nosh nook #52 - tuesday, may 26, 2009

just another beer? not to those in laos on a mission to create a global buzz (link)
05.25.09 - the ny times - by emily rauhala

here in the u.s., it's hard to go through a day without coming across the budweiser brand name. in laos, the pseudo-equivalent is beer lao, a rice-based lager that enjoys immense popularity in its own country, but is essentially unknown outside of the pacific rim. while i can get budweiser at pretty much every place that sells beer, i have to go to specialty stores to find beer lao.

they have high hopes that the beer lao name will soon be known beyond asia & are definitely getting help from the american press. back in january, npr ran a story about the lao brewery's aspirations for global domination. now there's this story, by the times' emily rauhala, that focuses on laos brewery's quest for expansion. although they're backed by carlsberg, a huge danish brewer who owns a half stake in the company, they're utilizing grassroots efforts to help build the beer lao brand. as rauhala explains, one of their growth techniques is "building a network of fans-turned-distributors who import and sell the beer in select markets." it seems to be working out for them so far (they expect 10% growth this year).

i tried beer lao a few weeks back & to be honest & it wasn't really anything all that special. since it's from laos, it seems exotic at first, but basically has the same boring, watery consistency that you'd find in a budweiser. as beer marketing consultant randy mosher notes in the article, “this is very much one of the international-style pilsners that happens to be brewed in exotic locations. fizzy yellow beers tend to be all the same.” a fizzy yellow beer? hell, in america, that's enough to make you the king of beers.