Blue Ice Beer - Hong Kong -20-7-14

The low down: 
Oh ho ho, have I got a beer for you! Yes I drank some true Hong Kong craft beer, I even attended a craft beer festival, but I felt I must expose you to true horror.

This is the most disgusting can of something resembling beer I've had yet. This stuff is basically buttes in a can.

I have absolutely nothing nice to say about it. The can is boring, it's weak, it tastes crap, it doesn't refresh and while it only costs 80 cents, that's not value, since you can get a San Miguel or a Weihenstephaner for about 30 cents more.

Packaging: 1/10
Nope.
Refreshment: 1/10
Nope.
Flavour 1/10
Nope.
Alcohol Content: 1/10
5% but still nope.
Price: 2/10
$0.80. I still feel like this should be "nope"
Total: 6/50

This is literally the worst. It makes Pure Blonde taste like Dom Pérignon. See the look on my face in this picture? That is me staring into the abyss. If you are ever served this, commit Seppuku and die with your honor in tact. That makes me think sushi, but with LOTS of wasabi.
Cheers.

Macau Beer - Macau - 19-7-14

The low down: 
This place is loaded with money, I mean absolutely flush with cash. I can't imagine anyone drinks this in Macau, given that it costs around $2.50 and the minimum bet for most tables in the Venetian was over $150, it seems unlikely.

We spent a single day here and we saw people hemorrhaging money. I lost around 13 dollars in all, and I consider this a tragedy. some people were gambling thousands per hand.

I'd love to continue talking about Macau, and the whole Portuguese chicken we ate for dinner, but I have to get to the beer. It's abysmal, absolutely abysmal.

Packaging: 4/10
Points for effort, but it is quite plain.
Refreshment: 1/10
Despite the heat, this didn't really help, and it was incredibly hot.
Flavour 1/10
None, bupkis, zip, nada.
Alcohol Content: 2/10
4%. A crappy Euro-lager with a crappy kick.
Price: 6/10
$2.50 and allegedly cheaper in pints.
Total: 13/50

There is a craft beer bar in the bottom of the Venetian called McSorley's. Take my advice, go there and get a real beer on tap. While you are there, eat the Chicken Parma, it's one of the best in the world.
Cheers.

Svyturys Baltijos Märzen Tamsusis - Lithuania - 17-7-14

The low down: 
While in Hong Kong I drank Lithuanian beer. Apparently this isn't that strange and a lot of bars in Lan Kwai Fong area advertise it. More surprising was the fact that this was a Marzen style beer, which I wouldn't usually have matched to the climate.

It's a fairly good representation of the style, and has that sweet bread flavour that's kind of caramel, a staple for the beers of Baltic origins that I've tried so far on this adventure.

Lithuania is another "young country" created when the Soviets pulled out of Eastern Europe and Germany in the early 90's. The Brewery however has existed for 49 years, which actually in retrospect doesn't seem like that long in Europe.

Packaging: 8/10
Reminds me a lot of Baltika, the Russian staple.
Refreshment: 7/10
Being fair, almost anything was refreshing in the 33 degree heat and 80% humidity.
Flavour 8/10
Flavour this does have a proper malty Oktoberfest, and it's good.
Alcohol Content: 8/10
5.8% is quite respectable.
Price: 8/10
$10.00 is a little better than you would expect in a craft bar in Hong Kong.
Total: 39/50

A Bavarian brewing ordinance decreed in 1553 that beer may be brewed only between 29 September and 23 April, and this is why we have Oktoberfest. I would like to have Oktoberfest year round, and the food of choice is sausage. Sausage and pretzels.
Cheers.