This beer isn't available everywhere, but sometimes you see it around, mostly at the superstores they have around town. In this case, it was at Hymall, a disappointing Japanese-owned superstore that's nearest to my aparment. I've only seen the drink offered in a can. Same as most Chinese cans, its got the pull-top, like a cheap Mexican soda or a can of sardines. It's dangerous, and definitely you don't want to be drinking alcohol and opening cans of Pineapple Beer!
I wasn't sure whether this was going to be an actual beer with pineapple flavoring, which maybe could even be OK, or an alcoholic pineapple juice. My question was immediately answered - no beer pours this color!
The taste is what you would excpect from looking at it - a very artificial flavor, with a sickly, disgustingly sweetness. That said, the pineapple flavor and aroma are surpringle full, and the drink packs a moderate kick, without the alcohol taste. Still, similar Japanese fruit ciders are easily available in Shanghai, and taste much, much better than this.
I feel guilty leading you into a search for bittermelon beer. To help you along I was hoping to find a picture of the bottle or at least give you a description of the bottle.
ReplyDeleteI found a couple of pictures at http://www.bittermelon.org/Around_the_world.htm that are similar to the beer I had in Xi'an, but not an exact match. The second picture showing a beer from Taiwan is closest. My memory is fuzzy.
Basically, the bottle is green with a white label containing a picture of bitter melon. I don't remember it saying Kugua though.
Good luck!
BTW that pineapple beer just looks plain nasty.
Seriously if you want the right kind of pineapple beer.. you need to go the Guangzhou, China. They come in bottles and is actually alcohol tasting like pineapple.. not what you had. The pineapple beer in Guangzhou is a lil sweet and very refreshing.
ReplyDelete