Opened: 1903

Annual Production: 5,050,000 hl

U.S. Importer: Monarch Import Company, Chicago, IL

Contributors: Mario Kornmesser, Jacob Sjúrður Hansen, King Au

Updated: August 7, 2021

• 2011-10-17: Famous Chinese brewery to open 1st overseas plant (China Daily)
• 2009-01-24: Anheuser-Busch Inbev Pares Stake in China Brewer (Wall Street Journal)
• 2008-08-21: Tsingtao Profit Soars Despite Rising Costs (Beverage World)
• 2007-10-25: Tsingtao to partner with Thai brewery (International Herald Tribune)

• 
  Green Beer
  Specialty Beer
  4.70% abv.
  • Date: February 12, 2003 (#4678)
    Package: bottled
    Place: from the brewery
    Score: 15½ points
    Overall Impression (3)
    First, a preface from Alex Au, who sent this bottle to me from Hong Kong:

    Spirulina is a blue-green, eatable algae that has existed for over 3.5 billion years. Since spirulina has a "fishy" taste and normally cause sediment when added directly to drinks even after processing, you can understand why very few beverages use it as an additive. Our extract is unique as it retains all the nutrition of spirulina while having none of its undesirable effects as an additive. The extract will not only left the texture and body of the beer untouched, but will also turn a pale pilsner into an emerald green color. In fact Tsing Tao brewery in the PRC is marketing its own green beer in a number of provinces in the PRC. We are looking for a brewery whose product can fit our additive in the European and American markets.

    This is one of the most unusual beers I've ever encountered. Not because of its flavor, mouthfeel, or aroma; style-wise, it's a typical industrial standard beer. The unusual part is the BRIGHT BLUE-GREEN color. Even the head is green. (Take a look at this picture.) It has a sweet malt aroma, slightly skunked. Light body, sticky-sweet maltiness like most industrial yellow beers. There's a very mild fruity sweetness that I attribute to the algae; in any case, it's not typical of most industrial yellow beers and it's actually kind of pleasant. Finishes sweet, malty, and clean except for some residual skunk. Thanks to Alex Au for sending this bottle from Hong Kong!