Beer style
Dark Lager
黑啤hēipí
The darker side of Chinese brewing
- Category
- Dark lager
- Home region
- Qingdao and other historic breweries
Several of China's big breweries also make a dark lager, 黑啤 (hēipí), with roasted malt notes of caramel, coffee and bread. Tsingtao's dark beer is one of the easiest to find outside China.
Roasted malt
Dark lager is brewed like a pale lager but with darker, roasted malts, which give it a deep colour and notes of caramel, coffee and toasted bread while keeping a smooth, easy body.
In China
黑啤 (hēipí), 'black beer', is a familiar style in China, made by most of the big brewers. Tsingtao's dark lager is one of the Chinese beers most often found in Europe.
At the table
Its caramel notes make it a natural partner for roast duck, braised pork and other dishes with a sweet glaze.
How it tastes
Dark brown with a creamy head, Chinese dark lager is smooth and easy-drinking, with caramel, coffee and toasted bread notes but little bitterness. It is lighter in body than a stout.
How to serve it
Serve it cool rather than ice-cold, so the roasted malt aromas come through, in a regular beer glass.
In Europe
Tsingtao's dark lager is the easiest to find; other brands sometimes appear in Asian supermarkets.
How to serve
Cool rather than ice-cold, in a regular beer glass.
Food pairings
- Roast duck, char siu, red-braised pork and other dishes with a sweet glaze. In Europe, try it with roast pork, sausages or chocolate desserts.
Sources
- Beer in China — Shanghai Information Office
- The Chinese beer market — European Brewers Forum