Drinking Beer in China: Jugs, Skewers and "Cold or Not?"

Big bottles, small glasses, endless toasts and lamb skewers. Beer in China is not a drink you order for yourself: it is something you share. Here is how China drinks its beer.

Share, don't order alone

In China, beer is usually ordered in big bottles, by the crate or in jugs, and poured into small glasses for everyone at the table. Just like with wine and baijiu, you rarely drink alone: every sip is a toast to someone. Glasses are small so they can be refilled often, and your neighbours will keep yours full.

How to toast

• Raise your glass and say 干杯 (gānbēi), "dry the glass". With beer, people often do empty it.
• If you want to sip instead, say 随意 (suíyì), "as you like".
• Toast the host first, and when you toast someone older, hold your glass a little lower than theirs.
• Tap the table with your glass if you cannot reach across: it counts as a toast.

Cold or not?

In many restaurants the waiter will ask whether you want your beer cold, 冰的 (bīng de), or at room temperature, 常温 (chángwēn). Many Chinese drinkers prefer it not too cold, especially with food, following traditional ideas about not drinking ice-cold drinks with meals. If you want it ice-cold, ask for 冰的.

Skewers and beer

Nothing says summer in China like a night of 撸串 (lūchuàn): grilled lamb skewers with cumin and chilli, eaten outdoors on small plastic stools, with cold beer and friends. Night markets and street barbecues are where beer culture is at its liveliest.

Hot pot and beer

In Chongqing and Sichuan, a bubbling, fiery hot pot is almost always accompanied by light lager. It cools the mouth between bites of chilli and Sichuan pepper.

Qingdao: beer in a bag

In Qingdao, the home of Tsingtao, locals buy fresh draught beer from street-side kegs and carry it home in plastic bags, drinking it with a straw or pouring it into glasses. In August, the city hosts an international beer festival.

Small words, big help

• 啤酒píjiǔbeer
• 冰的bīng decold
• 常温chángwēnroom temperature
• 再来一瓶zài lái yì píngone more bottle
• 干杯gānbēicheers

In one sentence

Share the bottle, toast every sip, ask for 冰的 if you want it cold, and order skewers.