Beer central

Ta Hien street in Hanoi’s Old Quarter is virtually an alleyway but in terms of tourism its something of a thoroughfare – especially in the evening time. It’s no wonder why the locals refer to the street as ‘Pho Tay’ (Foreigner street).
The street is awash with souvenir shops, bars and small eateries catering for both local residents and backpackers. For those travelling on a budget, the local cuisine is a both a culinary as well as a fiscal delight with banh my trung (egg sandwiches) and bowls of noodles available for less than a dollar. And then there’s the beer.
At the crossroads where Ta Hien meets Luong Ngoc Quyen, you will find a bunch of small shops selling bia hoi, Vietnam’s so-called ‘fresh beer’, which is made daily and costs from VND3,000 – VDN6,000 depending on the brew.
The ultra-light beer is not an award winning beverage and your average Oktoberfest punter might turn up his nose at a glass, but in Hanoi’s hot and sticky climate, bia hoi is a simple and pleasing thirst quencher – and again, for those who are minding the pennies, it’s enticingly cheap.
In the evening time hordes of tourists with plenty of young expats and locals gather at the crossroads – the spot has even become known as ‘bia hoi corner’ in expat circles. Gulping down beer and snacking on peanuts or grilled squid, the punters sit on tiny plastic stools and watch the world go by. It’s a great meeting point for travellers or for anyone who is new in town and short on drinking buddies.
At VND3,000 a glass the bia hoi on Ta Hien is certainly amongst the cheapest brews in Hanoi but it’s also not the best in quality either. Not that anyone seems to mind. On any given night, the sidewalks are overflowing with drinkers. Vietnamese teach the tourists how to ‘tram phan tram’ while the foreigners return the compliment and teach the locals ‘bottoms up’ or ‘down the hatch’.
Bia hoi corner can get so popular that at times the local police will turn up to reprimand the shop owners for encroaching onto the streets and blocking traffic. It’s not uncommon for plastic chairs to be confiscated. But minutes after the sidewalks are cleared, they usually start to fill again, and so it goes, a continuing cycle of cat and mouse through the evening.
“We like this lifestyle and this sidewalk bia hoi,” says Cindy, a British tourist who has been in Hanoi for a week. “The beer tastes very good and it costs so little.” The most popular sidewalk beer shop might be Hai Loan Bia Hoi – it’s a small, grubby looking place and there’s barely enough room for everyone to sit down. Some customers will even stand while quaffing bia hoi.
Across the way Cool Beer Ngoc Anh and Cool Beer Thanh Thuy also do good business. There are no tables, just plastic chairs. The only place with a toilet is Thanh Thuy so if you’re drinking at one of the other places you have to pay a small fee.
Many of the shop owners speak little to no English. Drinkers communicate with simple hand gestures or pidgin Vietnamese. “Most of foreigners coming here know how to order in Vietnamese or understand when I ask ‘may coc?’ (how many glasses),” says one young woman working at Cool Beer Ngoc Anh.
Bia hoi has no additives or preservatives and is essentially made to be consumed on the day that it leaves the factory. So as a result, there is no stocking of bia hoi, and outlets must forecast accordingly in an effort to gauge how much they need for a day (We’ll have to guess what happens to the leftovers).
“Although the seats are small and there’s no space it does not matter because the bia is ngon (tasty) and comes quickly,” says another tourist, Kirk. “Drinking bia hoi is a great way to discover Vietnamese life, too.”
With the din of the traffic and sometimes a raucous atmosphere, understandably it’s not for everyone, but generally young backpackers seem to enjoy the cacophony of beeps and shouts.
“Vietnamese are a lot more animated than most races when it comes to boozing,” says Kirk. “You have to shout to hear yourself speak!” Tourists are invariably fond of the street life. As they drink, vendors come and go selling fruit or squid. Postcard sellers work the crowd. But eventually the shops have to shut up shop. After 11pm the kegs will be drained and the crowd will be drifting away, heading for home or in search of a late bar for a nightcap..