Mandarin Month: How to Order a Refreshing, Cold Beer in Chinese (and Other Beer-Related Phrases)

“Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy.” These wise words were spoken by the esteemed Benjamin Franklin, one of the leaders of the Free World, so who can argue with that sentiment?

Beijing’s smoldering summer has most, if not all of us, in constant search of an ice-cold beer. Let’s face it, what could be worse than standing in front of a wall of bottles in a stacked fridge or flicking through a menu with over 30 varieties of draft beer, and not being able to order a single one them because of limitations in the language needed to do so. This is a problem that can plague fresh-off-the-boat foreigners or anyone with a weak grasp of Mandarin in Beijing, and that's truly sad.

Fear not, however, as we have compiled a guide to knowing your lager from your stout, and your pint from your flight in Chinese, as well as the all-important means to order a nice, cold, refreshing beer.  

First things first, beer (啤酒, píjiǔ) can no longer be roughly divided into three categories, as they used to be before the arrival of craft beer in China (white 白啤 bái pí, yellow 黄啤 huáng pí, and black 黑啤, hēi pí).

Popular styles of beer

Lager 拉格 lā gé
Pale ale 淡色艾尔 dànsè àiěr
IPA 印度淡色艾尔 yìndù dànsè àiěr
Porter 波特 bō tè
Stout 世涛 shì tāo
Cider 苹果酒 píngguǒ jiǔ
Wheat/whit/weiss/white 小麦啤酒 xiǎomài píjiǔ
Saison 塞森 sài sēn
ABV (alcohol by volume) 酒精度 jiǔjīngdù
IBU (international bitterness unit) 苦度 kǔdù

Simple questions at the bar

What’s the ABV of this beer?
酒精度是多少？
Jiǔjīng dù shì duōshǎo?

Can I have a pint of …?
我可以要一杯 … 吗？
Wǒ kěyǐ yào yībēi … ma?

Do you have any new brew?
你们有新酿的啤酒吗？
Nǐmen yǒu xīnniàng de píjiǔ ma?

Can I have a taste, please?
我可以先尝一下吗？
Wǒ kěyǐ xiān chángyīxià ma?

I’d like a flight.
我想要一个品尝套装。
Wǒ xiǎngyào yīgè pǐncháng tàozhuāng.

More technical chat

Let’s head to Great Leap Brewing after work, I heard that the Leaping The Dog Barley Champagne Rose is really nice.
我们下班去大跃啤酒吧，听说白云苍狗大麦香槟很好喝。
Wǒmen xiàbān qù dàyuè píjiǔ ba, tīngshuō báiyún cānggǒu dàmài xiāngbīn hěn hǎohē.

Remember Slow Boat’s Sea Level Chocolate Stout that we liked last year? It’s back on tap!
记得去年我们都喜欢悠航的海平面巧克力世涛吗？它又回来了！
Jìdé qùnián wǒmen dōu xǐhuān yōuháng de hǎipíngmiàn qiǎokèlì shìtāo ma ? Tā yòu huílái le!

The ale pie pairs well with the Guanxi Pale Ale at Arrow Factory Brewpub.
牛肉啤酒派搭配箭厂啤酒的关系淡色艾尔特别好。
Niúròu píjiǔ pài dāpèi jiànchǎng píjiǔ de guānxì dànsè àiěr tèbié hǎo.

Have you tried Dualistic Oversimplification Szechuan Sour, which is a collab-brew between Pasteur Street and Jing-A?
你尝过二次元酸啤吗？是Pasteur Street跟京A合酿的。
Nǐ chángguò èrcìyuán suānpí ma？shì Pasteur Street gēn jīng-A hé niàng de.

The new NBeer Pub at Wukesong offers lots of bottled imports.
在五棵松新开的牛啤堂有很多进口瓶装啤酒。
Zài wǔkēsōng xīnkāi de niúpítáng yǒu hěnduō jìnkǒu píngzhuāng píjiǔ.

That sour ale tastes like cold sweat.
酸艾尔喝起来像冷掉的汗。
Suān’àiěr hēqǐlái xiàng lěngdiào de hàn.

I like Hoegaarden Wit a lot, do you have a similar beer to recommend?
我喜欢福佳白啤，你有相似的啤酒推荐吗？
Wǒ xǐhuān fújiā báipí, nǐ yǒu xiàngsì de píjiǔ tuījiàn ma?

Do you believe there’s pizza-flavored beer in the world?
你相信世界上有披萨味的啤酒吗？
Nǐ xiàngxìn shìjiè shàng yǒu pīsà wèi de píjiǔ ma? 

I can’t drink anymore, look at my beer belly! / I’m almost broke!
我不能再喝了，瞧瞧我的啤酒肚！/我快要破产了！
Wǒ bùnéng zài hē le, qiáoqiáo wǒ de píjiǔdù!/wǒ kuàiyào pòchǎn le!

Phrases for those growing weary of artisan pints

I don’t give a damn about this craft beer thing, do you have Budweiser?
我才不关心精酿啤酒呢，你们有百威啤酒吗？
Wǒ cáibù guānxīn jīngniàng píjiǔ ne, nǐmen yǒu bǎiwēi píjiǔ ma？

Do you have Guinness on tap?
你们有健力士扎啤吗？
Nǐmen yǒu jiànlìshì zhā pí ma?

I don’t feel like having beer today, do you have white wine?
我不想喝啤酒，你们有白葡萄酒吗？
Wǒ bùxiǎng hē píjiǔ, nǐmen yǒu báipútáojiǔ ma?

Mandarin Month is sponsored by Sanfine International Hospital. Keep on track with your studies with all of our 2017 Mandarin Month content here. 

Photos: wikihow.com, startupdaily.net