Beer in Vietnam: history, traditions and breweries
Fresh draught beer for very little money on the street corner: hardly anywhere is beer as much part of everyday life as in the land of “bia hơi”.
History
Beer came to Vietnam with the French; the Vietnamese word “bia” comes from the French “bière”. In 1875 Victor Larue founded a brewery in Saigon, from which today’s Sabeco grew.
In 1890 the Hommel brewery was founded in Hanoi, the forerunner of today’s Habeco. It brews Hà Nội beer.
After the end of the Vietnam War in 1975 the breweries were state-owned. From 1990 foreign partners joined; in the same year Huda beer was created in Huế with Danish participation.
Today Vietnam is one of the largest beer markets in Asia: over 4 billion litres of beer were brewed in 2019. Since the mid-2010s craft breweries such as Pasteur Street in Saigon have been opening.
Traditions and drinking culture
“Bia hơi” is freshly brewed draught beer that is delivered to small bars every day and drunk the same day. People sit on low plastic stools by the roadside, and a glass costs very little.
Beer is often drunk with ice in the glass. People toast again and again with the cry “Một, hai, ba, dô!” – one, two, three, down it!
Fun facts
- Bia hơi usually has only 3 to 4% alcohol and is brewed without preservatives – so it has to be drunk quickly.
- At “Bia Hơi Corner” in Hanoi’s old quarter, locals and travellers meet on plastic stools for an after-work beer.
- The beer “333”, pronounced “ba ba ba”, goes back to the older beer “33”, which the French brewers already made.
- Vietnam is one of the Asian countries where the most beer is drunk.
Typical beer styles
- Bia hơi (fresh beer)
- Pale lager
- Craft beer of all styles
Beer cities and their stories
Hanoi
The Hommel brewery was founded here in 1890. Hanoi is the capital of bia hơi: fresh draught beer flows on many street corners.
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Victor Larue founded a brewery here in 1875, the origin of Sabeco. Today the city is the centre of Vietnam’s craft beer scene.
Huế
Huda beer has been brewed in the old imperial city since 1990.
Breweries and their stories
Sabeco
Founded by Victor Larue. Known for Bia Saigon and 333; since 2018 the majority has belonged to the Thai group ThaiBev.
Known for: Bia Saigon, 333
Habeco
Grew out of the Hommel brewery and brews Hà Nội beer.
Known for: Bia Hà Nội, Trúc Bạch
Huda
Created in 1990 with Danish participation; it now belongs to Carlsberg.
Known for: Huda
Pasteur Street Brewing
One of Vietnam’s first craft breweries, known for beers with ingredients such as jasmine or passion fruit.
Known for: Jasmine IPA
Timeline
- 1875Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Victor Larue founds a brewery in Saigon – the origin of Sabeco.
- 1890Hanoi
The Hommel brewery, forerunner of Habeco, is founded in Hanoi.
- 1975whole country
After the end of the Vietnam War the breweries are state-owned.
- 1990Huế
Huda beer is created in Huế with Danish participation.
- 2015Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Pasteur Street Brewing opens in Saigon – Vietnam gets a craft beer scene.
- 2018Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
The Thai group ThaiBev takes a majority stake in Sabeco.