The Mail Bag
Chang Beer
Comments (54)
I stumbled across the libation emblazoned across our shirts in a Tesco in Tottenham of all places. First time I'd seen it so I bought the 4 bottles that were left. I have to say it warmed my cockles to think I was supporting the Thai conglomerate that was supporting Our Boys.
In the interest of furthering scientific research, I also purchased a bottle of Singha (Changs' "Red Shite"!), and, for an independent quality control point of view, Argentina's favourite lager, "Quilme" (I have to say Tesco Tottenham had a wide and interesting stock of ales, and not just yer Cobras and Carlsbergs).
Anyhoo, I remember reading somewhere on this site that Chang was the choice of the great unwashed in Thailand whereas Singha was to be found on the tables of the upwardly mobile. From my limited research (finished last night whilst watching Alan Partridge Mid Morning Matters on Youtube - sponsored by Fosters :o( ) I can say that Chang held it's own against it's Thai opposition. However they both came a poor second to the Argies (not least because Quilme is sold in Litre bottles!)
So, in conclusion, let's give Moyes one more season, and some money in the Summer through selling some, (but not all), of our Crown Jewels. If we continue to tread water then I'm sure both we and he will feel it's time to contact our lawyers. And in the meantime, if you see Chang, buy it, consume it and (as Woody Allen once said) you too can have hot cockles.
Alun Willis, Posted 23/03/2011 at 17:28:56
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I don't know if Singha or Quilme are available, but next time I'm in the bottle shop I'll have a look for them and in the interest of further research will report back.
Anyone able to broaden the research with further suggestions?
One thing I found rather strange is that I never got a hangover, despite researching really hard. Is this because one sweats it all out as you go?
If I had drunk half the amount here, I would need a fortnight to get over it.....strange!!
Singha and Quilme are both available in Brisbane.
But stuff those... Chang is on our jersey and it tastes better.
Although I am very fond of Duvel
XXXX Bitter is my cheap booze of choice, even though I'm a New South Welshman
Before we got 'Blind' we did a blind taste test.
"My round, Raymondo, you get the table and I'll get the beers." Thus duly purchased, I transfered them to glasses.
We both times went for the Singha.
I would really like to find Spieght's on draught in Brisbane, can anybody help?
But short of a tardis the is no way ever to get Draught Bass or Double Diamond.
Back in the day when I was easily lead astray by the aforementioned Raymondo, we used to end up doing Pints of DD with Pernod sinkers. Which then gave us a taste for the Wine Lodge.
Sigh.
Come to think of it, those were the Saturdays when we always seemed to win matches with something to spare; or is that just the ale talking?
Growing up in the Midlands, my taste was for a pint of Mild & Bitter [or 'mixed', as it was termed locally], but now I reside down on the South Coast sightings of Mild are exceedingly rare & so I have reluctantly become a Bitter Blue!
However, I do drink Chang out of "brand loyalty" and never touch Carlsberg. (In Denmark a couple of years ago, I drank wine all night as Tuborg was unavailable as an alternative to Carlsberg.)
My extensive research has consistently concluded these findings and with the sage-like end-of-evening caveats that Phil Neville needs to improve his passing and that, as a team, we need to shoot more often from outside the box instead of trying to pass it in. And Arteta needs to beat the first man from corners and free kicks.
Apart from the taste issue, one troubling side effect of the Chang relationship has been the emergence of some poor bloke dressed as an Elephant as team mascot, on equal footing with the venerable Toffee Girl!
Apparently "Chang" is Thai for said animal. But then again, as a thick-skinned, loyal, slow, hard working and respected beast, whose rage is terrible to behold, could this new mascot have been introduced by BK to advertise the virtues we should be admiring in someone else...?
memories...
Brown mixed
Worthington E - first bubbly beer
and my first pint of Double Diamond...2s/6d in the Little House on Smithdown Road
Happy days
Since the RS adopted Carlsberg, I quite happily continued my preference to Tuborg (although the Tuborg available here in the UK is a piss poor relation to the Dansk stuff) but imagine my horror when I discovered that Tuborg had been bought by Carlsberg anyway!
Tried Chang ? didn't like it ? so my foreign beer of choice is now Paulaner.
I had one of the big blue and white E beer pumps rigged up to my brakes on my old Viva HB so it lit up when I breaked. The coppers didnt like it though and insisted I should have a red bulb in it which defeated the object so after being stopped numerous times it had to go.
I bought 2 bottles, thought it was excellent.
I buy it by the case from my local Bookers cash & carry but never seem to see it anywhere else in the Chelmsford area, either shops or bars ? sadly.
I've got 6 tins of Skol in the shed.
I actually had a pint of "Higsons" bitter in Ma Boyles's about two years ago but on a visit there last month it had disappeared and no-one could remember how they come to stock it. I can only guess it was some sort of commemorative promotion.
I guess the Crow's is still going strong; I live in the Bristol area these days so have to put up with warm, flat stuff they peddle as beer!
Chang is nowhere. Sure you can have a crappy Foster's at about the £3.10 mark, or the preferable HB at £3.90 and everything else in between. But if you want a delicious Paulaner, a pint will set you back about £4.20.
With the upturn in weather though, time to order in those gin and tonics. Lovely.
I actually loved it when Budweisser was at Goodison, rocket fuel in pint form. Those were the 4th-placed days when you had to queue for the beer 15 minutes before half-time and everyone was going mental.
One of the lads had to stop drinking it, as it nearly ended up in divorce. Loved it.
Sonja: "He kissed me".
Boris: "Any place I should know about?"
Sonja: "He warmed the cockles of my heart"
.
Boris: "That's just great. Nothing like hot cockles"
So not really a positive 'cockles spin' as he's gutted at having his heart broken'
It's as if Sonja is his Kenwright..erm...type stuff.
Coincidentally Carlsberg used the swastika as part of their beer branding in the early twentieth century.
Coincidental to this thread, Carlsberg also used life-sized statues of elephants as their symbol at the factory.
I suffer it but it tastes rank.
I look forward to the day when the royal blue jersies are emblazoned by the word 'Buckfast'. The noise level at Goodison and the Evertonian divorce rate will rise, concomitantly.
Enjoy!
I've only ever seen Chang at the match and Tescos, so why doesn't the club come to an agreement with Chang to raise the profile so that it's in every pub, club, supermarket and offy in Merseyside and North Wales, and for a small % the club will promote it.
OK it won't bring in millions but with what we bring into the club may contribute to keeping our up-and-coming players like Anichebe... On second thoughts.
In the morning, brace yourself and drink the Stella like water. Get it down in no more than five gulps. For about a minute you will feel that you have seriously erred. Then a strangely comforting feeling will come over you and you will feel that all is well with the world. If you should vomit during this process, it is essential that you start again asap.
Enjoy!
Chang were forced two years back to put an alcohol percentage on the bottle. Previously it contained none and could be anything from 6% to 12% alcohol depending on what they felt like brewing on the day. It says 6.4% but they still use the same laidback brewing methods.
Moreover, Chang in Thailand also contains amphetamines for those of you who enjoy buzzing unwittingly.
The UK/European version of Chang complies to all official brewing standards, therefore it tastes totally different, and in my opinion like piss water.
Sounds like an urban legend.
Best beers are the German ones. Love a good Lowenbrau, Augustiner or Becks. Can drink loads of the stuff and not get a hangover. Although I am a little biased about the Augustiner as I met my missus in the Augustiner beer garden.
And, at the time John is talking about, NO beer in Thailand had the alcohol content on it.
The reason Chang has elephants on it is because it used to be brewed by Carlsberg.
Aldaris (Latvia)
?vyturis (Lithuania)
Utenos (Lithuania)
Semper Ardens
Kuche Kuche (Malawi)
San Miguel (UK)
Mythos (Greece)
Wusu (Northwest China)
Elephant
Special brew
Tuborg (Regional)
Tetley (UK)
Halida Beer (Vietnam)
Holsten (Germany)
Astra (Germany)
Lav (Serbia)
Feldschlösschen (Switzerland)
Cardinal Lager (Switzerland)
Baltika (Russia)
Pripps (Sweden)
Carnegie Porter (Sweden)
Falcon (Sweden)
Karhu (Finland)
Koff (Finland)
Ringnes (Norway)
Frydenlund (Norway)
Dahls (Norway)
Arendals (Norway)
Nordlands (Norway)
Tou (Norway)
Okocim (Poland)
Bosman (Poland)
Piast (Poland)
Kasztelan (Poland)
Harna? (Poland)
Pan (Croatia)
Pirinsko and Shumensko (Bulgaria)
Saku (Estonia)
Splügen and Bock 1877 (Italy)
Ramlösa (Sweden)
Troy and Venüs (Turkey).
Saxon Beer (Gluten-free beer)
Jacobsen
Vole (Turkey).
Behnoush (Iran)
Kronenbourg (France)
Lvivske (Ukraine)
Slavutych (Ukraine)
Arsenal (Ukraine)
Khmilne (Ukraine)
Ironically Chang was also on this list until 2005 as it was a joint venture between Carlsberg and ThaiBev, but thankfully Carlsberg pulled out in 2005!
Alternatively, if you're really thirsty........
Try Oddbinns in Blackrock - they sometimes stock it.
As for those in need of enlightenment, a lot has been mentioned about beer but if you venture into the heart of Cheshire or find yourself in Harkers in Chester on a race day, may I suggest you try Weetwood's Cheshire Cat bitter, probably the best bitter in the world... Oh how I envy the first timer. And forget the races as you will never leave the bar...
Chang Beer 640 mL
Rest of World Beers shelf ? £2.09
Chang 330 mL
Rest of World Beers shelf ? £1.46
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1 Posted 24/03/2011 at 01:11:58
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After 10 years of drinking Chang I'm trying to wean myself off it in a bid to cut down my alcohol consumption (by % rather than volume) but none of the others taste right in comparison.