The Best Beers for Chinese Food: Our Top Picks
Chinese food swings from sweet to salty to spicy, often in one meal, so you want a clean, crisp lager that resets the palate every time. Asian lagers are built for exactly this. Here are four that fit.
| Beer | Style | Our rating | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tsingtao | Chinese Lager | 3.4/5 | The authentic pick |
| Tiger Beer | Asian Lager | 3.3/5 | An easy, crisp match |
| Sapporo Premium | Japanese Lager | 3.8/5 | Cutting through oil |
| Asahi Super Dry | Japanese Rice Lager | 3.7/5 | A dry, clean finish |
Chinese food covers sweet, salty and spicy in a single meal. A crisp Asian lager is the one beer that keeps up with all of it.
The Best Beers for Chinese Food, Reviewed
Tsingtao
The classic pairing. A light, crisp lager that refreshes between mouthfuls of anything from sweet-and-sour to black bean. Read the full Tsingtao review.
- Light and crisp
- Great with Chinese food
- Easy going
- Very mild
- Plain on its own
Tiger Beer
Clean and easy-drinking, it keeps out of the way and cools down a dish with a bit of chilli heat. Read the full Tiger Beer review.
- Clean and crisp
- Pairs with Asian food
- Easy drinking
- Mild
- Unremarkable
Sapporo Premium
A crisp, dry Japanese lager with a bit more body, good with richer, saucier dishes. Read the full Sapporo Premium review.
- Crisp and dry
- Cuts through rich food
- Very clean
- Plain on its own
- Mild
Asahi Super Dry
Bone dry and super clean, ideal for cutting through fried and oily dishes like spring rolls or crispy duck. Read the full Asahi Super Dry review.
- Super dry and clean
- Cuts through rich food
- Very easy to drink
- Light on flavour
- Forgettable on its own
The pan that makes it taste takeaway
That smoky, high-heat stir-fry flavour comes from a screaming-hot wok. A carbon steel wok gets there and holds it in a way a frying pan never will.
Chinese Food and Beer: FAQs
What beer goes with Chinese food?
A crisp Asian lager. Tsingtao is the authentic match, and Asahi Super Dry cuts through anything oily or rich.
What beer suits spicy Sichuan dishes?
A lightly sweet lager tames the heat better than a bitter beer. The same rule helps with our Thai food picks.
Related pairings: beer with Thai food, beer with Indian food, beer with sushi.
