Around the World in 12 Beers

Hot beer in Nepal, smoked beer in Transylvania, palm beer in Cambodia and, why not, some more unusual brews from around the world!

Strange tastes, unusual ingredients and crazy names – here’s a selection of beers I’ve discovered along the way. Cheers!

Beer, Lots of Beer

“Proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy.” – Homer Simpson

Tongba – Hot Beer

While in Kathmandu, try Tongba and prepare to be surprised: this traditional millet beer is served and drunk hot!

Tongba hot beer

Smoked Beer

What if you fancy a beer and some smoked sausage, but don’t have any sausage? The Germans have found a solution: beer with a smoky, sausage-like flavour!

Smoked beer

From Bamberg, Bavaria, enjoyed in Sibiu, Romania.

“The cause of and solution to all life’s problems!” – Homer Simpson

The Boneshaker

This is a strong beer, and it shows in both its taste and its design. Perhaps this is what the afterlife looks like: a skeleton riding a bicycle! Meet The Boneshaker, proudly brewed in Canada.

Boneshaker beer bottle

JulBrew, the Gambia

In West Africa, you’ll find JulBrew, a beer from Banjul, the Gambia. The kingfisher bird takes pride of place on the label.

Julbrew beer – Banjul, the Gambia

Everest

Everest is a special-edition Nepalese beer featuring Sherpa Nima Gombu on the label, celebrating his remarkable achievements as a mountaineer.. Enjoyed in Kathmandu, by candle light, while listening to stories of other climbers.

Everest beer

Chang – The Elephant

After a bicycle ride under the scorching Thai sun on the island of Koh Mak, a big Chang beer feels like a heavenly reward!

Chang beer

Classic Dark Taiwan

Michelob Classic Dark is an American beer brand that found a second life in Asia. I came across this dark beer in Taiwan.

Classic Dark beer Taiwan

“You can’t be a real country unless you have a beer and an airline. It helps if you have some kind of a football team, or some nuclear weapons, but at the very least you need a beer.” – Frank Zappa

Mango Mussolini & Coitus Infinitus

With a beer-making tradition dating back thousands of years, Denmark has plenty to offer beer lovers. The variety is impressive, with prices reaching USD 10 or more for a 500 ml can. But it’s not just the beer that catches your attention – some of the names are just as memorable!

Names like Coitus Infinitus, We Are Afraid of Americans, Lust, Mango Mussolini (featuring an image of Donald Trump) and Malignant Narcissist (another nod to the same guy) would probably never make it past Canadian beer-name censorship!

Spotted in Copenhagen.

Copyright Fanø Bryghus (Mango Mussolini) and Flying Coach (Coitus Infinitus)

Palm Beer

Traditional Khmer palm beer is made in Cambodia from fermented palm juice, a practice that goes back hundreds of years. Definitely worth a try!

Khmer Palm beer

Angkor

A Cambodian beer named after the famous Angkor Wat temples. Enjoyed in style at the Foreign Correspondents Club in Phnom Penh.

Angkor beer

Netherworld

One of the craziest beer names I’ve come across – and a surprisingly tasty beer! Netherworld is brewed by Flying Monkeys Craft Brewery in Canada.

Flying Monkeys beer, Netherworld

Take your pick: Antigravity, Optical Illusion,  Cadillac Graveyard, Super Collider, Smash Bomb Atomic, Genius of Suburbia, 12 Minutes to Destiny, Deep Tracks, El Toro Bravo, Paranormal or Saint Beatnick.

Bucanero Fuerte

¡Viva la Revolución! Bucanero Fuerte is one of Cuba’s best-known beers. Best enjoyed in Cuba!

Bucanero Fuerte beer, Cuba

+1- One More for the Road

One new addition to the collection:

Habesha Beer

Habesha proudly describes itself as “Founded and owned by thousands of proud Ethiopians.” A beer worth trying, enjoyed with pleasure in Addis Ababa.

Habesha beer

Think you’ve seen it all when it comes to beer? Lonely Planet takes things a step further with a collection of some of the world’s weirdest brews – including a stout made with bull testicles!

Related

• A visit to a sake brewery in Takayama, Japan.

“Cheers”