Bia

Hello beer with ice cubes, we meet again.

Super tickled at how the Vietnamese still drink beer with ice cubes. Luckily the eateries don't immediately pour the beer into glasses filled with ice cubes. Those are added later. There's time to stop them before they dilute the beer. Vietnamese beers are mainly pilsner and lager, so ice cubes tend to make them taste better, like a spritzer. Those honestly aren't my choice of beer, but Da Nang's own Biere Larue is fine. Saigon Export is okay too. Just avoid Sabeco Brewery's 333 and Bia Saigon. Try them at your own peril. Kept seeing the locals' tables piled heavy with bottles of Heineken and Tiger. Ours are usually stacked with Biere Larue and Saigon Export or Special.

Giggled when I read that Vietnam wanted to have beer parlors control their temperature below 30ºC. Most of Vietnam is not air-conditioned. Most cans or bottles are stored in the fridge anyway, so they would taste cold down the throat for at least five minutes. As long as my beer is served cold, I don't particularly care that I'm squatting by the roadside chugging a pint. Best thing on a blazing hot day. It's almost thirst-quenching.

Oddly, more than two servers at different eateries on separate days, have remarked to me, "You drink wine like water" and "You drink beer like water". WELL, I don't see that as a problem. Vietnam's beers holds only about 4.2% ABV.