Myanmar Beer: A hidden gem

Country of origin Myanmar Type Lager

Myanmar is all-but closed to the rest of the world. Sure, it’s possible to visit, but only on the government’s terms – where and when they say. You’d almost imagine they had something to hide…

 

And a hidden gem which I have never seen anywhere else is the country’s imaginatively-titled Myanmar Beer.

 

My time in the union formerly known as Burma was limited to a paltry two hours in a ramshackle border town, during which I imbibed a couple of glasses of one of the best beers I have ever tasted.

 

The experience was too long ago for me to be able to recall the taste in any precise detail, but a couple of factors helped me file the memory into the “happy” department.

 

First of all, the setting: Myanmar evokes a true sense of adventure, especially when you call it by its traditional name of Burma. However I was not catching some R&R is sweat-soaked fatigues, nor did I somehow stumble across a couple of bottles deep in the steamy jungle. I was on a somewhat less glamorous “visa run” from Thailand and was sitting in a cheap cafe taking respite from the claustrophobic attentions of the local hawkers.

 

And what welcome respite it was. Thailand is considered a “developing country” but compared to Myanmar, it is like a vision of the future. The town was utterly poverty-stricken, chaotic and filthy. I’ve been told the border towns are the most presentable, too, as the Myanmarese government does not wish foreigners to see the state of the country elsewhere. And maybe it was just psychological, but I could have sworn it was a good five degrees hotter once I stepped over the border! Add to this heat, dirt and chaos the unwanted attentions of dozens of dogmatic hawkers, and you can understand why I sought sanctuary in a watering hole.

 

Secondly, my expectations played a part. They were low. What, after all, is Myanmar good at making, besides conflict? Turns out it is very good at making beer, although the experience may have been enhanced by my expectations being low. When you expect something good, and get something bad, the disappointment is underlined, and vice versa when you’re expecting something bad.

 

So when expecting a poor beer and getting a good one, and drinking it with a palpable sense of relief in a boiling hot, exotic country, the result is majestic.

 

I’m not the right person to comment on Myanmar’s political situation, but I do hope some agreement can be worked out which sees this beer widely exported . I have a wonderful memory of Myanmar Beer and I’m keen to see if it tastes as good on an identikit High Street under a grey British sky.