The Story of Tsingtao Beer

An extraordinary brand story I discovered while travelling in China’s Shandong Province few years back - the story of Tsingtao beer- a leading brewery export giant in China, founded in 1903 by the Anglo- German Brewery Co Ltd, I thought is worth some space on the BizScribe blog. Tsingtao- an authentic Chinese beer brewed in  once German-controlled coastal region of Qingdao in China’s Shandong Province,  is recognised as the first major brand to offer tourism services in Qingdao region through the establishment of a beer museum.

As very aptly suggested in the beer museum’s tagline - ‘Give us an hour, we’ll give you a century’ this unique location is even preserved by the state as a site of historical interest.  Spread across 6000 square meters, this major tourist hit considered China’s first industrial tourist site, connects its visitors to the origins of the Tsingtao beer.

The museum which opened its doors to the world in 2003 is tucked away down Dengzhou Road in Qingdao - an energetic street that brings to life an absorbing Octoberfest of sort with sidewalks draped with beer gardens, themed shops and eateries. The building with a German styled architectural façade housing the museum, dates back to the time of the brewery’s founders. At the time of my travel, the village was gearing-up to host the annual gala international beer fest which is visited by travellers around the world.  

The multi-storied facility designed to be accessible even by the elderly and the differently-abled, offers a glimpse into the diverse world of Tsingtao beer - from its history and culture to production and processing. 

While a section of the museum covers the models and replicas of traditional equipment, storage cellars, filtration plants and the workers, the fully-fledged visitor information centre presents plenty of background information, literature and photo collections into the legacy of Tsingtao brewery. The authentic beer brand; exported and sold across the world today is manufactured according to the original German recipe combining the spring water from the celebrated Laoshan mountain with malt, hops and rice sourced from the paddy fields of Western China.

Visitors to the site also have the opportunity to engage in interactive activities such as beer tasting sessions, traditional brewing workshops, creative beer workshops and games.  

For those wanting to have a memorabilia or two from this unique experience, the museum’s souvenir shop offers an array of interesting collectibles from themed bottle-openers, key tags to miniature beer, wine and spirit bottles.  

Heading to Shandong Province in China? Check out the Tsingtao Beer Museum!