A short history
China has one of the world’s oldest known brewing histories. At the Neolithic site of Jiahu, archaeologists found pottery residue from around 7000 BCE indicating a fermented drink made from rice, honey and fruit. Residue analysis at the Mijiaya site near Xi’an suggests barley was being used in beer-making around 5,000 years ago. For centuries afterwards, fermented grain drinks known as jiu played important roles in rituals and daily life, though they evolved more toward what we would call rice wine.
Modern beer arrived in the late 19th and early 20th centuries with foreign traders. In 1903, German and British settlers founded the Germania-Brauerei in Qingdao, then a German concession. That brewery became Tsingtao, still China’s best-known beer abroad. Harbin, in the north-east, claims China’s oldest modern brewery, dating to around 1900 and linked to Russian and Polish influence.
The beer culture
China is the world’s biggest beer market by total volume. Most everyday beer is light, pale and very low in bitterness, designed to go with food, often served in small glasses and shared at the table. Toasting is central: “ganbei,” meaning “dry the cup,” is an invitation to finish your drink.
Qingdao hosts a large international beer festival each summer, and locals famously buy fresh draught beer in plastic bags from street vendors, sipping through a straw.
Since the 2010s, a craft beer scene has grown in cities like Beijing, Shanghai and Chengdu. Breweries such as Great Leap in Beijing pioneered using Chinese ingredients, including Sichuan peppercorn, oolong and other teas, honey and osmanthus flowers.
Signature styles
- Chinese Lager: pale, light and crisp, usually with rice in the grain bill.
- Tsingtao-style Pilsner: a slightly fuller, German-influenced pale lager.
- Craft ales with local ingredients: IPAs, stouts and wheat beers flavoured with tea, spices and flowers.
Traveler’s tip
Visit the Tsingtao Beer Museum in Qingdao, housed in the original German-era brewery, and plan for the Qingdao International Beer Festival in summer. In Beijing, explore craft taprooms among the city’s traditional hutong alleyways. When toasting elders or hosts, hold your glass slightly lower than theirs as a sign of respect.