Beer in Vietnam: Local Brands, Prices, and What to Try

Vietnam is serious about beer. From consumption figures to street-side prices, it is hard to imagine daily life in Vietnam without it — and trying local beer while traveling here is one of the more enjoyable things you can do.

According to Kirin’s 2022 global beer consumption report, Vietnam ranks 9th in the world for beer consumption, accounting for 2.3% of global volume. That puts it ahead of most Western countries and significantly above its population size would suggest.

Vietnam Has Some of the Cheapest Beer in the World

The price is where things get genuinely surprising. A pint of beer in Vietnam costs around $1.10 — making it one of the cheapest countries in the world to drink beer. Even within Southeast Asia, Vietnam stands out for value. The local beer culture here goes back to the French colonial period, when brewing was introduced and the Vietnamese word for beer — Bia — was borrowed directly from the French bière.

For anyone who enjoys beer, Vietnam is a genuinely good destination. Local beers are cheap, varied, and better than you might expect — and drinking one at a plastic stool on a sidewalk is its own kind of travel experience.

What This Guide Covers

Before getting into the list, a few things worth knowing about beer in Vietnam.

Vietnam is divided into three regions — north, central, and south — and each has its own dominant beer brands. Local beers here are strongly regional, reflecting the culture and tastes of the area where they are produced.

This guide does not cover:

• International brands widely available elsewhere (Heineken, Sapporo, etc.)
• Craft beer

Instead, the focus is on Vietnamese local beers you can find at convenience stores, supermarkets, restaurants, and bars across the country. If you want to drink like a local, this is the list to start with.

Taste is personal, so this guide keeps flavor notes brief. All of these beers are cheap enough to just try one of each and find your own preference.

5 Vietnamese Beers Worth Trying

1. Saigon Beer (Bia Saigon)

Background:
Saigon Beer is Vietnam’s most recognized beer brand. Produced by Sabeco (Saigon Beer Alcohol Beverage Corporation), it holds around 40% of the Vietnamese beer market — the largest share of any local brand.

The first brewery in Saigon was established by French settlers in 1875. After Vietnamese independence, it was reorganized as a state-owned enterprise in 1977, and in 2017 Thailand’s ThaiBev acquired a controlling stake. It remains the beer most closely associated with Ho Chi Minh City.

Variants:
The three main variants are Saigon Export (Red), Saigon Lager (Green), and Saigon Special. Locals typically refer to them by color — Saigon Do (Red) and Saigon Xanh (Green) — or just “Special.”

Popularity:
Among locals, the order of preference tends to be Red > Special > Green. Saigon Beer is exported to over 30 countries and is available everywhere in Vietnam — if you are visiting Ho Chi Minh City, it is the obvious local beer to try.

ABV

• Saigon Lager (Green): 4.3%
• Saigon Special, Saigon Export (Red): 4.9%

2. Bia Hanoi — The North’s Beer

Background:
If Saigon Beer represents the south, Bia Hanoi is the north’s answer. Produced by Habeco (Hanoi Beer Alcohol Beverage Corporation), it has been brewed since 1892 when Alfred Hommel established the original brewery. The original version was low-alcohol, unpasteurized, and sold the same day it was brewed.

Taste and character:
Slightly lower in alcohol than most Vietnamese beers, with a mild sweetness. In Hanoi’s Old Quarter, it is still sold fresh as Bia Hoi Hanoi — draft beer served at street-side stalls for around $0.10 a glass. That price is not a typo.

Where to find it:
Outside Hanoi and the north, it can be hard to find in bottles or cans. But most cities have at least one spot selling Bia Hoi. If you are visiting Hanoi, the place to drink it is Ta Hien Street in the Old Quarter — known as Beer Street — where you sit on plastic stools, watch the street traffic, and drink cold Bia Hoi with locals.

ABV: 4.2%

3. Huda Beer — Central Vietnam’s Award-Winning Beer

Background:
Huda is a joint venture between Denmark’s Carlsberg and a Vietnamese partner, brewed in Hue in central Vietnam. The name combines “Hu” from Hue and “DA” from Denmark. It has been in production for over 30 years and is the dominant beer in central Vietnam — if you are visiting Da Nang, Hoi An, or Hue, you will see it everywhere.

Awards:
Huda has more international competition wins than any other Vietnamese beer:

• Silver medal, World Beer Championship (WBC), USA, 2013
• Silver medal, International Beer Challenge (IBC), UK, 2016
• Silver medal, International Beer Challenge, Berlin, 2017
• Quality award, Monde Selection (international food and beverage awards), 9 consecutive years (2014–2022)
• Monde Selection selection, 3 consecutive years (2018–2020)

Variants:

• HUDA, HUDA GOLD, HUDA ICE BLAST
• HALIDA, HALIDA DARK, HALIDA EXPORT ALL MALT
• FESTIVAL

The original Huda is the most popular, followed by Huda Gold and Halida. Outside central Vietnam, it is difficult to find — so if you are passing through Da Nang or Hoi An, it is worth trying.

ABV: 4.7%

4. 333 Beer (Ba Ba Ba) — The Local Staple

Background:
333 (pronounced “Ba Ba Ba”) is popular in southern Vietnam. Also made by Sabeco, the same company behind Saigon Beer, it is slightly more bitter than other Vietnamese beers. The honest description: this is the beer older local men drink — reliably cheap, slightly strong, no frills.

Price and availability:
At tourist-facing restaurants, all beers are usually priced the same regardless of brand. But at local shops, 333 is almost always the cheapest option on the shelf — which is part of why it has a loyal following among older drinkers who want value above everything else.

Who it’s for:
The stronger bitterness puts some people off. But if you want a beer that is authentically local rather than tourist-friendly, 333 is worth trying at least once.

ABV: 5.3%

5. Larue Beer — Vietnam’s First Commercial Beer

Background:
Along with Huda, Larue is central Vietnam’s other signature beer. It is one of the oldest commercially produced beers in Vietnam — first brewed in 1909 by a Frenchman named Victor Larue. The tiger on its label once earned it the nickname “tiger beer” in Vietnam, long before the Singaporean brand of the same name.

Where it stands now:
Larue is not as widely consumed as it once was, but it still has a loyal following in central Vietnam. If you are visiting Da Nang or Hoi An, it is worth ordering at least once — part history, part local character.

Where to find it:
Primarily available in central Vietnam — Da Nang and Hoi An. Rare to find elsewhere.

ABV: 4.9%

Bonus: Tiger Beer — Southeast Asia’s Most Familiar Import

Background:
Tiger is a Singaporean brand and the most consumed foreign beer in Vietnam. Across the country, the default beer order at most restaurants is either Tiger or Saigon.

In Vietnam specifically:
Vietnamese beer culture involves drinking with ice — glasses are filled with ice cubes before pouring. Tiger holds up well to this, which may be part of why it is so popular here.

When to reach for it:
Tiger is available in many countries, so it is not uniquely a Vietnam experience. But if the local beers are not clicking with your palate, Tiger is a reliable fallback — and cheaper here than almost anywhere else.

ABV: 5%

Vietnam Beer Prices: What to Expect

One of the genuine pleasures of drinking beer in Vietnam is the price. The table below shows single-can prices for 330ml beers at local supermarkets. In practice, beer is often bought by the case, which brings the per-can price down further.

For context: a four-pack of 500ml imported beer at a convenience store in most Western countries runs $8–12 or more. Vietnamese local beer costs roughly a third of that per volume, and even imported brands like Heineken run about half the price.

Frequently Asked Questions

Before You Order

Beer in Vietnam is cheap, cold, and best enjoyed somewhere outside — whether that is a plastic stool on Ta Hien Street in Hanoi, a seafood restaurant in Da Nang, or a bar overlooking the river in Hoi An. The setting matters as much as the brand.

If you have a beer you tried in Vietnam that is not on this list, or a spot worth recommending, feel free to share it in the comments.