11 Vietnamese Beer Brands (that are actually brewed in Vietnam)
After traveling to Vietnam in 2019, I was surprised at the numerous Vietnamese beer choices across the country. While some are available internationally, you can only get others in the country.
In no particular order, here is a list of Vietnam beer brands.
1. Saigon Beer
As you might expect, this lager beer is brewed with water, barley, malt, and hops. The ABV content of Bia Saigon is 4.9%.
In addition to the flagship lager, Bia Saigon also has the following lager varieties:
- Bia Saigon Special: a 100% malt beer with 4.9% ABV
- Bia Saigon Export: a classic Saigonese lager with 4.9% ABV
- Bia Saigon Chill: a cold filtered lager with 4.6% ABV
2. 333 Export
333 canned beer is the bestselling Vietnamese beer brand in the world, exported to 18 countries.
333 is a lager beer that is brewed with water, malt, barley, cereal, and hops. For a lager, 333 comes in at the higher end of the ABV scale with 5.3%.
The history of 333 beer extends well before its introduction in 1985. The original name was actually 33 Beer which was pronounced ba mươi ba. The name 33 came about from the fact that it came in 33 centiliter bottles or approximately 11.2 ounces.
33 Beer was popular among the Americans during the Vietnam War. After the war, the name of the beer was changed to 333 and is sometimes called Ba Ba Ba beer.
3. Tiger Beer
Tiger is one of the biggest beer brands in the world, and nowhere is it loved more than in Vietnam
The flagship beer is called Tiger Lager, but there is also Tiger Crystal, Tiger White, and Tiger Black.
Tiger revealed a new branding including new labels and advertising campaigns just before the new year in 2021. The short story titled "Yet Here I Am" is meant to inspire viewers to turn adversity into opportunity.
The timing of this campaign was appropriate due to the global pandemic causing so much volatility and hardship.
4. Larue Beer
Back in 1909, Victor Larue first brewed beer of the same name in Saigon (now Ho Chi Minh City). Victor was from France, so the beer was heavily influenced by European ingredients and brewing techniques.
In addition to the original, Larue Special was launched in 2017. This premium beer is said to have the perfect balance between bitterness and sweetness while containing 4.6% ABV.
In celebration of its release, Larue Special Beer Festivals were held in Da Nang and Ca Mau, and this tradition continues to today. This festival includes music, games, and of course free samples of Larue Special.
5. Hanoi Beer
Hanoi Beer is a 4.4% ABV lager produced by HEBECO. Labeled as Bia Hà Nôi, this brand make up about 70% of HEBECO's production.
Other varieties of Hanoi Beer include:
- Hanoi Beer 1890 with a 4.3% ABV
- Hanoi Beer Green Label with a 4.2% ABV
- Hanoi Beer Premium with a 4.9% ABV
- Hanoi Beer Bold with a 4.8% ABV
- Hanoi Beer Light with a 4.5% ABV
While it's most popular in northern Vietnam around the capital city, Hanoi Beer is also exported to Taiwan, Korea, and Australia.
When I traveled to Vietnam in 2019, Bia Hà Nôi was my favorite Vietnamese beer.
6. Huda Beer
Huda Beer is a pilsner style beer from the Carlsberg Group. Brewed in Huế, Vietnam by Hue Breweries, Huda Beer is said to be a traditional Vietnamese beer that is loved by locals and foreigners alike.
This relatively light beer has a slightly hoppy profile and contains 4.7% ABV.
Another variety of the same brand is Huda Gold which is also a 4.7% ABV pilsner and Huda Ice Blast with 4.7% ABV.
7. Halida Beer
Another Carlsberg Group product on this list of Vietnamese beer is Halida. The name Halida is a formed by combining:
- Hanoi
- Lien Doanh (Vietnamese for joint venture)
- Danmach (Vietnamese for Denmark)
This pale lager containing 5% ABV was launched in 1993 and is said to originate from an old North Vietnam recipe.
Other varieties of Halida include Halida Export All Malt which is a lager with 5% ABV and Halida Dark with 5.5% ABV, both introduced in 2020.
8. Bia Lac Viet
Another beer from the Sabeco brewery is Bia Lạc Việt. This lager is brewed with water, barley, malt, grains, and hops and contains 4.3% ABV.
According to the website, Bia Lac Viet was inspired by its historic brewery of 145 years on Nguyen Chi Thanh street:
blockquote>To commemorate the 145th anniversary, the Vietnamese master brewers at SABECO decided to make a quintessential recipe that represents the brewery’s heritage. The result is a passionate, easy-drinking yet full-flavored beer taste that is so familiar but at the same time so modern.
Bia Lac Viet is mostly only distributed domestically in Vietnam.
9. Truc Bach Beer
Truc Bach Beer is brewed with the Saaz hop which is one of the world's four noble hops from the Zatec Valley in Czech Republic.
As HABECO's beer with the highest alcohol content, Truc Bach Beer contains 5.1% ABV.
10. Dia Viet Beer
With everything pilsner to a red and lager to black, Đại Việt has a lineup of 6 different beer varieties including:
- Pilsner 5% ABV
- Red 5.5% ABV
- Black 5.8% ABV
- Lager 4.7% ABV
- Silver 4.5% ABV
- Super 5% ABV
Dia Viet beer is made by Huong Sen Brewery in north Vietnam.
11. Festival Beer
Topping out this list of Vietnamese beer is Festival. Brewed by Carlsberg Group, this beer was introduced in 2020 with the tagline "Open Festival, Start a Carnival".
Festival Beer is made with 100% malt and Saaz hops. This creates a smooth yet distinct herbal flavor.
Have another Vietnamese beer that you want to add to the list? Let me know in the comments below.
