54 - Saigon Street Beer
Asian Brothers Brewing Co.

Around 1954 the US entered Vietnam and brought with it beer and the Vietnam/American War. It was also the year my grandmothers started “Bo 7 Mon – Anh Hong” restaurant in Phu Nhuan, Saigon. Their cornerstone dish, “Bo 7 Mon” or Seven-Courses-of-Beef, was so good, the small restaurant grew to become a 600-seat restaurant by 1975.

So 1954 was when the Vietnam/American War technically got started. The war bad, but the beer was good. We had our first taste of the beer and we, the Vietnamese, were hooked. We drank beer from chilled bottles or from clear plastic bags (with cubes of ice inside) and a straw tied around the top of the bag. The beer tasted really good, especially in the hot and humid climate. Most of us, the common people, enjoyed our beer in these cold plastic bags on the street and sidewalks … and hence “54-Saigon Street Beer”.

We make this lager from neutral Belgium ale yeast strain. Light and drinkable for everyday Vietnamese dishes. Then we ferment the lager at ale temperatures. The result: a light, dry, crisp lager. Saigon Street Beer is low in alcohol and tastes light. It is a beer for hot tropical weather. It can even replace water. For freshest flavor, store below 40˚ F.

We would like to dedicate this beer to my grandmothers and to all the men and women of this era. For some, life was good. For others, it was unbearable because of the war. And for others, they have lost their lives and families. We invite you to try this beer and taste our culture and history. Taste it as how we tasted it with wonderful (and not so wonderful) memories from the streets of Saigon.