Beer in Cambodia - Part I

I'm a beer lover.  Back home in Chicago I brewed my own beer, lambic and cider for several years and I openly professed (and still do) that I am a beer snob of the highest order.  Don't get me wrong, I do enjoy an ice cold High Life on a hot and humid summer day, but give me an imperial stout or a flemish sour any day of the week.  For the past fifteen years, I have made it my mission to try every beer I can find.  I scour menus and try to find breweries and styles that can expand my beer-loving palate.

Now that I live in SE Asia, my "beerventures" are a little different, to put it mildly. I have never been a big fan of lagers and I have certainly never found a beer from this region of the world that suits my taste buds nearly as well as ales from La Chouffe, Cantillon, New Belgium or Dogfish Head (some of my favorite breweries). Now that I live in Siem Reap, I go in markets and buy individual beers to see what is out there. Everything basically tastes the same, watery lager. To rehash an old joke: How are lagers and having sex in a canoe similar? Both are fucking close to water. (hahaha) You can get Budweiser, Heineken and Guinness here but what is the fun in that? After a few days of drinking Angkor Lager, Crown Lager, Tiger Lager and the like, I finally found a few stouts to drink. One extra stout, ABC, sits at 8% abv, and is now my favorite SE Asian beer. It is a solid stout and the alcohol makes it that much more enjoyable.

Below are the pictures I've taken of the beers I am sampling. I titled this post Part I because I hope to find more beers in the future. If anyone decides to visit from the states, I may request a mixed six-pack of some of my favorite beers.

If you were keeping count, that is twenty new beers to add to the list.  I wish there was more variety to the beer here, but it makes sense because I think it is hot here (my students tell me it's winter, I do not believe that!) and I can confirm these beers are refreshing.  Last night I was thirsty and ordered a "jug" of Angkor for $4.  A jug gets you about 68-72oz of beer served in a nice glass pitcher that is low in alcohol and is served really cold.  This is not nearly as refreshing as the watermelon-lime juice I drink frequently but still does the job.

Thanks for reading and Happy Drinking!

P.S.

I am very close setting up homebrewing here. I have found almost all of the equipment I'll need and I think I can have ingredients shipped in from Thailand or Australia. Keep your fingers crossed because I've met several people who, like me, desire good beer and I hope to provide that to all interested parties.