Speak Beer in Every Language

"One, two, three, cheers!" The classic Southern Vietnamese group toast. Everyone counts together then drinks on "dô."

"One, two, three, cheers!" The Northern Vietnamese variant. "Vô" replaces Southern "dô" — same energy, different dialect.

"One hundred percent" — a challenge to drain your entire glass in one go. Refusing is considered poor form.

"To your health!" A polite, formal Vietnamese toast, suitable for any occasion.

"Raise your glass!" A call to lift drinks before a toast.

"Drain the glass!" An instruction to finish your drink completely.

"Clink glasses!" The standard Thai way to toast. Literally means "bump glasses."

"Finish the glass!" The Thai equivalent of "bottoms up." Mot = empty, kaew = glass.

An all-purpose Thai exclamation of celebration, similar to "hooray!" Often used as a toast.

The universal toast across India. English is the lingua franca of Indian bar culture, regardless of local language.

"Long live!" A Portuguese-heritage toast still used in Goa. Reflects 450 years of Portuguese influence on Goan drinking culture.

"Dry glass" — the formal Korean toast meaning "bottoms up." The standard cheers for beer, soju, and everything else.

A casual, fun toast — the onomatopoeia of glasses clinking together. More playful than geonbae.

"One shot!" — a Konglish term meaning drink it all in one go. The Korean equivalent of "chug."

"Dry cup" — the Mandarin toast used in Taiwan. Implies finishing your glass, though a sip is socially acceptable.

"As you wish" — a relaxed alternative to gānbēi. Means drink at your own pace, no pressure to finish.

"Drink to victory!" A boisterous Cantonese toast traditional in Malaysia and Singapore. The "seng" is drawn out as long as possible.

"Cheers!" in Khmer. Literally "to hit/clash one." The standard Cambodian toast.

The Vietnamese art of social drinking with food. Not just having a beer — it is an entire social institution involving friends, snacks, and long sessions.

"Let's go drinking!" The invitation to join a nhậu session. The phrase that starts every great night in Vietnam.

A nhậu restaurant — a venue dedicated to eating and drinking together. Ranges from street-side plastic chairs to upscale establishments.

Casual, slow-paced drinking. Sipping leisurely with no urgency — the opposite of the trăm phần trăm pace.

Drinking food/snacks in Thai — food specifically chosen to accompany alcohol. Essential to Thai drinking culture; drinking without kap klaem is unthinkable.

"Drinking circle" — a group gathered to drink together. The Thai social unit for a night out.

"Fun" — a core Thai value. If something is not sa-nuk, it is not worth doing. Thai drinking culture is built around maximizing sa-nuk.

A Bengali term for a long, relaxed conversation session — often over drinks. The intellectual backbone of Kolkata bar culture.

Drinking snacks in Hindi. The Indian equivalent of Thai kap klaem or Korean anju. No drinking session is complete without it.

A Goan Portuguese-origin word meaning a laid-back, contented approach to life. The philosophy behind Goa's unhurried drinking culture.

Chicken + maekju (beer). The iconic Korean combo of fried chicken and beer, elevated to a national obsession.

Soju + maekju (beer). A mixed drink made by dropping a shot of soju into a glass of beer. The ratio is hotly debated (3:7 is classic).

A Korean beer hall, from the German "Hof." Casual venues serving draft beer with anju. The backbone of Korean nightlife.

Short for pojangmacha (포장마차) — a Korean street tent bar. Orange-tented stalls serving soju, beer, and anju on the sidewalk.

A Korean company dinner with mandatory drinking. A social obligation where colleagues eat and drink together, often across multiple rounds.

"First round / second round / third round." Korean nights out progress through numbered rounds at different venues. Each round is a new location.

Food eaten while drinking in Korean. Not appetizers — anju is a distinct food category designed specifically to accompany alcohol.

"Hot stir-fry" — Taiwanese beer restaurants where you pick from a wall menu of stir-fried dishes and drink Taiwan Beer. The quintessential Taiwanese beer experience.

"A small drink" — a casual, modest drinking session in Mandarin. The Taiwanese way of saying "let's have a quiet one."

"Continue to the next stall" — the Taiwanese version of Korean rounds (차). Moving to a new venue to continue the night.

Traditional Hokkien-Malay coffee shop. In Malaysia, kopitiams often serve beer alongside coffee and food, making them casual neighborhood drinking spots.

Singlish exclamation meaning extreme pleasure or satisfaction. Used when food or drink is exceptionally good.

Vietnamese fresh draft beer, brewed daily with no preservatives. Typically 3-4% ABV, served over ice from kegs at sidewalk stalls. The cheapest fresh beer in the world.

"Fresh beer" in Vietnamese. Sometimes used interchangeably with bia hơi, but can also mean draft beer from a tap at a restaurant.

Canned beer. "Lon" means can. This is how most commercial beer is sold at shops and convenience stores in Vietnam.

Bottled beer. "Chai" means bottle. The traditional serving format at restaurants and quán nhậu in Vietnam.

"Slushy beer" / "snow beer" — Vietnamese beer served at sub-zero temperatures as a frozen slush. A trendy style in Ho Chi Minh City.

"Craft beer" in Vietnamese. Literally "handmade beer." The term used by Vietnam's growing craft brewery scene.

"Fresh/draft beer" in Thai. Beer served from a tap, as opposed to bottled.

"Jelly beer" — Thai frozen/slushie beer served at extremely cold temperatures until it reaches a slushy consistency.

"Craft beer" in Thai — a transliteration of the English term. Used to distinguish from mass-market brands.

An Indian regulatory category for beer above 5% ABV (typically 6-8%). Not a style but a legal classification that shapes the entire Indian beer market.

An Indian regulatory category for beer at or below 5% ABV. Taxed at a lower rate than "strong" beer. Not related to the English mild ale style.

In India, this term specifically means a brewpub — a restaurant that brews its own beer on-premises. Bangalore alone has 60+ microbreweries.

"Draft beer" in Korean. Literally "live beer." The freshest option at Korean bars and hofs.

"Handmade beer" — the Korean term for craft beer. Korea's craft scene has exploded since brewing regulations relaxed in 2014.

"Black beer" — the Korean term for dark beer, including stouts, porters, and schwarzbier.

"Slush beer" — Korean beer served at sub-zero temperatures so ice crystals form. A refreshing summer staple.

"Craft beer" in Mandarin. Literally "refined/fine-brewed beer." The standard term used across Taiwan's craft beer scene.

"Draft beer" in Mandarin. Short for 生啤酒 (shēng píjiǔ). Used interchangeably with 鮮啤 (xiānpí).

"18-Day beer" — Taiwan Beer's famous unpasteurized lager with an 18-day shelf life. Only available in Taiwan. A cult favorite.

Goa's signature spirit, distilled from either cashew apples or coconut sap. GI-protected (Geographical Indication). Cashew feni is most common; coconut feni is rarer.

The first distillation of cashew feni — lighter, fruitier, lower in alcohol. Only available during Goa's cashew season (March-May).

Naturally fermented sap from palm trees (coconut or palmyra). Mildly alcoholic (3-6% ABV), slightly sweet and sour. Called "toddy" in English, "kallu" in Telugu/Tamil.

Ancient Vedic-era beer made from fermented grains, mentioned in texts dating back 3,000+ years. One of the oldest documented alcoholic beverages in Asia.

A traditional spirit distilled from the flowers of the mahua tree (Madhuca longifolia). Important in tribal communities across central India.

Traditional rice beer from Jharkhand and Odisha, fermented with herbs called ranu tablets. Milky white and mildly sour.

Vietnamese rice wine. Distilled from fermented rice, clear and potent (typically 29-35% ABV). Found across Vietnam from home distilleries to commercial brands.

"Straw wine" — a communal rice wine fermented in large jars and drunk through long bamboo straws. Central Highlands specialty of ethnic minority communities.

Traditional Thai rice wine/beer from Isan (northeastern Thailand). Milky, slightly sweet, low alcohol. Made from sticky rice fermented with luk paeng (yeast balls).

"White liquor" — Thai rice whisky/moonshine. Clear, strong, and the base spirit for ya dong infusions. The everyday spirit of rural Thailand.

Thai herbal liquor — lao khao infused with medicinal herbs, roots, and bark. Sold in colorful bottles at street stalls. Each recipe claims different health benefits.

Rice wine from Borneo (Sarawak). Fermented from glutinous rice, milky and mildly sweet. Central to Dayak and Iban community celebrations.

Fermented glutinous rice or tapioca found across Borneo and Peninsular Malaysia. Sweet, tangy, and mildly alcoholic. Can be eaten or drunk.

Kadazan-Dusun rice wine from Sabah, Borneo. Made from glutinous rice fermented with traditional yeast. Ranges from sweet to dry.

Strong distilled rice spirit from Sabah, Borneo. The Bornean equivalent of moonshine — potent and locally produced.

Distilled rice spirit from Sarawak, Borneo. Essentially distilled tuak. Clear, strong, and the Iban people's celebratory spirit.

Cambodian rice wine. "Sra" means alcohol, "sor" means white. A clear, potent spirit distilled from fermented rice.

Cambodian fermented rice wine with herbs. Unfiltered and milky. Traditionally brewed in clay jars in rural households.

Cambodian palm wine, tapped from sugar palm or coconut palm trees. Sweet when fresh, increasingly alcoholic as it ferments throughout the day.

Korean traditional unfiltered rice wine. Milky, slightly sweet-and-sour, low alcohol (6-8% ABV). Korea's oldest alcoholic beverage, now undergoing a craft renaissance.

"Give me one glass of bia hơi." The essential Vietnamese ordering phrase for fresh draft beer.

"One more beer." The three most useful words after your first glass in Vietnam.

"Beer, please" in Thai. The simplest way to order a beer. Add "krap" (men) or "ka" (women) for politeness.

"With ice / Without ice." In Thailand, beer is routinely served with ice. Specify if you have a preference.

"Check, please" in Thai. A Anglicized loanword used universally to ask for the bill.

"Give one beer" in Hindi. The most basic beer order across Hindi-speaking India.

"One more" in Hindi. Universally understood for refills across India.

"One beer, please" in Korean. The essential ordering phrase at any Korean bar.

"One more glass" in Korean. The refill request for any Korean drinking session.

"Another glass, please" in Mandarin. The go-to refill phrase in Taiwanese bars.

"Beer, cold." A practical phrase for ordering cold beer in Taiwan or any Mandarin-speaking context.

"One more" in Malay. The universal refill request across Malaysia and Singapore.

"Please, beer" in Khmer. The basic beer order in Cambodia.

"The bill, please" in Khmer. Essential for closing out at restaurants and bars in Cambodia.

Vietnamese drinking snacks/appetizers. The food component of nhậu. Can range from simple peanuts to elaborate multi-course spreads.

Dried squid — the quintessential Vietnamese beer snack. Shredded, grilled, or served with chili-lime sauce.

Water spinach stir-fried with garlic. One of the most-ordered nhậu dishes in Vietnam — fresh, crunchy, and perfect with cold beer.

"One-sun pork" — Thai sun-dried pork, deep-fried until crispy. A top-tier kap klaem that is salty, chewy, and addictive.

Thai pork cracklings/rinds. Puffy, airy, crispy — the Thai equivalent of chicharrones. An irresistible beer companion.

Thai/Lao minced meat salad with herbs, lime, chili, and toasted rice powder. A spicy, refreshing kap klaem staple.

Green papaya salad — spicy, sour, sweet, and salty. Thailand's most famous dish also happens to be superb kap klaem.

"Drunken noodles" — broad rice noodles stir-fried with holy basil, chili, and garlic. Named for its supposed hangover-curing properties.

Peanuts coated in spiced chickpea flour batter, deep-fried until crunchy. The default chakna served (often free) at Indian bars.

Crispy lentil wafer topped with diced onion, tomato, chili, and chaat masala. A common free bar snack in India.

Korean fried chicken — crispy, double-fried, and available in dozens of flavors (yangnyeom, garlic soy, honey butter). The "chi" in chimaek.

Dried young pollack fish — a classic cheap anju served at Korean hofs. Torn apart by hand and eaten with mayo or gochujang.

Braised pig's feet, sliced thin and served with shrimp paste sauce. Rich, gelatinous, and one of Korea's finest anju.

Korean scallion pancake — crispy, savory, and traditionally paired with makgeolli or beer. Often made with seafood (haemul pajeon).

Taiwanese salt-and-pepper fried chicken — bite-sized, crispy, seasoned with basil and garlic. The night market beer snack supreme.

Taiwanese braised snacks — tofu, eggs, vegetables, and meats simmered in a spiced soy broth. A popular beer-pairing snack from night markets.

Days when alcohol sales are legally banned across India. Includes Republic Day (Jan 26), Independence Day (Aug 15), Gandhi Jayanti (Oct 2), and state-specific holidays.

An Indian state where alcohol is entirely prohibited. Gujarat, Bihar, Mizoram, and Nagaland are fully dry. Lakshadweep is also dry.

An old term for a licensed bar in India, originating from the days when you needed a government permit to drink. Still used in some states.

In India, a "wine shop" is a liquor store that sells beer, spirits, and wine — NOT a shop specializing in wine. A crucial distinction for travellers.

"Indian Made Foreign Liquor" — an official regulatory term for spirits manufactured in India but in "foreign" styles (whisky, vodka, rum, gin). Appears on labels.

"Maximum Retail Price" — the government-mandated maximum price printed on every beer can and bottle in India. Bars charge more, but shops cannot exceed MRP.

"Outlaw beer" — the Thai term for independently brewed beer that technically violates Thailand's minimum production threshold laws. Much of Thai craft beer operated in this gray area.

In Thailand, alcohol can only be sold from 11:00-14:00 and 17:00-midnight. Outside these hours, convenience stores and supermarkets will not sell beer.

Singapore's Liquor Control Act: retail alcohol sales (shops, supermarkets, convenience stores) are banned from 10:30 PM to 7:00 AM.

Designated areas in Singapore (Geylang, Little India, and others) where additional alcohol restrictions apply on weekends and public holidays — no public drinking from 7 PM Saturday to 7 AM Monday.

The island of Langkawi is a duty-free zone, making beer dramatically cheaper than elsewhere in Malaysia (where high excise taxes make alcohol expensive).

Vietnam's most popular beer brand, brewed by SABECO. Comes in green (Export), red (Special), and gold (Lager) variants. The beer of southern Vietnam.

Pronounced "ba ba ba" (three-three-three), this is Vietnam's oldest beer brand, dating to 1893 under French colonial rule. A light, crisp lager.

Hanoi's hometown beer, brewed by HABECO. The beer of the north — lighter and slightly different in character from southern Saigon beer.

Central Vietnam's regional beer, originally a Danish joint venture in Huế. Named from "Huế-Danmark." Dominates from Đà Nẵng to Quảng Trị.

One of Vietnam's oldest beer brands, originally French colonial. Named after Victor Larue who established the brewery in 1909. A budget-friendly lager.

Thailand's premium lager, brewed since 1933 by Boon Rawd Brewery. A full-bodied lager with a slightly bitter finish. Pronounced "Sing" — the "ha" is silent.

"Elephant" in Thai. Thailand's best-selling beer, known for its strong flavor and high ABV (6.4%). Brewed by ThaiBev. The working person's beer.

Thailand's second-bestselling beer, also by Boon Rawd (same parent as Singha). Lighter, smoother, and positioned as the everyday option.

India's most iconic beer brand, brewed by United Breweries. Kingfisher Premium (5% ABV) and Kingfisher Strong (8% ABV) dominate the Indian market.

South Korea's best-selling beer, brewed by OB (Oriental Brewery, owned by AB InBev). Light, crisp, and designed for fried chicken and somaek.

A newer Korean lager by Hite-Jinro, launched in 2019. Made with Australian "clean" malt. Rapidly gained market share from Cass and Hite.

One of Korea's legacy beer brands, brewed by Hite-Jinro. Once the market leader, now third behind Cass and Terra.

Taiwan's government-owned brewery, established 1919 during Japanese rule. The ubiquitous national beer. "Tai Pi" is the casual abbreviation used by locals.

Southeast Asia's most famous beer, brewed in Singapore since 1932 by Asia Pacific Breweries. A clean, crisp lager now owned by Heineken.

Guinness Foreign Extra Stout has a cult following in Malaysia and Singapore, especially among older Chinese-Malaysians. Known in Hokkien as "Ang Ji Gao" (紅指膏 — "red finger paste"), referring to the red label.

Cambodia's most popular beer, brewed since 1960. A light lager named after Angkor Wat. Dominates the Cambodian market despite heavy competition.

The iconic Vietnamese bia hơi glass — a small, thick, cylindrical glass typically holding around 300ml. Its modest size keeps beer fresh and cold in the heat.

Ice. In Vietnam, beer is routinely served with a glass of ice alongside. Adding ice to beer is not a faux pas — it is standard practice in the tropical heat.

A tall, transparent dispensing tube (typically 2-3 liters) placed on the table with a tap at the bottom. Popular across East and Southeast Asia for group drinking.

"Ice" in Thai. In Thailand, beer is served with a bucket of ice. Pouring beer over ice is the norm, not the exception.

A small glass specifically designed for making somaek (soju-beer bomb). The soju shot glass is dropped into the beer glass in one fluid motion.

A sampler tray of small pours (typically 4-6 different beers), allowing you to taste multiple options. Standard at craft breweries across Asia.

A refillable glass or stainless-steel jug (typically 1-2 liters) for taking draft beer home. Doolally in Pune, India pioneered the growler culture in Asia.

A 32oz or 946ml can sealed on-demand at the bar using a can seamer. A single-use alternative to growlers, increasingly common at Asian craft bars.

A distinctly Taiwanese phenomenon — high-quality craft beer available at 7-Eleven, FamilyMart, and other convenience stores. Taiwan Beer's 18-Day and craft collaborations are sold this way.

A hop-forward beer style emphasizing bitterness and hop aroma. Despite the name, it originated in England. The flagship style of the global craft beer movement.

New England IPA — an unfiltered, juicy, opaque style of IPA with low bitterness and tropical fruit flavors. Hugely popular across Asia.

A balanced, moderately hoppy beer style. Less intense than an IPA. A great entry point for craft beer beginners in Asia's hot climate.

A dark, roasted beer with flavors of coffee, chocolate, and caramel. Ranges from dry (Guinness-style) to thick imperial versions.

A sour, salty German wheat beer style, revived by craft brewers. Often brewed with fruit, making it refreshing in tropical heat.

A Belgian farmhouse ale — dry, spicy, fruity, and highly carbonated. Well-suited to hot climates, making it a natural fit for Asian craft bars.

A beer brewed with a significant proportion of wheat, giving a light, cloudy, slightly fruity character. Includes German Hefeweizen and Belgian Witbier.

A crisp, clean lager with noble hop character. The original "craft" beer style from 1842. When Asian craft brewers make a lager, it is usually a pilsner.

A broad category of intentionally tart/acidic beers. Includes Berliner Weisse, gose, lambic, and fruited sours. Increasingly popular across Asian craft bars.

"Alcohol By Volume" — the percentage of alcohol in a beer. Standard lagers are 4-5%, strong beers 6-8%, imperial styles 8-12%+.

"International Bitterness Units" — a scale measuring hop bitterness. Low (under 20) is mellow; high (60+) is intensely bitter.

Adding hops after fermentation for aroma without additional bitterness. The technique behind juicy, aromatic modern IPAs.

A lower-alcohol beer (typically under 5% ABV) designed for extended drinking without getting overly intoxicated. Perfect for Asia's long, hot drinking sessions.

A bar or tasting room attached to (or operated by) a brewery, serving their beers fresh from the source. The heart of every craft brewery.

A restaurant that brews its own beer on-premises. In India, this is what "microbrewery" typically means.

An event where a guest brewery takes over all (or most) taps at a bar. A common event format at Asian craft beer bars.

A beer brewed jointly by two or more breweries. Collaboration brews build community and are a hallmark of Asia's tight-knit craft beer scenes.

Beers brewed with regionally-sourced ingredients — yuzu, jasmine, lemongrass, pandan, Sichuan pepper, Thai basil, and more. A defining trend of Asian craft brewing.

Beer brewed with tea — oolong, jasmine, pu-erh, matcha, or other varieties. A distinctly Asian craft beer trend drawing on the region's deep tea heritage.

The soju cap flick game. Twist the loose end of a soju bottle cap into a tail, then take turns flicking it until someone breaks it off. The person who breaks it assigns a drink.

Float an empty shot glass in a glass of beer. Players take turns pouring soju into the floating glass. Whoever sinks it drinks the entire thing.

Players must stand up and count numbers in sequence — but only one person can stand at a time. If two people stand simultaneously, or someone hesitates too long, they drink.

Count in sequence around the table, but clap instead of saying any number containing 3, 6, or 9. Miss a clap or say the number aloud — you drink.

Finger guessing game — Taiwanese/Chinese drinking game where two players simultaneously throw out a number of fingers and shout a guess of the total. The loser drinks.

Dice-based bluffing games played across Taiwan and East Asia. Players shake dice in covered cups and make claims about what they rolled. Challenge a lie — loser drinks.

The Vietnamese "100%" challenge, used as a drinking game. One person toasts another with "trăm phần trăm" and both must drain their entire glass. Refusal is poor form.

A Vietnamese drinking game where a leader calls a number and everyone points at someone. The person with the most fingers pointed at them drinks.