Tasting Note
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Beer gives B.C. drinkers ‘a real taste of China’
Entrepreneur introduces new lager in hopes of taking
a bite out of Tsingtao
By Bruce Constantineau
Vancouver Sun
Friday, March 21, 2008 Page: F3
It's a clean, smooth, refreshing lager brewed in China and produced in a tall green
bottle.
When given those clues, most Canadian beer drinkers will think Tsingtao - a popular
import available in B.C. for more than 30 years.
But Vancouver entrepreneur Shu Guo wants to change that thinking so the Yanjing
beer brand comes to mind before anything else.
Guo, the president of Hi-bridge Consulting Corp., has introduced Yanjing beer to the B.
C., Alberta and Manitoba markets and expects it will be available in Ontario by May.
So why should beer drinkers choose the new offering over 170 imports already
available in B.C. liquor stores, including nine from Asia?
"Canadians know their beer and I really hope they will want to try the number one beer
in China," Guo said in an interview Thursday. "Canada is a multi-cultural society so I
think people here will be willing to try something new."
Yanjing, founded in Beijing in 1980, has about 85 per cent of the Beijing beer market
and roughly 11 per cent of the market for all of China - putting it slightly behind
Tsingtao.
Beijing Yanjing Beer Co. is the largest brewery in Asia, with about 20,000 employees
and a 2.2-million-square-metre plant. It was founded 77 years after Tsingtao, which
began as a German-British brewery in 1903.
Guo said the wheat-free Yanjing lager uses natural mineral water, premium Chinese
rice, malt, hops and German yeast to create a product that's been dubbed "Cheineken"
to reflect its light taste.
"The Beijing market has 15 million people and they can't all be wrong [by making
Yanjing by far the city's top-selling beer]," she said. "It's a real taste of China that
Canadians and immigrants will want to enjoy."
Expect to see the Yanjing brand plastered all over Beijing this summer as the beer is
an official sponsor of the 2008 Summer Olympics.
Yanjing was first introduced in a limited number of B.C. liquor stores about six months
ago and is currently available in about half of the province's 195 liquor outlets.
A six-pack sells for $10.50 and monthly sales in B.C. are around the $22,000 mark.
That's expected to go higher as marketing efforts increase and the brand is placed in
more stores.
Guo doesn't drink alcohol herself but she has tried Yanjing beer so she can describe
the "clean, smooth, refreshing" taste to customers.
She's a former associate professor at Beijing University with three master's degress - in
business administration, business management and education. She came to Canada
seven years ago with hopes of teaching but soon opted for a business career.
A friend suggested she get the Canadian distribution rights for Yanjing beer and she
started by bringing alcohol-free beer to Canada about two and a half years ago.
She followed that up by selling the 4.5-per-cent-alcohol lager beer to Metro Vancouver
restaurants before obtaining a Liquor Distribution Branch listing.
"Nobody knew the beer was available in Canada until I advertised on the Internet," Guo
said. "After that, I had all kinds of calls from people who wanted me to deliver it to them."
She said Tsingtao has had a 30-year head start in the B.C. market so Yanjing won't
steal market share overnight.
"We're new here so it will take some time to build a word of mouth and build a market.
But it's a very good beer and we think it will do very well in this market over the long
term."
Length: 577 words
Yanjing beer---from Eastern to Western
The Yanjing lager beer is the largest brewer in China today, employing more than
20.000 people. Imported in Canada by the Hi-Bridge Consulting in Vancouver (www.
yanjingcanada.com), it is now available in BC, the Yukon, Alberta, Ontario and
Manitoba. It will be soon in Newfoundland as well. It comes in bottles as well as 500ml
cans.
The color is close to 18 carat gold with a white head that settles quickly.
It has good carbonation with abundant large bubbles; its aroma is complex: flowery on
the one hand, exuding discreet scents of vanilla that are counteracted with hints of
tobacco from the hops. It is a full bodied beer with a great mouth feel, offering structure
with flavors that range from citrus to peach and apricot; it has a silky smoothness with a
crisp light finish that appeals to both sexes during all 4 seasons. It leaves us with a
clean, crisp finish with a lingering soft bitterness.
Like all lagers, it is bottom fermented and has won a Gold Medal in Brussels. The
Yanjing brewery is located in Beijing and has been the official sponsor of the summer
Olympics in Beijing, thus coming a long way since it was started in 1980 by Chinese
interests, which claims “real taste of China”.
To match this excellent beer Chef Louis has come up with a sautéed beef with sate,
fresh apples in a creamy sauce served with white rice.
Preparation time: 12 minutes; - Cooking time: 10 minutes
Four servings require:
650 gram of beef tenderloin
1 onion
2 tablespoons of sate
2 tablespoons of salted butter
1/2 teaspoon of pepper
1/2 teaspoon of salt
2 fresh apples
1 cup of beef bouillon cold
6 tablespoons of thick cream
1/2 teaspoon of corn starch
Cut the meat in cubes of 1 inch and set aside.
Chop the onion as thinly as possible
Add the butter in a skillet at low heat
Place the chopped onions inside, along with the sate.
Mix for 5 minutes, and then increase the heat to medium level, adding the meat.
Mix well, continuously turning the meat cubes on all sides.
Remove after 8 minutes from the heat
add the corn starch in the beef bouillon and mix thoroughly
Add the cream into the bouillon and pour into the skillet
Place the skillet at medium to high heat, reduce until the sauce has the desired
consistency.
Remove the skillet from the heat peel the apples cut the in 4 quarters and remove the
venter
Chop the apples in smaller cubes.
Put the rice in the serving dishes, pour the content of the skillet on top and add the
apples.
Serve immediately.
Ingredients for 4 persons
Preparation time: 15 minutes.- Cooking time 1hr 45 minutes
800 gram of pork roast from the ribs
1/2 a teaspoon of pepper
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1/2 a cup of chicken bouillon
1/2 a cup of Yanjing beer
3 dried apricots, 6 dried plums 4 dried peaches
1 carrot cut in 3 x 1 inch chunks
1 onion cut in 4 quarters
1 bay leaf
1 celery branch 4 inches long
1/2 a cup of canola oil
2 tablespoons of butter
Pre-heat the oven at 300 F
Pour the canola oil into a skillet under high heat and sear all sections until a golden
crust show all over the meat.
In a Pyrex roasting pan, place the butter, bay leaf, carrots, onion and the dried
peaches, prunes and apricot
Practice a deep incision lengthwise on the meat and place it in the roast pan ,and into
the oven after basing it with the liquid.
Pour the beer and the bouillon on top of the incision making sure the apricots , the
prunes and the peaches are fully covered by the liquid, lest they burn, turning black.
Every 20 minutes, base the roast with the liquid. and cook for 90 minutes.
Increase the heat of the oven at 350F for 15 minutes
Remove the roast pan from the oven and stuff the carrots and the onions inside the
incision.
Cut out 4 portions of meat placing the dried fruit around it, and serve with asparagus
and French fries.
By: Louis Richer
Executive Chef & Beer Taster
T: 1-403-355-5958
1002, 535-13th Ave. SW
Calgary, AB T2R 0K5
Yanjing: A Beer to Share with Friends
Two of the best things about living poised at the edge of the Pacific Rim in Vancouver are the natural
setting, and the diversity – of place, people and taste. You can negotiate a few snowy moguls on the
North Shore in the morning, then lean back on a sun-lit ocean side patio in the afternoon. What we
love most is to choose from an array of cultural activities and outdoor experiences, then to pick a fun
place to socialize. There’s nothing like topping the day off with a good meal in the company of good
friends... highlighted by a fine beer!
What a pleasure to have newly discovered a brew that is perfectly reflective of the West Coast palate
and lifestyle with its crystal clarity and super crisp freshness – Yanjing Beer. Beijing Yanjing Brewery,
the largest brewery in Asia, is the state beer of China and a major official sponsor of the 2008 Beijing
Summer Olympic Games. Not surprisingly, Yanjing is gaining a solid popular presence among
discerning Canadian Lager lovers with its clean flavour, pure quality, and healthful benefits.
When sharing a glass with friends lately, Yanjing poured out with a sparkling golden hue producing a
pleasant white head, gentle bubbles, and a light hoppy nose. On the palate, a cold Yanjing balances
crisp malt with a clean light finish alluding to the natural mineral spring water. The quality of the pure
sweet mountain water used greatly impacts the delicious taste, as well as the premium Chinese
rice. While Yanjing is the ancient name for the city of Beijing, the brewing methods are nothing but
the most impeccable and modern using state of the art German Krones and Chinese technology.
Great recognition world-wide has included the international gold award at Brussels, and here on our
West Coast shore we find the result is a delectably smooth nutritionally superior beer ideal for active
Canadians.
While we relaxed after a day of snow-shoeing, Yanjing quenched our thirst with its bright flavour, and
superb paired with savoury appies ranging from zesty chicken wings to edamame and prawns. As
Asian culture is integral to Vancouver heritage, and with Chinese New Year celebrations impending
at the time we met, we envisioned the aptness of Yanjing beer with lettuce wraps (a personal
favourite), pot stickers, and Peking duck. Whereever you go, from spicy Szechuan restaurants, to high
end Dim Sum in Vancouver, you can find Yanjing beer… We made plans to enjoy another
memorable day with friends complemented with our new winning choice, premiumYanjing beer!
Yanjing: To your health!
Leonora Grande, 2008
Kong Yiji ~ Shaoxing Apertif
“Warm a bowl of wine...” (Words from the notorious fictional character, Kong Yiji,
in the short story by the same name written by the famed father of Chinese literature, Lu Xun)
From the outset, Kong Yiji is a delightful surprise for senses. This Shaoxing Aperitif, a Chinese rice
wine aged eight years, fills the glass with a deep amber hue. Later, I find it is traditionally enjoyed in
small porcelain cups in the same manner that Japanese sake is consumed, which would suit it well,
as it is definitely meant to be slowly sipped and savoured. Kong Yiji delivers a lovely gentle kick
perceived somewhat higher than its 11% alcohol content.
Technically, this strongly flavoured elixir is fermented from a grain rather than a fruit, as it contains
water, fermented rice, with some added wheat, but has a unique personality all its own with no
similarity to beer, and is quite distinctive from sake. What one notices first is the rich golden colour.
Chilled, or slightly above room temperature, Kong Yiji has the elegant attributes and disposition of a
fine dry sherry. Lingering, alluring nut and blossom-like almond aromas are clearly delivered. While
mid-sweet initially, Kong Yiji does not sit heavily on the palate and mellows quietly, balanced with a
pleasant near-bitter mouth feel to finish. The liquid can be warmed to further draw out flavour; this
brings out mellow notes and complexity that compare most favourably to sake. Used in cooking,
Kong Yiji produces superior results.
Reading the data attesting to the positive health benefits of this beverage, I do indeed pour myself a
second glass. Kong Yiji continues the centuries old tradition of being a nutritious, healing tonic
which is full of vitamins, beneficial fats, and essential amino acids, and acts as a free radical
scavenger and immune system builder.
This best and most renowned and genuine of Shaoxing liquors comes from the province of the same
name in eastern China. The expert process is very unfamiliar to the western understanding, as the
non-glutinous rice is steeped in water from famed Jianhu Lake, steamed, with wheat yeast added,
fermentation following, and aging in earthenware pots for many years, maturing in the world’s largest
wine storehouse. Shaoxing Kong Yiji, with a 2500-year-old history in wine-brewing, is highly
honoured world-wide with many gold medals and top awards from as far away as Madrid, Spain. My
final unequivocable decision: in deference to the imperial Chinese edict of 1116 B.C. that indulgence
in moderation is required by heaven, Kong Yiji is one delicious centuries-old potion I plan to enjoy for
many future years to come.
- Leonora Grande, © January 2008
Entrepreneur introduces new lager in hopes of taking
a bite out of Tsingtao
By Bruce Constantineau
Vancouver Sun
Friday, March 21, 2008 Page: F3
It's a clean, smooth, refreshing lager brewed in China and produced in a tall green
bottle.
When given those clues, most Canadian beer drinkers will think Tsingtao - a popular
import available in B.C. for more than 30 years.
But Vancouver entrepreneur Shu Guo wants to change that thinking so the Yanjing
beer brand comes to mind before anything else.
Guo, the president of Hi-bridge Consulting Corp., has introduced Yanjing beer to the B.
C., Alberta and Manitoba markets and expects it will be available in Ontario by May.
So why should beer drinkers choose the new offering over 170 imports already
available in B.C. liquor stores, including nine from Asia?
"Canadians know their beer and I really hope they will want to try the number one beer
in China," Guo said in an interview Thursday. "Canada is a multi-cultural society so I
think people here will be willing to try something new."
Yanjing, founded in Beijing in 1980, has about 85 per cent of the Beijing beer market
and roughly 11 per cent of the market for all of China - putting it slightly behind
Tsingtao.
Beijing Yanjing Beer Co. is the largest brewery in Asia, with about 20,000 employees
and a 2.2-million-square-metre plant. It was founded 77 years after Tsingtao, which
began as a German-British brewery in 1903.
Guo said the wheat-free Yanjing lager uses natural mineral water, premium Chinese
rice, malt, hops and German yeast to create a product that's been dubbed "Cheineken"
to reflect its light taste.
"The Beijing market has 15 million people and they can't all be wrong [by making
Yanjing by far the city's top-selling beer]," she said. "It's a real taste of China that
Canadians and immigrants will want to enjoy."
Expect to see the Yanjing brand plastered all over Beijing this summer as the beer is
an official sponsor of the 2008 Summer Olympics.
Yanjing was first introduced in a limited number of B.C. liquor stores about six months
ago and is currently available in about half of the province's 195 liquor outlets.
A six-pack sells for $10.50 and monthly sales in B.C. are around the $22,000 mark.
That's expected to go higher as marketing efforts increase and the brand is placed in
more stores.
Guo doesn't drink alcohol herself but she has tried Yanjing beer so she can describe
the "clean, smooth, refreshing" taste to customers.
She's a former associate professor at Beijing University with three master's degress - in
business administration, business management and education. She came to Canada
seven years ago with hopes of teaching but soon opted for a business career.
A friend suggested she get the Canadian distribution rights for Yanjing beer and she
started by bringing alcohol-free beer to Canada about two and a half years ago.
She followed that up by selling the 4.5-per-cent-alcohol lager beer to Metro Vancouver
restaurants before obtaining a Liquor Distribution Branch listing.
"Nobody knew the beer was available in Canada until I advertised on the Internet," Guo
said. "After that, I had all kinds of calls from people who wanted me to deliver it to them."
She said Tsingtao has had a 30-year head start in the B.C. market so Yanjing won't
steal market share overnight.
"We're new here so it will take some time to build a word of mouth and build a market.
But it's a very good beer and we think it will do very well in this market over the long
term."
Length: 577 words
Yanjing beer---from Eastern to Western
The Yanjing lager beer is the largest brewer in China today, employing more than
20.000 people. Imported in Canada by the Hi-Bridge Consulting in Vancouver (www.
yanjingcanada.com), it is now available in BC, the Yukon, Alberta, Ontario and
Manitoba. It will be soon in Newfoundland as well. It comes in bottles as well as 500ml
cans.
The color is close to 18 carat gold with a white head that settles quickly.
It has good carbonation with abundant large bubbles; its aroma is complex: flowery on
the one hand, exuding discreet scents of vanilla that are counteracted with hints of
tobacco from the hops. It is a full bodied beer with a great mouth feel, offering structure
with flavors that range from citrus to peach and apricot; it has a silky smoothness with a
crisp light finish that appeals to both sexes during all 4 seasons. It leaves us with a
clean, crisp finish with a lingering soft bitterness.
Like all lagers, it is bottom fermented and has won a Gold Medal in Brussels. The
Yanjing brewery is located in Beijing and has been the official sponsor of the summer
Olympics in Beijing, thus coming a long way since it was started in 1980 by Chinese
interests, which claims “real taste of China”.
To match this excellent beer Chef Louis has come up with a sautéed beef with sate,
fresh apples in a creamy sauce served with white rice.
Preparation time: 12 minutes; - Cooking time: 10 minutes
Four servings require:
650 gram of beef tenderloin
1 onion
2 tablespoons of sate
2 tablespoons of salted butter
1/2 teaspoon of pepper
1/2 teaspoon of salt
2 fresh apples
1 cup of beef bouillon cold
6 tablespoons of thick cream
1/2 teaspoon of corn starch
Cut the meat in cubes of 1 inch and set aside.
Chop the onion as thinly as possible
Add the butter in a skillet at low heat
Place the chopped onions inside, along with the sate.
Mix for 5 minutes, and then increase the heat to medium level, adding the meat.
Mix well, continuously turning the meat cubes on all sides.
Remove after 8 minutes from the heat
add the corn starch in the beef bouillon and mix thoroughly
Add the cream into the bouillon and pour into the skillet
Place the skillet at medium to high heat, reduce until the sauce has the desired
consistency.
Remove the skillet from the heat peel the apples cut the in 4 quarters and remove the
venter
Chop the apples in smaller cubes.
Put the rice in the serving dishes, pour the content of the skillet on top and add the
apples.
Serve immediately.
Ingredients for 4 persons
Preparation time: 15 minutes.- Cooking time 1hr 45 minutes
800 gram of pork roast from the ribs
1/2 a teaspoon of pepper
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1/2 a cup of chicken bouillon
1/2 a cup of Yanjing beer
3 dried apricots, 6 dried plums 4 dried peaches
1 carrot cut in 3 x 1 inch chunks
1 onion cut in 4 quarters
1 bay leaf
1 celery branch 4 inches long
1/2 a cup of canola oil
2 tablespoons of butter
Pre-heat the oven at 300 F
Pour the canola oil into a skillet under high heat and sear all sections until a golden
crust show all over the meat.
In a Pyrex roasting pan, place the butter, bay leaf, carrots, onion and the dried
peaches, prunes and apricot
Practice a deep incision lengthwise on the meat and place it in the roast pan ,and into
the oven after basing it with the liquid.
Pour the beer and the bouillon on top of the incision making sure the apricots , the
prunes and the peaches are fully covered by the liquid, lest they burn, turning black.
Every 20 minutes, base the roast with the liquid. and cook for 90 minutes.
Increase the heat of the oven at 350F for 15 minutes
Remove the roast pan from the oven and stuff the carrots and the onions inside the
incision.
Cut out 4 portions of meat placing the dried fruit around it, and serve with asparagus
and French fries.
By: Louis Richer
Executive Chef & Beer Taster
T: 1-403-355-5958
1002, 535-13th Ave. SW
Calgary, AB T2R 0K5
Yanjing: A Beer to Share with Friends
Two of the best things about living poised at the edge of the Pacific Rim in Vancouver are the natural
setting, and the diversity – of place, people and taste. You can negotiate a few snowy moguls on the
North Shore in the morning, then lean back on a sun-lit ocean side patio in the afternoon. What we
love most is to choose from an array of cultural activities and outdoor experiences, then to pick a fun
place to socialize. There’s nothing like topping the day off with a good meal in the company of good
friends... highlighted by a fine beer!
What a pleasure to have newly discovered a brew that is perfectly reflective of the West Coast palate
and lifestyle with its crystal clarity and super crisp freshness – Yanjing Beer. Beijing Yanjing Brewery,
the largest brewery in Asia, is the state beer of China and a major official sponsor of the 2008 Beijing
Summer Olympic Games. Not surprisingly, Yanjing is gaining a solid popular presence among
discerning Canadian Lager lovers with its clean flavour, pure quality, and healthful benefits.
When sharing a glass with friends lately, Yanjing poured out with a sparkling golden hue producing a
pleasant white head, gentle bubbles, and a light hoppy nose. On the palate, a cold Yanjing balances
crisp malt with a clean light finish alluding to the natural mineral spring water. The quality of the pure
sweet mountain water used greatly impacts the delicious taste, as well as the premium Chinese
rice. While Yanjing is the ancient name for the city of Beijing, the brewing methods are nothing but
the most impeccable and modern using state of the art German Krones and Chinese technology.
Great recognition world-wide has included the international gold award at Brussels, and here on our
West Coast shore we find the result is a delectably smooth nutritionally superior beer ideal for active
Canadians.
While we relaxed after a day of snow-shoeing, Yanjing quenched our thirst with its bright flavour, and
superb paired with savoury appies ranging from zesty chicken wings to edamame and prawns. As
Asian culture is integral to Vancouver heritage, and with Chinese New Year celebrations impending
at the time we met, we envisioned the aptness of Yanjing beer with lettuce wraps (a personal
favourite), pot stickers, and Peking duck. Whereever you go, from spicy Szechuan restaurants, to high
end Dim Sum in Vancouver, you can find Yanjing beer… We made plans to enjoy another
memorable day with friends complemented with our new winning choice, premiumYanjing beer!
Yanjing: To your health!
Leonora Grande, 2008
Kong Yiji ~ Shaoxing Apertif
“Warm a bowl of wine...” (Words from the notorious fictional character, Kong Yiji,
in the short story by the same name written by the famed father of Chinese literature, Lu Xun)
From the outset, Kong Yiji is a delightful surprise for senses. This Shaoxing Aperitif, a Chinese rice
wine aged eight years, fills the glass with a deep amber hue. Later, I find it is traditionally enjoyed in
small porcelain cups in the same manner that Japanese sake is consumed, which would suit it well,
as it is definitely meant to be slowly sipped and savoured. Kong Yiji delivers a lovely gentle kick
perceived somewhat higher than its 11% alcohol content.
Technically, this strongly flavoured elixir is fermented from a grain rather than a fruit, as it contains
water, fermented rice, with some added wheat, but has a unique personality all its own with no
similarity to beer, and is quite distinctive from sake. What one notices first is the rich golden colour.
Chilled, or slightly above room temperature, Kong Yiji has the elegant attributes and disposition of a
fine dry sherry. Lingering, alluring nut and blossom-like almond aromas are clearly delivered. While
mid-sweet initially, Kong Yiji does not sit heavily on the palate and mellows quietly, balanced with a
pleasant near-bitter mouth feel to finish. The liquid can be warmed to further draw out flavour; this
brings out mellow notes and complexity that compare most favourably to sake. Used in cooking,
Kong Yiji produces superior results.
Reading the data attesting to the positive health benefits of this beverage, I do indeed pour myself a
second glass. Kong Yiji continues the centuries old tradition of being a nutritious, healing tonic
which is full of vitamins, beneficial fats, and essential amino acids, and acts as a free radical
scavenger and immune system builder.
This best and most renowned and genuine of Shaoxing liquors comes from the province of the same
name in eastern China. The expert process is very unfamiliar to the western understanding, as the
non-glutinous rice is steeped in water from famed Jianhu Lake, steamed, with wheat yeast added,
fermentation following, and aging in earthenware pots for many years, maturing in the world’s largest
wine storehouse. Shaoxing Kong Yiji, with a 2500-year-old history in wine-brewing, is highly
honoured world-wide with many gold medals and top awards from as far away as Madrid, Spain. My
final unequivocable decision: in deference to the imperial Chinese edict of 1116 B.C. that indulgence
in moderation is required by heaven, Kong Yiji is one delicious centuries-old potion I plan to enjoy for
many future years to come.
- Leonora Grande, © January 2008
