99 bottles of beer – to go

I was surprised when my non soda-drinking friend, Kari, showed up at my apartment recently carrying these:

And why is there so much fizz on them?

The short (and not so obvious) answer is that she had asked a biergarten for beer to take home.

This is yet another amusing example of the Vietnamese people’s eagerness to accommodate us, and of how differently our thought processes work.

The local beer is pretty decent if you just want something to drink. It’s not bad, but I couldn’t even name a distinctive flavor or quality about it. Thankfully, though, there are a few biergartens and brauhauses here for when you are really craving something with substance.

Our friends, Kari and Ryan, visited one of them, and when it was time to leave they asked if there was any way to purchase some to take home. They were headed to a housewarming later, and thought it would be nice to bring something besides the  local 333 or Tiger beer. Once the staff figured out exactly what it was they wanted, they were very agreeable. You can get nearly anything if you’re willing to pay for it.

To the amusement of all, they returned with two plastic 1.5 liter soda bottles and proceeded to fill them from the tap. It was a difficult and lengthy process because of the foam. Twenty minutes later, they had three liters of beer and three pint glasses from the foam spillage. They calculated the price for each bottle by adding the price of one liter to the price of a half liter, which ended up costing them more, but it was evidently worth the entertainment.

If you want beer to take with you, they are going to make it happen! It’s a good thing they were going to a party. Five hours later, it was already a little flat, and it definitely wouldn’t have made it until the next day.

Next time you go to your local pub, take an empty soda bottle with you, and let me know how it goes.