Asking for strong beer?
maxpike
April 17, 2010, 12:55 AM posted in General DiscussionGiven that most beer in China is like water - my husband is pestering me to find out how to ask a waiter which is their strongest beer? Can anyone help? M.
bodawei
I was taught something about tea art the other night - this expression 醇厚(chun2hou4) is used in relation to tea as well as wine. What it MEANS exactly is difficult. It was used in talking about 普洱茶 that had aged some years. But I think it is also used to say the tea is 'strong' (and needs to be watered down.)
suansuanru
”醇厚“is widely used in written chinese,expecially in some formal occasion,and it is totally an appreciative term.
changye
April 17, 2010, 04:35 PMThe other day I read a hilarious article appeared in TIME about scottish super-high-alcohol beer, which contains more than 40% of alcohol. Its name is just classic, "Sink the Bismarck", thankfully it's not "Sink the YAMATO". Do you want to drink it?
http://www.time.com/time/business/article/0,8599,1978705,00.html
chrka
April 17, 2010, 05:03 PMActually, there is the 青岛黑啤酒 (Qingdao/Tsingtao Dark)! Not too bad, if I remember correctly.
Pineapple beer is really horrible, btw... Many years ago when I was studying in Guangzhou for the summer, some guy accidentally knocked over my beer and bought me a new one, which turned out to be pineapple beer... Well, always interesting to try something new. Haven't seen it since, though.
chanelle77
April 17, 2010, 11:12 PMI had the Qingdao dark beer a few times, but to be honest it is like they put some caramel candy in it :-) It is not bad, but classifies more as a soda than a beer if you ask me.
Anyone know how to say, "the alcohol percentage is high (in this wine / beer / alcoholic drink)"?
changye
酒精度很高 (jiu3jing1du4 hen3 gao1)
I had a local 黑啤酒 at a beer garden here several years ago. That was really terrible. The name of the beer garden, which was closed soon afterward, was, of all things, 慕尼黑 (Munich!)!
bodawei
这个葡萄酒比较辣。
I don't disagree with Changye for a formal expression, but in the South West they actually use the word 辣 and 不辣 in referring to the alcohol percentage in wine and beer。
bodawei
I talked to my landlord the other day about the alcohol content in wine. I gave him some Australian wine - he is a very sophisticated drinker. Hee hee.
chanelle77
Thx guys, just had the HSK exam and after that a few glasses of wine to get back on my feet :-)
suxiaoya
How did it go (I mean the HSK, not the getting back on your feet)?!
chanelle77
Extremely difficult to be honest! I think I might overcome the vocab, grammar etc, in the future, but the biggest challenge for me was time...when they say "you have 5 more minutes for part X", I was not even half way :-) Anyway, this was only to set a standard for myself, so it can get only better from here!
suxiaoya
Sounds like you deserved that glass or two of wine! I hope one day I can get to a decent HSK level. Best of luck with future exams :-)
chanelle77
Thx, and I'm sure you will get that! :-)
changye
April 18, 2010, 02:19 AM酒精度很高 (jiu3jing1du4 hen3 gao1)
I had a local 黑啤酒 at a beer garden here several years ago. That was really terrible. The name of the beer garden, which was closed soon afterward, was, of all things, 慕尼黑 (Munich!)!
pretzellogic
April 17, 2010, 04:14 PMYes, no help for your husband, but from what i've found across a number of cities in China is that pretty much all Chinese beer is going to be a lager or pilsner. Budweiser drinkers are probably ok here, but Guinness drinkers are longing for Germany or a country with a beer culture. The Chinese don't do beer the way a European or American beer connossieur might want.
To me, a "strong" beer has more alcohol anyway. But I am not a beer connossieur, and i'm not the guy to say that a "strong" beer by your husband's definition would be one that had more hops, more yeast or more barley than your average beer. If your husband is looking for a Chinese bok, brown stout, or a lager with more flavor, there isn't really one. I had a Chinese pineapple beer once, and i'm thinking a Guinness drinker is gagging at the thought of pineapple beer. Yantai beer, Yanjing beer, TsingTao beer all tasted the same to me, but I was ok with it.
chrka
Actually, there is the 青岛黑啤酒 (Qingdao/Tsingtao Dark)! Not too bad, if I remember correctly.
Pineapple beer is really horrible, btw... Many years ago when I was studying in Guangzhou for the summer, some guy accidentally knocked over my beer and bought me a new one, which turned out to be pineapple beer... Well, always interesting to try something new. Haven't seen it since, though.
bodawei
April 18, 2010, 02:36 AMI was taught something about tea art the other night - this expression 醇厚(chun2hou4) is used in relation to tea as well as wine. What it MEANS exactly is difficult. It was used in talking about 普洱茶 that had aged some years. But I think it is also used to say the tea is 'strong' (and needs to be watered down.)
chanelle77
April 18, 2010, 06:21 AMThx guys, just had the HSK exam and after that a few glasses of wine to get back on my feet :-)
suxiaoya
April 18, 2010, 11:04 AMSounds like you deserved that glass or two of wine! I hope one day I can get to a decent HSK level. Best of luck with future exams :-)
chanelle77
April 18, 2010, 11:12 AMThx, and I'm sure you will get that! :-)
suansuanru
April 18, 2010, 04:27 PM”醇厚“is widely used in written chinese,expecially in some formal occasion,and it is totally an appreciative term.
bodawei
April 18, 2010, 02:28 AM这个葡萄酒比较辣。
I don't disagree with Changye for a formal expression, but in the South West they actually use the word 辣 and 不辣 in referring to the alcohol percentage in wine and beer。
chanelle77
April 17, 2010, 01:47 AMMax, I feel your husband's pain :-).
Nciku has this sample sentence about German beer: 德国因其口感醇厚的黑啤而闻名。“Germany is famous for its strong and dark beers“.
According to MDBG 醇 (chun2) is used for alcohol / wine with high alcohol content, rich, pure, good wine. 醇厚(chun2hou4), means "mellow and rich".
There could be better expressions out there, maybe someone else knows?