Harbin Beer

Origin: China · Brewer: Harbin Brewery (AB InBev) · ABV 3.6-4.8%

Harbin is China's oldest commercial beer brand and one of its biggest. Founded in 1900 in the north-eastern city of Harbin by Polish entrepreneur Jan Wroblewski, the brewery was originally set up to supply Russian railway workers building the Trans-Manchurian line - so even before the People's Republic existed, Harbin already had a multi-national customer base.

An eventful history

Over the next century the brewery passed through Russian, Czech, Japanese, Soviet and then Chinese hands. After decades as a state-owned enterprise, Harbin Brewery was acquired in 2004 by Anheuser-Busch, in a hard-fought public battle with SABMiller, for around US$720 million. When AB InBev was formed in 2008 Harbin became part of the largest brewing group in the world, and it remains an AB InBev brand today.

Brewing

The flagship Harbin Lager is a pale, refreshing adjunct lager that uses two-row malted barley and rice, balanced hops, and northern Chinese well water. The most widely sold variants are Harbin Beer at around 3.6 percent ABV and Harbin 1900 / Harbin Ice at 4.0-4.8 percent. The beer is famously easy-drinking, slightly sweet on the front palate and very clean on the finish - intentionally suited to the long meals and cold winters of northern China.

Where to find it

Harbin is one of the top-selling beers in China and a regular fixture in the world's volume top ten. Outside China it is most easily found in Chinese, Korean and broader Asian supermarkets in North America and Europe. AB InBev has also pushed Harbin into some Western mainstream channels, often via Chinese food partnerships.

Sources: Anheuser-Busch / AB InBev press releases (2004 acquisition); Chinese trade publications; Harbin Brewery corporate brand information.