In January this year I travelled to Vietnam with my girlfriend to  enjoy a bit of rest and relaxation before getting stuck in to a busy and exciting 2010. While the focus was on taking in the sights, sounds and smells that are Vietnam we made sure we got to enjoy as many different beers as possible.

For those who have not travelled to an Asian country previously, Vietnam’s masses of motorbikes, lack of road rules, in your face sales people and tight living conditions can be pretty daunting. However, after a bit of time to take it all in it becomes relatively easy to adjust.

Vietnam has a wide range of regional beers all of which are lagers. As a result it is unsurprising that they are more refreshing than they are flavoursome. Nationally the most popular beers appear to be Tiger, Heineken, Beer Saigon and Beer 333. Our most exciting discovery was that beer was available everywhere you looked; including roadside stalls, sales people on the beach and even out on the water at the popular tourist destination Halong Bay, where ladies row up to ships in their dinghy’s hoping to achieve a sale. For each point of sale beer was just one of the available items. Fruit, soft drink and Pringles chips were also commonly among the assortment. The beer was always extremely cheap, typically costing one US dollar and this for a 500ml bottle!

In both Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) desperate for some more flavoursome beer we managed to find a bar called “Le Pub”. Their selection included Chimay and Duvel, as well as representation from Australia in Coopers and New Zealand with Moa beer. We also managed to find a couple of Brauhaus (Brew pubs) on our journey in both Ho Chi Minh City and Mui Ne. While the range wasn’t massive (dark beer and light beer), it was nice to enjoy a couple of brews with a bit more flavour.

As a destination I would highly recommend Vietnam. The cost of living is unbelievably cheap; once you have arrived it is easy to stay for a long time while maintaining a high standard of living. Highlights of the trip and recommended activities include:

• Trekking and visiting the tribal villages in Sapa at the northern end of Vietnam
• Enjoying the beauty of UNESCO World Heritage Site Halong Bay
• Visiting the town of Hoi An to slow down, enjoy the beach, taste Hoi An’s amazing food and take advantage of the many tailors and shoe makers
• A trip to the Cu Chi tunnels to crawl through the underground village and learn about the Vietnam war
• Hiring a scooter and taking to the streets with the locals
• Drinking the extremely cheap beer!

PRESS RELEASE:

Sydney, Australia January 23, 2010 — Beer Cartel Director Geoff Huens recommends Australians support Australian micro-breweries when they enjoy a beer this Australia Day.

When you reach for a beer this Australia Day why not support your local brewer and choose Australian made boutique beer. With over 140 micro-breweries throughout the country, support of Australian made beer is vital for the continued development and growth of the micro-brewing industry.

Micro-breweries account for 75% of all breweries in Australia, with a further 18% defined as regional breweries. While these combined account for 93% of breweries, their volume represents just 15% of beer sold in Australia. In contrast national brewers including Lion Nathan and Fosters account for just 7% of breweries but 85% of beer sold by volume.

For micro-breweries to compete against these brewing giants, innovations including usage of different ingredients, fermentation techniques and beer styles are all utilised to create unique beers with real points of difference. The result are beers with huge flavour that are changing the brewing landscape in Australia.

The greatest challenge when competing against the brewing giants is the high fixed costs and excise payments which put micro-breweries at a huge disadvantage. Geoff Huens Director of online boutique beer sales website Beer Cartel says “it is a real task for micro-breweries competing for beer sales in Australia, however a paradigm shift is under way where beer drinkers are becoming more discerning choosing beer based on its quality rather than on price. This shift is providing micro-breweries with a chance for survival and success similar to the change the Australian wine industry saw in the 80’s”.

Mr Huens created the Beer Cartel website www.beercartel.com.au specifically to build awareness in Australian micro-brewed beer as well as provide a sales outlet to make a wide range of beer accessible to consumers. The website offers a monthly beer club providing consumers with different brews from around Australia accompanied with information on the beers to educate and stimulate interest in the category. The website also sells tickets to a range of beer appreciation events.

While the Beer Cartel website is relatively new, Mr Huens has already begun to see how passionate micro-brewers are. “It is an amazing industry to work in, brewers are typically so friendly and see the combined success of the industry of benefit to all”. For the segment to continue to grow however Mr Huens acknowledges marketing and more widespread appeal of micro-brewed beers is needed. “We need to continue to change this landscape so that on special occasions consumers are reaching for Australian micro-brewed beers rather than a Heineken or Peroni”. Australia Day is one such day for consumers to show their support for the industry and enjoy the real flavour of micro-brewed beer. So this Australia Day when you reach for a beer to go with that lamb chop, make it an Australian micro-brewed beer.

For more information please contact Geoff Huens, Beer Cartel +61 402 485 987 or geoff@beercartel.com.au.