Mention “Laos” to someone who hasn’t been to Southeast Asia, and you’ll likely get a blank look or a half-formed thought: Isn’t that somewhere near Thailand? Many only know scant details of this landlocked nation – perhaps the raucous backpacker parties of Vang Vieng, where a once-sleepy village became an epicentre of backpackers behaving badly and young travellers came to get wasted. Others vaguely recall grim wartime trivia: that Laos is the most heavily bombed country per capita no thanks to the deadly legacy of America’s Secret War which unnecessarily claimed many lives.

What most people don’t know, but absolutely should, is that Laos is one of Southeast Asia’s best-kept secrets. It’s a land of staggering natural beauty: mist-draped mountains, waterfalls that tumble into turquoise pools, warm smiles, saffron-robed monks at dawn, and the kind of silence you forget you missed. And alongside this tranquility, you should also know about Beerlao – the unlikely ambassador for the country that has developed a cult following beyond its borders.

Beerlao doesn’t advertise itself much, but its reputation often precedes the country. In Thailand, for instance–where import laws make foreign beers hard to find–you will find Thai beer aficionados who swear by Beerlao and hunt for these smuggled bottles, finding it head and shoulders above the local Thai lagers. More than just being a cultural staple that Anthony Bourdain-types eagerly guzzle when they visit, Beerlao is one of the very few national lager brands that has truly delighted beer critics.

A Nation in a Bottle

The origin story of Beerlao is intertwined with Laos’s own modern history. Brasseries et Glacières du Laos, as its brewery was originally named, was founded in 1971 as a joint venture between local Lao investors and French businessmen, back when Laos was still a monarchy. The brewery made colonial-era brands for the Indochina market such as 33 Export and Bière Larue whose brands live on in the neighbouring Vietnam.

After the upheavals of 1975, when the Lao monarchy fell and the Lao People’s Democratic Republic (a communist state) was established, the brewery was nationalized and renamed to Lao Brewery Company (LBC). It began selling a lager domestically under the simple name Bière Lao, which in the mid-1990s evolved into the Beerlao brand we know today.

From those early days of French recipes and state ownership, Beerlao eventually found its groove under the guidance of an unlikely hero: Madame Sivilay Lasachack. Thanks to foreign communist comrades, Sivilay received an education in brewing in Europe where she studied in Copenhagen and even behind the Iron Curtain–in Prague and East Berlin. The Laotian woman joined the brewery as head brewmaster in the 1980s with a mission to make a beer that her people could truly call their own.

Head brewer Sivilay Lasachack reportedly dislike drinking alcohol and prefers tea.

Once home, Sivilay applied her expertise to tweak the formula and boldly ditched the old French recipe which she found too bitter. Instead, Sivilay drew inspiration from Czech beer styles, adapting them still to what was feasible and enjoyable in Laos. She married a Pilsner-style recipe she had learnt in Europe with an increased mashbill of Laotian jasmine rice. The result was a smoother, slightly sweeter lager that she believe would better suit Lao palates and that some say even imparts a local terroir to the beer.

Sivilay’s efforts seemed to have paid off. After she assumed leadership, Beerlao’s popularity steadily grew from a mere 3 million liters to over 200 million liters today. LBC continues to use locally grown jasmine rice as a key ingredient while importing malted barley from France and Belgium and hops and yeast from Germany. Quality control is reportedly strict, and this must have paid off in a consistently high-quality beer that has won Beerlao multiple gold medals in international competitions, including the title of “Asia’s best beer” by Time magazine in 2004.

Put simply, beer lovers have been delighted that a very sparsely populated developing nation with a relatively short brewing history could outshine bigger beer brands in taste tests. Yet in a way, that was Beerlao’s genius and advantage– they weren’t burdened by a long tradition, so they could experiment to find the perfect formula that worked for Laos.

Fans-turned-distributors

In Laos, Beerlao is ubiquitous – it claims over 95% of the domestic beer market share; basically a beer monopoly that Laotians actually love. Its logo adorns shop signs and cafe umbrellas in every province; it’s said to be the second-most consumed liquid in the country after water.

Beerlao is served at everything from casual family dinners to state banquets – being one of the few truly national brands in a country without many big-name products. It’s common to hear a Lao local half-jokingly echo the old marketing slogan, “Drinking Beerlao is good for the country”, since the brewery is a major taxpayer and supporter of local charities.

For a long time, production barely kept up with local demand. The idea of exporting Beerlao was almost an afterthought – why send it abroad when the thirst at home was so great? But as more travelers tasted Beerlao and left singing praises of this sleeper hit of an Asian adjunct lager, word began spreading. A sort of cult following emerged, with Beerlao T-shirts appearing on backpackers from London to Sydney, and online forums debating how to obtain this elusive Lao brew.

Lao Brewery sensed an opportunity. Around the late 2000s, they began encouraging a quirky export strategy: fans-turned-distributors. Essentially, if individuals abroad expressed that they loved Beerlao enough to want to import it, LBC was happy to oblige. This grassroots approach worked. One example is Jerry Cheung, Beerlao’s distributor in Hong Kong and Macau, who was so smitten with the beer after a trip to Laos that he quit his day job to start importing it. Similar tales unfolded elsewhere: small importers in the US, France, Japan or Australia taking up Beerlao’s cause simply because they wanted to share that taste they fell in love with on their travels.

Beerlao’s range

Over the years, the Beerlao range has expanded beyond the original lager. In 2005, LBC introduced Beerlao Dark, a 6.5% ABV dark lager using roasted black malts – a rarity in Southeast Asia at the time. In 2010, LBC introduced Beerlao Gold – a premium lager made with a special indigenous variety of sticky rice called khao kai noy, prized for its more fragrant scent.

In 2018, Beerlao offered its fans a temporary line of 'White', 'Amber' and 'Hoppy' beers, and sought feedback on which of the three should become a permanent fixture in the Beerlao family. 

More recently, responding to the global craft beer wave, LBC conducted a survey before launching Beerlao White, a European-style-inspired wheat beer and even a Beerlao IPA in 2018-2019. An IPA from Laos – who could have imagined! Then there’s also Beerlao Green, a lighter lager introduced in 2023 as LBC celebrated its 50^th anniversary.

Despite this growing portfolio, the classic Beerlao Lager remains the flagship and the sentimental favorite. It’s the beer that people clink bottles of when they say “Nyo houai!” – cheers – at Lao New Year festivities and weddings. It’s the beer that expatriates stock up on when leaving Laos, just to hold onto that Lao vibe a little longer.

And with that, let’s dive into our tasting of all these beers ourselves!

Beerlao Lager Beer, 5.0% ABV – Review

Tasting Notes

Appearance: Orange gold.

Nose: Surprisingly expressive on the nose for a lager. There’s a rich dried apricot note that dominates at first, soon joined by layers of tinned peaches and soft tropical tones of persimmon and guava. There’s an indulgent, distinctly creamy, almost dessert-like element, but what caught me off-guard was that distinct scent of coconut milk along with something that smells unmistakably like kaya (coconut-egg jam)! These aromas sit atop a foundation of bright cereal grain and clean malt, giving it a fresh edge.

Palate: Medium-bodied mouthfeel—noticeably thicker than what you'd expect from a typical rice lager. Opens with mellow maltiness, soft caramel sweetness and a return of those apricot and date notes from the nose. A gentle creaminess with light coconut powder dusting running through the middle. The jasmine rice component is definitely here too—there’s a clean ricey earthiness adding an aromatic lift that balances the richer elements and keeps the whole thing from feeling too heavy.

Finish: Light and clean, but still holds onto the character of the palate. Coconut powder lingers, accompanied by trace caramel and a flash of pandan and kaya that resurfaces toward the end.

My Thoughts:

Incredibly evocative of a kaya toast in a glass! That creamy, coconut-rich character is so unusual—especially for a mass produced national lager. It’s surprisingly evocative and layered, and way thicker on the palate than you'd expect from something marketed as an everyday beer.

Honestly, this is one of the most expressive and characterful Asian lagers I’ve had in a while. It deserves way more recognition than it gets. Extra points for its distinctive Laotian character I couldn’t find anywhere else.

My Rating: 8.5/10

Beerlao White Beer, 5.0% ABV – Review

Tasting Notes

Nose: It’s both aromatic and approachable. Opens zesty with a burst of orange peel and a soft, spiced edge that instantly calls to mind a Bohemian-style wheat lager and Belgian witbier. Underneath that citric brightness, there’s a mellow malt layer and dried apricots that add some roundness and depth.

Palate: Noticeably smooth and rich, with a velvety texture that gives it more body than expected. The flavour leans into the dried fruit again—apricots especially—before soft notes of pandan, light caramel, and a gentle sweetness from coconut start to come through. As it sits, a subtle grassy bitterness from the hops begins to emerge, adding just enough bite to balance the sweet and round edges.

Finish: A lingering mix of coconut and jasmine rice, with a faint return of caramel. It’s soft and rounded rather than sharp or crisp—very much in line with the gentle profile throughout.

My Thoughts:

This one leans toward the rich and round side, with an unusually smooth and almost velvety texture. Hop bitterness is barely there, just enough to keep things balanced.

Super easy to drink, and the resemblance to a European wheat beer—especially something like Tsingtao’s wheat beer—is definitely there. It’s not overly complex, but it knows exactly the style it wants to emulate.

My Rating: 7/10

Beerlao Green Single Origin Rice Lager, 4.6% ABV – Review

Tasting Notes

Nose: Clean maltiness, with a gentle sweetness that leans honeyed. There’s a clear presence of fragrant jasmine rice that doesn’t get overpowering. It smells simple but well-defined.

Palate: Clean and medium-bodied, and stays true to the aroma. Crisp citrus and honeyed notes come through, alongside a lightly toasted barley crisp character that adds some structure. There’s a soft earthiness from the rice that lingers throughout, and a light yeastiness that gives it a subtle roundness without adding weight.

Finish: Dry but not sharp, leaving behind a lasting note of jasmine rice and a quiet, earthy warmth. It wraps up smoothly, without any lingering bitterness.

My Thoughts:

This one sits on the very refreshing, lighter side of the Beerlao range. It’s clean, easy to drink, and has just enough toasted and earthy character to keep it interesting. Definitely lighter and more rice-forward than the others, and in a good way—approachable but still distinct without trying too hard.

My Rating: 7/10

Beerlao Dark Lager, 5.0% ABV – Review

Tasting Notes

Appearance: Light brown.

Nose: Leans immediately into darker territory—light milk coffee notes and slightly bitter scent of spent coffee grounds. There’s a clear roasted malt backbone, layered with molasses and dark chocolate. Beneath that is something a bit meatier—charred meat and a savoury marmite-like note that gives the aroma some oomph.

Palate: Drinks fairly medium-bodied, with the same milk coffee character from the nose carrying over. A light hit of marmite and some charred edges, but nothing too aggressive – it’s roasted, but not burnt. The texture is rounded, smooth, and very balanced in its intensity (not getting cloying), which makes very approachable for a dark lager.

Finish: Light roasted notes with just a hint of sweetness. There's a lingering taste that reminds me of Kopiko candy—that sweet coffee note with a slight toasty edge.

My Thoughts:

It’s smooth, very approachable and doesn't overwhelm, reminding me a lot of iced milk coffee in both aroma and taste. It’s a fairly typical dark lager. While it doesn’t do anything wildly unexpected, it’s reliable and I can see why it’s stuck around in the Beerlao range.

My Rating: 7/10

Beerlao Gold Lager, 5.0% ABV – Review

Tasting Notes

Appearance: Burnished gold.

Nose: Opens with a clear maltiness—cereal grains and a honeyed sweetness right up front. It’s got a biscuity edge, almost like digestive biscuits or granola, and there’s a roasted malt note underneath that gives it some heft without going into dark territory.

Palate: Texture is smooth, rich and rounded. The flavour is more streamlined than complex—mostly a mild maltiness paired with citrus and light honey. It doesn’t evolve much as you sip, but it holds its shape well.

Finish: Short and clean, with lingering light malt and biscuity notes. Nothing sharp or bitter—just a mellow and soft fade-out.

My Thoughts:

It’s clean, sweet-leaning, easygoing. Compared to the original Beerlao Lager, this feels a bit more straightforward. The distinct jasmine rice character from the original is mostly absent here—replaced instead by a more general rice sweetness. That said, it’s slightly sweeter, rounder, and more honeyed overall, which gives it a very accessible crowd-pleasing profile. Richer and more cereal-forward, but definitely less idiosyncratic.

My Rating: 7/10

Beerlao IPA, 5.0% ABV – Review

Tasting Notes

Appearance: deep amber with dense layer of foam.

Nose: An expressive and layered classic IPA profile. A strong base of rich caramel and dried apricots, alongside softer tropical notes of persimmon. A toasty edge comes through that reminds me of Japanese grilled rice cake, with molasses and roasted barley adding a deeper, slightly darker tone. There’s also a hint of banana cake in the background, and something slightly lacquer-like—not sharp, but dense and woody. Savoury marmite and bright orange peels sit on top, rounded out by a touch of char and an unexpected trace of manuka honey.

Palate: Medium-bodied and fairly velvety, leaning richer than most IPAs. It opens with more of those dried apricot notes, followed by a moderate graininess that gives it a bit of grip. There’s something oddly fruity—almost like grape jelly—but it stays balanced by the malt and roasted barley. Dried orange peel and a savoury marmite edge bring in a bit of bitterness, though nothing aggressive.

Finish: It wraps up with a light touch of roasty malt and only the faintest suggestion of hops. It’s got some hop bitterness but it’s overall very muted in its balance due to the prominence of sweeter and more rounded elements.

My Thoughts:

This is a very rich and unusually smooth IPA, and definitely on the more approachable side. What a crowd favourite too.

There isn’t much in the way of bold hoppiness—it's more sweet, malty, and honeyed than what you'd expect from the style. It feels fresher and more lifted, though, and the balance is solid. If anything, it reminds me more of a European take on the IPA—no sharp bitterness, with a focus on malt richness and subtle spicing, making this incredibly easy to like.

My Rating: 8/10

Final Thoughts

The full Beerlao range is genuinely enjoyable—not because the beers are flashy or over-engineered, but because they each offer something honest and well put-together. Across the board, they lean smooth, balanced and surprisingly characterful for their styles. They do not push extremes but also don’t feel generic or watered down.

The standout for me remains the original Beerlao Lager. It’s genuinely more flavourful than most other Asian adjunct lagers I’ve come across. There’s a depth and texture to it that feels considered, especially with that jasmine rice and coconut note that makes it so uniquely Laotian. Close behind is the Beerlao IPA, which surprised me with how rich and rounded it was. It takes a softer, more malt-forward approach to the style.

Overall, Beerlao's entire lineup is a delight. No gimmicks, no over-the-top craft tropes—just beers that are brewed with clarity and honesty. Much like the people of Laos itself, Beerlao teaches us that sometimes the best experiences are the understated ones – the ones you have to travel off the beaten path to find.

Kanpai!

@CharsiuCharlie