnamese people love this beverage. Actually seeing tourists raise their glasses up and enjoyed a fun moment in Vietnam makes me happy as well. So drink up Vietnam!

That warm sunny lunch at Cai Be Province, drinking up my cold Bia Saigon Export. Cheers!

Note: For more beers, just click THIS! :D