I confess to having enjoyed a little warm glow of schadenfreude when I learned a little while ago that Beijing's wretched new cod-Irish bar Paddy O'Shea's had no Guinness to sell. Ha-haa - just when you thought it couldn't get any worse..... it gets worse.
However, it appears I may have been unduly harsh in immediately imputing this shortcoming to the incompetence of the O'Shea's management. There has in fact been a Guinness drought (dread words!!) in Beijing - indeed, in the whole of mainland China, I believe - for the past month or two. As far as I'm aware, Guinness is not yet brewed within China (and I wouldn't have much confidence that they'd get it right when they do finally start local production), and it all has to be imported from Malaysia. The rumour I hear is that the import/distribution company here has run into some sort of problem with the government and is not currently able to bring any more of the black stuff into the country. Oh, cruel and inhuman punishment! The Chairman (like me, a Plastic Paddy - actually, this was another of the initially unsuspected links The Three Amigos had in common: Big Frank, The Chairman and I are all of [somewhat remote] Irish heritage), had been promising himself a Guinness or two as part of his Christmas/New Year celebrations, but had to go without.
I have been rooting around on the Internet to try to get to the bottom of this shocking problem, but there is a curious dearth of news about it. My enquiries will continue. Watch this space.
4 comments:
Just for your info... Guinness is not brewed it's just normal lager mixed with "stout mix" in order to be able to produce it in a cost efficient manner worldwide. :-)
A shameful suggestion, sir.
Although I can see how your suspicions might be aroused by some of the "brewed under licence" stuff we have to endure in these far-flung corners of the world.
If you ever get the chance to sample the real thing, "straight from the Brewery gate" in a Dublin boozer on the banks of the Liffey, you will repent your blasphemy in an instant.
For your information all draught Guinness in China( and most places in Asia barring Malaysia) comes from Ireland....ask at any bar to see the tag on the keg
Really? I have been told - more than once - that the source for Guinness here is Malaysia; although the last time was some years ago, so maybe things have changed.
It does seem a bit daft, though. Is this why Guinness is so prohibitively expensive here?
China being what it is, I would take anything the bar-owner, wholesaler, keg markings or whatever say with a HUGE grain of salt.
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