I’m totally down with my fellow Canadians and our rep for being big beer drinkers. However, I’m kind of wondering about the recent 7-11 commercials for their summer beer specials that show three whiteys wearing Canadian t-shirts and suchlike getting all “high 5” over the cheap price of beer.
Honestly, the beer in Taiwan sucks. The best is Heiny, of course, but even then you’re ingesting a light lager - blech. I dream of the varieties available back home. And, man, I miss me some micro breweries.
It would make more sense to have Americans endorsing the beer here. (“Whoo! 5% alcohol volume!”) There are probably more Americans here studying English, so why not appeal to them with the cheap beer prices? Or are the Taiwanese trying to “upsell” to Americans by having a “Canadian” endorsement?
1st) I am an American, and i can say that I have never once heard anything about Canadians and beer in the same sentence, let alone that Canadians have a “rep” for being “big beer drinkers”. All of my Canadian friends actually don’t drink too much, because they complain that alcohol is so expensive in Canada.
2nd) Taiwanese beer doesn’t “suck”. I have been trying a lot of the beer here, and while yes, some of it is just awful, there are others that are pretty good. However, since your version of “good beer” or the “best beer here” is Heineken, I have serious questions about your experience with “good beers”.
3rd) Why would it make sense to have Americans endorsing the beer? If the commercial is so offensive for Canadians, than why would it be less offensive for Americans? Are you just saying a big “f-you” to Americans? Especially right before acknowledging that there are so many here? Oh, and let me correct that sentence, Americans don’t come to Taiwan to “study” English, they come to “teach” it.
4th) Alcohol is cheap in the USA, and more expensive in Canada, so it actually makes more sense that a Canadian would be excited to see cheap beer prices.
5th) Why would an American get excited about 5% alcohol content? Here is a list of the most common beers I see people drink back in the USA, and the alcohol content listed next to it:
Becks - 5%
Bells Pale Ale - 5%
Oberon - 6%
Blue Moon - 5.4%
Budweiser (which I hate) - 5%
Bud Ice - 5.5%
Busch Ice - 5.9%
Coors - 5%
Dos Equis - 4.8%
Fosters - 5.1%
Heineken - 5.4%
Michelob Amber Bock - 5.2%
Miller Genuine Draft - 5%
Miller High Life - 5.5%
PBR - 5%
Sam Adams Boston Lager - 4.8%
Sam Adams IPA - 5.9%
Sapporo - 5.2%
Sierra Nevada Pale Ale - 5.7%
Stone IPA - 6.9%
So as you can can see, it is very rare for a typical American beer to be less than 5% alcohol by volume.
Being a bit of a beer snob myself, I can say that I only drink a hand full of those from time to time, I usually by the higher end stuff, which is not only more expensive, has better flavor, but also has a higher alcohol content. I mean, even Sam Adams has a beer called “Sam Adams Triple Bock” which is 17.5%
There are some nice Canadian brews, for sure. But, there are many many more excellent American (US) brews that are far better and much stronger than many of the Canadian beers.
This idea that American (US) beer is weak and or of a poor quality is an ignorant one.
There are some nice Canadian brews, for sure. But, there are many many more excellent American (US) brews that are far better and much stronger than many of the Canadian beers.
This idea that American (US) beer is weak and or of a poor quality is an ignorant one. [/quote]
That ad is the most annoying thing I have seen in 7-11 and their ads are ALL stupid. I wonder how much they got paid for that. The only people contributing to foreigners looking like idiots are the peeps taking those jobs.
I’m certainly not offended by a commercial that has Canadians drinking beer and whooping it up about cheap prices. Though I have not yet seen the commercial, the later stereptype about being cheap would seem to be par for the course for many an ex-pat Canucklehead.
biggyweiting, as for the anti-American slant in the OPs post, take it with a grain of salt. You will find out soon enough just how many Canadians over here have a chip on their collective shoulders about America. Some kind of inferiority complex, methinks.
Agreed. There are a few expensive imports now and then that are good. But if you like full, dark, quality beers, not in Taiwan. A lot of microbrews dont bottle/can even so its hard to import. But teh ones that did would be nice here. Then there is Canada’s obsession with cutting its nose off in business. It will be far to expensive to ship beer made in Canada to a place like Taiwan where cheap is cheap and they actually prefer light beers. Honestly, i cant drink much good dark beer in the heat here or i feel like shit.
[quote]There are some nice Canadian brews, for sure. But, there are many many more excellent American (US) brews that are far better and much stronger than many of the Canadian beers.
This idea that American (US) beer is weak and or of a poor quality is an ignorant one,/quote]
american microbrews tend to be just as good as canadian, i agree. its all about them adn the person. but i will say that most commercial type beers in the states and canada are equally shitty.
Its hard to make good beer cheap.
But i can say i have seen loads of Canadians being the topic of alcoholic conversations. many times, and in other asian countries as well. There is certainly a stereotype with some groups. I’ve won the beer contests on the street with Taiwan beer any time i entered. Canadians also seem well known for tattoos in Taiwan. no idea why. But i certainly see it.
As a matter of clarification: the Canadians in the ad are depicted as neither teachers nor students, but as young backpackers, probably on a tight budget.
I’m trying to be diplomatic. But, IMHO, American microbrews are not just as good as Canadian. IMO, American micros far surpass most Canadian beers, micro or mega, in terms of quality and variety.
As a side note, it should be remembered that as the microbrewing trend expanded, new terms have been invented to classify different sized breweries. In the US, there are now breweries classified as nano, micro, craft, and mega.
Microbrews across North America are for the most part very good and often excellent. It all comes down to individual taste in the end which are superlative. Given the size, the US obviously has more breweries.
As for why American beer is still perceived as being piss water, well, stereotypes take a long time to die, and around the world the only American beer most people see is Bud or Miller.
Anyway, if anyone is interested, one of Taipei’s few microbreweries, Jolly Brew Pub, has a new rye ale which is quite good.
Do avoid that place on Zhonghua near Ximen MRT. It’s dreadful.
[quote=“Mucha Man”][quote=“headhonchoII”]We’ve been brewing beer when your countries were a bunch of Indians running around in forests and chasing Kevin Costner.
Heck the US even banned beer.
What was that about ?[/quote]
Yeah, but you allowed one of your best brews to be made in Malaysia. :no-no:[/quote]
Even worse we sold it back to the British (it was started and owned by an Anglo Irish family). I only drink direct from Dublin James Gate imports! No chicory flavour beer for me.
In also more into microbrews and excited to see lots of new breweries popping up in Ireland and the UK too.
[quote=“headhonchoII”]I’ve enjoyed plenty of very good microbrews from the US , maybe one or two from Canada.
But when it comes to brewing large quantities of pisswater 'Id say the US is the slight winner with Canada a close second.
Miller Lite
Busch
Budweiser
Coors
Taiwan blue can beer original actually tastes better than most of that.[/quote]
Australia is up there. Fosters.
Molson Canadian is dreadful stuff. Labbatts. Ugh, I won’t even spell it right, it doesn’t deserve it.
I must say though that I did enjoy a can of Pabst last year sitting on the Yalu River looking across to North Korea. Maybe it was the setting and there was no other choice for some odd reason.
[quote=“headhonchoII”][quote=“Muzha Man”][quote=“headhonchoII”]We’ve been brewing beer when your countries were a bunch of Indians running around in forests and chasing Kevin Costner.
Heck the US even banned beer.
What was that about ?[/quote]
Yeah, but you allowed one of your best brews to be made in Malaysia. :no-no:[/quote]
Even worse we sold it back to the British (it was started and owned by an Anglo Irish family). I only drink direct from Dublin James Gate imports! No chicory flavour beer for me.[/quote]
Yeah, I remember first seeing Guinness is the supermarket here and thinking wow! Then tasting it and tossing it out. I guess I could have poured it on my pancakes it was that sweet.
Oh man, it’s coming back to me now. Cheap Busch could have got me jailed when I blacked out and ended up in the wrong room in the hotel I worked in, lucky the person knew who I was!
You beat me to it in mentioning Aussie beer. The stuff is mostly vile. The weird thing is each state is so proud of their local pish. The beer guaranteed to give the worst hangover in the world, VB, Victoria Bitter or Very Bad as me and my friends (secretly) called it.
Fosters and other abominations rounded up the list.
Ironically one of my favourite beers is from Australia too , Boags not the mainland but, Tasmania. Cascade is also decent and Im sure they have others perhaps better brews.
:no-no:
Lame!
Even the Euros have their fair share of pish.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for the 1516 Reinheitsgebot, but with a captive market, many breweries in Europe put out utter shite, in cans no less.
I hardly think North America has a monopoly in swill.
Though perhaps in marketing of same, fair go.
[quote]But when it comes to brewing large quantities of pisswater 'Id say the US is the slight winner with Canada a close second.
Miller Lite
Busch
Budweiser
Coors[/quote]
You forgot Molson’s & Labatt’s.
Truth be told, early American beer was brewed by European immigrants, and as such was probably of fine quality. The great North American beer renaissance of micro brews in the mid 1980’s was pioneered by Americans, and slowly trickled up to us Canucks.
That said, there are some truly fine Canuck small element breweries, that would match most of what out southern fellow continenters have to offer.
I for one, am an I.P.A. man, and as such it all comes down to the hops!
:Europe: :America:
IPA is good stuff, I’ve only recently learned about it. I like Pils too which seems to be similar.
Microbrews are where it’s at, and I certainly thank the Americans for kicking off a global renaissance in beer.
?
