I do not pretend to be an expert in the history of beer since I am not a beer drinker. The only thing I could discuss about the history of beer has to do with Tsingtao Beer in China. The Tsingtao Brewery is one the hidden secrets in China and was established when Qingdao was a German Colony in China separated from it [in the beginning of the 20th Century. While the Germans [like most colonialists] treated the Chinese people like second class citizens in their country, it can be said that the only good thing that occurred was the Tsingtao Brewery where the famous Tsingtao Beer is manufactured it also has a museum dedicated to the history of Tsingtao Beer.

I had the honour of touring the Tsingtao Brewery with the CRI [China Radio International] Tour Group during my visit to Qingdao in July of 2008. Tsingtao Brewery was founded in the early 20th Century by a British and German Consortium. The Japanese Colonial Authorities who later replaced the Germans took over the Tsingtao Brewery after World War I and were the owners until World War II. After World War II, the Kuomintang Government attempted to administer the Brewery but was unsuccessful. After the Proclamation of the People’s Republic of China in 1949, Tsingtao Brewery was administered as a State Owned Enterprise.

The Tsingtao Brewery was able to make remarkable progress in the domestic and international market in spite of the obstacles. In 1972, Tsingtao Beer became one of the primary favourites of American Beer Drinkers [as well as Budweiser and Schlitz]. In 1991, The Qingdao International Beer Festival was established in order to promote Tsingtao Beer to the Domestic and International Community. In the Qingdao International Beer Festival there are beer tasting contests as well as an interaction between world beer drinkers.

During the tour of the Tsingtao Brewery, it was impressive witnessing how Tsingtao Beer is brewed using its purest form of water, barley, and hops according to the German Purity Laws of 1516. I even smelled some of the hops and barley. Helmut Mutt [the German Representative in the Olympic Tour of China] commented with members of CRI about the different types of beer and the laws governing the purity of beer. I paled in comparison since I was in expert in coffee. We saw the different buildings where the history of Tsingtao was shown via photos and commercials. There was a section of the museum where the person could pass through a room and feel what is like to be in a state of drunken stupor.

I remember telling some of the CRI Staff about how in Medical School in the Dominican Republic, many students would celebrate their graduation from medical school [as well as from dental school] by baptizing each other with beer followed by water. I avoided going through the baptism since I am allergic to beer. In other words, my body cannot dissolve the beer and it has irritated my skin.

The CRI Tour Group [myself included] were witness to how the beer was bottled or placed in cans after a thorough process that included boiling and fermentation. Again, I am not an expert in the beer manufacturing process so sorry if the terms were not used correctly.  After touring the beer manufacturing section, we were lead to a replica of a bar where there were many souvenirs including beer label bottles and an invitation to drink beer. I declined since my body cannot dissolve the alcohol. There were people who were photographed next to the display of beer bottles of the world and Tsingtao Beer throughout its history.

The staff of Tsingtao Beer photographed those in the tour and our faces appeared in the beer labels. I even had a photo taken next to the beer bottle with my face on it. The people with certain exceptions celebrated with the beer. While I was grateful to Tsingtao for the beer bottle, I ended having to share the beer inside the bottle with other people. The reason was simple, in the United States of America; it is unwise to bring a full beer bottle upon arrival. The US Customs and Homeland Security would confiscate the beer and any other belongings in the luggage. Regardless, I am forever grateful to CRI for taking me to the Tsingtao Brewery and I am grateful to the Tsingtao Brewery for their generosity in allowing me to visit them.