THE DRINKS PAGE

SPOILT FOR CHOICE

"Hope you like it" said Colin, handing me my first Singha back in Bangkok, back in 1988. "Because it's all you're going to get for 2 weeks!"

Panic rose in my soul as the cold amber nectar bounced off the taste buds and down the hatch. Wow - that was a sticky moment - loved it! If I hadn't, a very few places selling Amrit and Kloster would have been the only alternatives in the whole of Thailand all those years ago

Well, it's all change now with multiple choice to satisfy the nation's thirst - and many, many more names familiar back home to our western visitors. It's certainly been all change for Singha as they have seen their once-domination trickle away as Carlsberg arrived and began to fizz.

"We have done our research and found that young drinkers in country areas want a strong, low cost beer so they can get drunk quickly" said a Chang man at the time. Well, setting aside for a moment, as he did, all political correctness, they certainly made it strong. At 6.4% I think it's far and away the strongest locally and I'm delighted that none of our country yokels Dream of riding their Hondas after a few of these thirst-quenchers! But 62% of garglers have gone for it and that's the national picture which the new imports have to face.

Price-wise it's interesting to note that the saloonkeeps around here pay a whopping 7b a bottle less for small Changs than Singhas, while small Carlsbergs are actually 4b more than the Thai brew.

Good luck to Erdinger, Heineken et al, we all revel in choice, but it's a tough old market out there. Hell, there'll soon be more beers in town than magazines.

Pool of talent

City pool players have also been spoilt for choice with 10 bars tackling the re-born Chiangmai Pool League this year. Swedish Hogan and Co of Rock Hard Bistro beat 'em all! Well done team! Flamingo, Hiss & Slither and Lucky Bar had a chance till the very end but consistency won the day and they ended in that order.Viking Bar pipped December by just one game to avoid last place! Presentation was at Rock Hard and for more on this - and the 2003 League starting January 3rd - just watch this space!

It's from Dean Martin: "If you drink - don't drive. Don't EVER putt!"

BUT I DON'T GIVE A CLUCK!

Hovercraft marathon on the mighty Mekong

Pioneers and VIPs hovered through 6 nations.

David Hardy

Khmer! Khome along and see our ruins!

Garlic: gift from the gods?

All about garlic. Hold your breath!

PIP

New meets old on family rally

Rallysport - fun for all the family.

Chiangmai and the North

How foreigners can own Thai land & condos

My Chiangmai

David Hardy

Reasons to Relax

FOUR IDEAS, FOUR TILL MIDNIGHT

Ric Klein

Financial Affairs

MANAGED CURRENCY ACCOUNTS

The Drinks Page

Night Fowl

Letters

FRENCH TRAMS IN TOWN?

Chiangmai could have it's own version of San Francisco cable cars if a 30 million baht feasibility study looks positive. (...).

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