# SDMB International Travel Advisory: Asking for a Beer **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [May 31, 2003, 10:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-international-travel-advisory-asking-for-a-beer/178750 "2003-05-31T10:04:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![sailor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a587f6/32.png) [@sailor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sailor)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2003, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-international-travel-advisory-asking-for-a-beer/178750/41 "2003-06-02T23:27:45Z")
TsingTao is pretty good beer named after the city which was a German colony. Another beer you can find in most of Asia is San Miguel (Saint Michael in Spanish) which you can also find in Spain where I believe it originated and then expanded to the Philippines. In Spain “una caña, por favor” will get you a small glass of draft beer, most often San Miguel. And they have been getting smaller over time. I guess it’s inflation. And no thread about beer is complete without the old joke: Q. Why is American beer like making love in a canoe? A. Because it’s fucking close to water In Washington DC a couple of good places for beer are The Brickskeller near Dupont Circle and Colonel Brooks Tavern near Catholic University. ---
**Author:** ![Darth\_Nader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Darth\_Nader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darth_Nader)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2003, 6:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-international-travel-advisory-asking-for-a-beer/178750/42 "2003-06-03T06:37:19Z")
In Mexico: “Tu hija es diesyseis, si? Dos mas cervezas para mi chicka!” Then run. ---
**Author:** ![Iteki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/eada6e/32.png) [@Iteki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Iteki)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2003, 11:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-international-travel-advisory-asking-for-a-beer/178750/43 "2003-06-03T11:28:58Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Coldfire \* > \*\*I think he was joking, Juggler. 🙂 \*\* Only a little, there isn’t actually a word. What Juggler posted was thank you, not please. You can also _aproximate_ “please” by saying “would you kindly…”. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2003, 11:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-international-travel-advisory-asking-for-a-beer/178750/44 "2003-06-03T11:44:11Z")
**sailor’s** post reminds me: do not - repeat - do NOT order San Miguel (sun-lig) or Carlsberg (gah-see-bat) in Hong Kong. As far as I know, they’re chemical-brewed (three-day ferment only) by the Hong Kong Brewing Company under license, and they _suck_. I used to get a headache before the end of the first can, before I worked out why. San Miguel in most of the rest of Asia is brewed properly in the Philippines, and is a good brew. Don’t know about Carlsberg. ---
**Author:** ![sickboy51](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@sickboy51](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sickboy51)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2003, 11:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-international-travel-advisory-asking-for-a-beer/178750/45 "2003-06-03T11:45:46Z")
Should you ever come to Spain, say this: “Un tercio Mahou, jefe”, 33cl of the best sapnish lager, not that it is a big deal though… I stick to Heineken myself, when available. ---
**Author:** ![Coldfire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a587f6/32.png) [@Coldfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coldfire)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2003, 12:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-international-travel-advisory-asking-for-a-beer/178750/46 "2003-06-03T12:11:32Z")
It’s obvious that Spain is more of a wine country. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![China\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/779978/32.png) [@China\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/China_Guy)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2003, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-international-travel-advisory-asking-for-a-beer/178750/47 "2003-06-03T13:42:13Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by jjimm \* > \*\ ***sailor’s** post reminds me: do not - repeat - do NOT order San Miguel (sun-lig) or Carlsberg (gah-see-bat) in Hong Kong. As far as I know, they’re chemical-brewed (three-day ferment only) by the Hong Kong Brewing Company under license, and they _suck_. I used to get a headache before the end of the first can, before I worked out why. San Miguel in most of the rest of Asia is brewed properly in the Philippines, and is a good brew. Don’t know about Carlsberg. \*\* what he said. same holds true for Carlspew and San Pig in China. Now, San Miguel dark in the Philippines, that’s a treat… ---
**Author:** ![sickboy51](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@sickboy51](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sickboy51)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2003, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-international-travel-advisory-asking-for-a-beer/178750/48 "2003-06-03T14:03:27Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Coldfire \* > \*\*It’s obvious that Spain is more of a wine country. 😃 \*\* Yup, but we also drink beer too. Good wine is expensive (while an averge beer is quite cheaper in comparision) and bad wine is simply awful. Anyway, here, in Spain, we drink even the water from flowercases!!! ---
**Author:** ![World\_Eater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f04885/32.png) [@World\_Eater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/World_Eater)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2003, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-international-travel-advisory-asking-for-a-beer/178750/49 "2003-06-03T14:27:58Z")
“Give me a pint of Brooklyn Lager, and all the freakin money in the register, NOW!” Ordering a drink in Brooklyn. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![T.Slothrop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3e96dc/32.png) [@T.Slothrop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/T.Slothrop)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2003, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-international-travel-advisory-asking-for-a-beer/178750/50 "2003-06-03T20:59:39Z")
_originally posted by China Guy_ > [@](#): > > “yi ping qing dao” (a bottle of Tsingtao). That wouldn’t work in Taiwan. Same language but some possible political repercussions with ordering communist beer. Try “yi ping pi jiou” (a bottle of beer) In Japan try “beeru o ipon kudasai” ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2003, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-international-travel-advisory-asking-for-a-beer/178750/51 "2003-06-03T22:21:49Z")
But damn that post-imperialist commie beer is nice. Anyone ever try Tsingtao dark? Wow. ---
**Author:** ![angelabaca](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f05b48/32.png) [@angelabaca](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/angelabaca)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2003, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-international-travel-advisory-asking-for-a-beer/178750/52 "2003-06-03T22:56:15Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by TheLoadedDog \* > \*\*One question for the Americans. I get the impression you guys tend to just ask for “A _brand name_”. Is glass size unimportant (or uniform) in most places, or does it mean that draught/draft beer is not so common, and bottles are served? \*\* (I have’t read past this, so excuse me if this is answered already.) Most places have beer on tap (draft) and in the bottle. If I order a Guinness in a restaurant, they’ll ask me if I want it in a bottle or a glass (draft) and if I choose a glass, they’ll ask me which size: XX oz. or YY oz. depending on the size of their “small” or “medium”. If I go to a bar, I ask for one Guinness and depending on the establishment, they serve it the way they feel appropriate unless you request otherwise. p.s. - en espanol it’s “Una cerveza, por favor” and you’ll get they brand that they carry (in Mexico). I prefer Tecate and Corona. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-international-travel-advisory-asking-for-a-beer/178750.md?page=2)