Comments on: Employee BBQ!!! http://benross.net/wordpress/employee-bbq/2007/05/17/ Urban Sociology and Urbanism, in China and North America Fri, 10 Feb 2012 06:41:58 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: Benjamin Ross http://benross.net/wordpress/employee-bbq/2007/05/17/comment-page-1/#comment-33175 Benjamin Ross Mon, 25 Aug 2008 11:40:06 +0000 http://www.benross.net/wordpress/?p=68#comment-33175 fotoflo- I agree 100% with your assessment of the Chinese beer market. However, the same thing could have probably been said about the US beer market in the early 80's. It will be interesting to see to what extent beer culture develops in China over the next few decades. As you say, the key is going to be market entry. fotoflo-

I agree 100% with your assessment of the Chinese beer market. However, the same thing could have probably been said about the US beer market in the early 80’s. It will be interesting to see to what extent beer culture develops in China over the next few decades. As you say, the key is going to be market entry.

]]> By: fotoflo http://benross.net/wordpress/employee-bbq/2007/05/17/comment-page-1/#comment-33154 fotoflo Mon, 25 Aug 2008 06:32:25 +0000 http://www.benross.net/wordpress/?p=68#comment-33154 Hey Ben Been reading your blog from start till now. Excellent work. I think the market for microbreweries in china is small, undeveloped, and not necessarily exploitable. If you can get a great beer at 5 kuai a bottle, then maybe, but much more then that and you are competing with foreign beers (you can buy a Hogaarden at jenny lou's in beijing for like 12 rmb), especially in the major cities, and also, more flavorful beers risk offending Chinese sensibilities (or at least running into barriers because people aren't used to them). There are also several restaurants in any given city that make their own beer, but its usually nothing special. That said, i think that with patience, drive, persistence and a good deal of money you could probably make one work, and make it profitable... its just that market entry would be very difficult. Hey Ben
Been reading your blog from start till now. Excellent work.
I think the market for microbreweries in china is small, undeveloped, and not necessarily exploitable. If you can get a great beer at 5 kuai a bottle, then maybe, but much more then that and you are competing with foreign beers (you can buy a Hogaarden at jenny lou’s in beijing for like 12 rmb), especially in the major cities, and also, more flavorful beers risk offending Chinese sensibilities (or at least running into barriers because people aren’t used to them). There are also several restaurants in any given city that make their own beer, but its usually nothing special.

That said, i think that with patience, drive, persistence and a good deal of money you could probably make one work, and make it profitable… its just that market entry would be very difficult.

]]> By: Benjamin Ross http://benross.net/wordpress/employee-bbq/2007/05/17/comment-page-1/#comment-891 Benjamin Ross Wed, 23 May 2007 17:31:20 +0000 http://www.benross.net/wordpress/?p=68#comment-891 Somebody asked in an e-mail whether the 300 RMB of food was provided by Mr. Zheng or if we had to pay for it ourselves. Each employee contributed 40 RMB for the evening. This is a considerable sum of money and more than many of the employees make in a day. The following day there was a little bit of money left over, and we each got 5 RMB back, so the total cost was 35 RMB per person. Somebody asked in an e-mail whether the 300 RMB of food was provided by Mr. Zheng or if we had to pay for it ourselves. Each employee contributed 40 RMB for the evening. This is a considerable sum of money and more than many of the employees make in a day. The following day there was a little bit of money left over, and we each got 5 RMB back, so the total cost was 35 RMB per person.

]]> By: Jenn http://benross.net/wordpress/employee-bbq/2007/05/17/comment-page-1/#comment-847 Jenn Tue, 22 May 2007 14:53:55 +0000 http://www.benross.net/wordpress/?p=68#comment-847 Looks fun. Did you guys grill up some mantou? It's one of my favorites. Looks fun.

Did you guys grill up some mantou?

It’s one of my favorites.

]]> By: Matt http://benross.net/wordpress/employee-bbq/2007/05/17/comment-page-1/#comment-826 Matt Tue, 22 May 2007 00:47:52 +0000 http://www.benross.net/wordpress/?p=68#comment-826 Hmmm....I sense a business opportunity, even if it was just different styles of lighter beers such as Hefeweisen or a real hoppy West-Coast style ale. I'd be curious to read a history of beer in China. Hmmm….I sense a business opportunity, even if it was just different styles of lighter beers such as Hefeweisen or a real hoppy West-Coast style ale. I’d be curious to read a history of beer in China.

]]> By: Benjamin Ross http://benross.net/wordpress/employee-bbq/2007/05/17/comment-page-1/#comment-741 Benjamin Ross Sat, 19 May 2007 17:20:49 +0000 http://www.benross.net/wordpress/?p=68#comment-741 Matt- Good question on microbrews. I still think that's a little far away for the Chinese market. In Fuzhou they are much more interested in pounding shots of beer (power hour style) and playing drinking games than they are in actually enjoying the taste of a good beer. This is probably why most of the beer is just like you described them...tasty, fresh, and they go down easy, but that's about it. There used to be one bar in town with Guinness on tap, but it was mainly only foreigners drinking it. Matt-
Good question on microbrews. I still think that’s a little far away for the Chinese market. In Fuzhou they are much more interested in pounding shots of beer (power hour style) and playing drinking games than they are in actually enjoying the taste of a good beer. This is probably why most of the beer is just like you described them…tasty, fresh, and they go down easy, but that’s about it. There used to be one bar in town with Guinness on tap, but it was mainly only foreigners drinking it.

]]> By: Matt http://benross.net/wordpress/employee-bbq/2007/05/17/comment-page-1/#comment-718 Matt Fri, 18 May 2007 22:41:04 +0000 http://www.benross.net/wordpress/?p=68#comment-718 Ben, do you think there's a market for a microbrewery or different styles of beer in China? After my recent visit to Beijing, I second your opinion on the brews I had. All were tasty, fresh and went down easy. Left me wishing for better light lagers in the U.S. I was a bit alarmed to see a lot of beer being delivered in open plastic trays on bikes (sun exposure bad!) but I didn't have one beer that was skunked as a result of this. So maybe all the small deliveries results in super-fresh beer everywhere. Ben, do you think there’s a market for a microbrewery or different styles of beer in China? After my recent visit to Beijing, I second your opinion on the brews I had. All were tasty, fresh and went down easy. Left me wishing for better light lagers in the U.S. I was a bit alarmed to see a lot of beer being delivered in open plastic trays on bikes (sun exposure bad!) but I didn’t have one beer that was skunked as a result of this. So maybe all the small deliveries results in super-fresh beer everywhere.

]]> By: Benjamin Ross http://benross.net/wordpress/employee-bbq/2007/05/17/comment-page-1/#comment-688 Benjamin Ross Thu, 17 May 2007 01:46:08 +0000 http://www.benross.net/wordpress/?p=68#comment-688 Here's the beer situation in Fuzhou (and China as a whole).....In my opinion, Chinese beer is slightly better than American macrobrewery beer (Coors, Bud, etc.), but not nearly as good as a good microbrew. The problem with Chinese beer is that it all tastes the same, basically different variances on copies of Tsingtao. In fact, most places you go in China, the beer of choice will be the local brand (in Fujian it's Sedrin (雪津), but it still ain't all that different from Tsingdao. You don't get the variety you would get in America or Europe.  All the beers are the same color, same weight, and same taste. If you look in the right places you can find Guinness, Carlesburg, and Newcastle, but I would probably be willing to commit various acts of crime or deviance to get my hands on a 1554 or a nice porter. Here’s the beer situation in Fuzhou (and China as a whole)…..In my opinion, Chinese beer is slightly better than American macrobrewery beer (Coors, Bud, etc.), but not nearly as good as a good microbrew. The problem with Chinese beer is that it all tastes the same, basically different variances on copies of Tsingtao. In fact, most places you go in China, the beer of choice will be the local brand (in Fujian it’s Sedrin (雪津), but it still ain’t all that different from Tsingdao. You don’t get the variety you would get in America or Europe.  All the beers are the same color, same weight, and same taste. If you look in the right places you can find Guinness, Carlesburg, and Newcastle, but I would probably be willing to commit various acts of crime or deviance to get my hands on a 1554 or a nice porter.

]]> By: Isabel Anheier http://benross.net/wordpress/employee-bbq/2007/05/17/comment-page-1/#comment-686 Isabel Anheier Thu, 17 May 2007 00:38:41 +0000 http://www.benross.net/wordpress/?p=68#comment-686 Looks delicious- how's the beer situation in Fuzhou? Looks delicious- how’s the beer situation in Fuzhou?

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