Thursday, 19 September 2013

1001 BEERS: #63. TSINGTAO




# 63: TSINGTAO


Tsingtao Brewery 
- China (Est.1903)
First Brewed - 1903
4.7% ABV - Asian Adjunct Lager
IBU's - 18-20


Ingredients:

Malts: Pale, Crystal
Hops: Probably Saaz

Tasting Notes:

E: Clear pale straw-like colour with a thin fine head.
N: The nose is quite mild with a slight hint of bread and cooked vegetal.
P: The palate demonstrates an initial sweet malty flavour that has a slight nuttiness, with a citrus, floral hop bitterness, that is surprising given the aroma.
M: The mouth is refreshed, as the crisp beer has a high carbonation, with a lingering sweetness.

Other comments:

'Ching-dow' as it is pronounced has the proud title of being China's first beer.  With such an accolade comes a sense of pride and importance, and unlike other Chinese beers this is by far one of the better beers.  Brewed in the North-eastern seaport city of Qingdao, Tsingtao is the product of German colonists who set up here in 1903.  

The German colonists used the pure spring water from the Laoshan mountains nearby, as well as locally grown barley, rice and hops, this combined with German brewing techniques resulted in the birth of Tsingtao.  The beer won a gold medal at the 1906 Munich International Exhibition, and today it is one of the most exported Chinese beers, servicing over 50 countries.

The beer uses malted barley from Canada and Australia and rice, a staple in Asian beers, due to it's abundance and relatively low cost.  The brew is fermented for at least twenty-eight days using a special yeast strain cultivated in the brewery.

Food Pairings:

Beers that have such a strong link to their country of origin generally work well with cuisine from that country, so for Tsingtao then naturally Asian style food will pair nicely.  The high carbonation and hopped flavour will lend itself well to spicy food, whilst the sweet honey finish will contrast against spice.

So for my food pairing, i'm staying with a Chinese dish and honouring the beer with an authentic recipe that will allow the beer to complement the flavours of China.

Chicken and Cashew nut stir-fry

http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/chickenandcashewnuts_89299




SCORE: 2.3/5

Page: 525

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