ShaniFaye

(wasnt sure where to put this, but I wanted everybody to be able to see it, so move it if you need to mods)

Dave is going to Singapore and Korea next month. When he went to germany in October he brought back a bottle of absinthe for us to try.

Since he gets to go to all these neat places we've decided to try to find an alcohol in each place that you cannot get in the states so that we can try different stuff.

Does anyone know of anything (no beer's please, Dave doesnt drink beer of any kind) that he can get in either country that isnt available in the US?

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eribrav

You might try sake. Of course, that is available in the States too but he should have a nice selection in the Far East.

Charlatan

Singapore, as a multicultural nation, doesn't have these sorts of traditions. There are British traditions like Gin and the infamous Singapore Sling... The Malays are typically muslim and don't drink alcohol and the same is true of the hindu-centric population from India...

His best bet for different types of local liquor is South Korea

When I was in Korea one of my clients took me to his favourite Barbeque places and order Soju... it was very tasty. Don't forget that Asians generally don't have the metabolism for processing alcohol.


청주 Cheongju
Well-known examples of cheongju are beopju, sogokju and baekaju.

막걸리 / 동동주 Makgeolli and Dongdongju
A milky liquor with low alcohol content, this traditional commoner's beverage is enjoyed by farmers and laborers, but by business people as well. They are served at drinking houses around universities, at festivals, picnic areas, or anywhere people might enjoy a mild drink with a fermented flavor.

소주 Soju
Comparable to vodka but less potent, soju is the most popular traditional Korean liquor among the general public. Soju was originally brewed from grains; today it is mass-produced mainly from sweet potatoes.

문배주 Munbaeju
This distilled liquor is brewed from wheat, millet and Indian millet. It is given the scent and flavor of the crab apple, which is called munbae. Its brewing skill is designated as an Important Intangible Cultural Property by the Korean government along with that of dugyeonju (azalea wine) from Myeoncheon, Dangjin-gun, Chungcheongnam-do and Gyodong Beopju from Gyeongju.

Traditional Drinking Etiquette
• Koreans offer glasses of liquor to each other as a gesture of comaraderie. When someone offers you an empty liquor glass, you are expected to hold it out and receive a fill-up, drink it empty, and in likewise fashion return it to the person who offered it to you. This drinking tradition helps promote close ties around the drinking table.

• It is a rule of courtesy for juniors to pour liquor for their seniors. The juniors have to keep paying attention not to leave a senior's glass empty. When a senior offers a junior a glass, the junior should receive it with two hands and drink with head turned aside, not facing the senior. It is also the custom to cup the right sleeve with the left hand when pouring drink for a senior.

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- Old Man Luedecke

mazagmot

Just watch out for the alcohol content of soju. It's unregulated, so sometimes it's really potent, and sometimes it's... not. It's also relatively flavorless, which makes it a good mixer.

Had a bad experience with soju my first night in country. I *knew* better, too. Oh well.

metalgeek

To bad no China... mmm Baijou... like paint thinner mixed with jet fuel..
(actually the good stuff's pretty good, kinda like vodka crossed with whisky, each one has distinct flavours attached to it)

more fire

if he goes to thailand, get a bottle of sam song. Thai whiskey at it's best.

kitsune

alcohol can be a glamorous, lovely thing, and beer is like artificial sweetener compared to sugar. i don't understand why anyone would ever perfer beer to wine.

Cynthetiq

Tiger Beer... Brewed in Singapore.. one of my favorites for eating with Curries and spice chinese food.

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Charlatan

You aren't drinking good beer... Seriously. Get thee to a good micro brewery. Try some Belgian beers. The beers and ales that are popular in North America are soda pop by comparison.

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"My hands are on fire. Hands are on fire. Ain't got no more time for all you charlatans and liars."
- Old Man Luedecke

Boo

I have a friend that goes to Korea yearly and always brings me back a bottle or 2 of SoJu. I personally like it better than rum or vodka. It can be VERY strong or weak depending on the batch. Nights of drinking SoJu can be very enjoyable. To counteract the possible hang over drink a vitamin drink called (sp) Bacchus D. It is available in the US under Bacchus E, though not as good IMO. It will also ward off a cold or the crud. A word of advice, don't get roaring drunk and get into a cab. Cabs are scary as hell.

Tiger beer in Singapore is very good also. The night life in Singapore is a total blast!!! There were bands that sounded exactly like the real thing. Imagine hearing Aerosmith and seeing a 5 piece asian band on stage. Yes, they are that good and it was not the booze.

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