Originally Posted by
cfisher6
I want to introduce my Chinese friends to some quality imported beers, ... However, they can't seem to drop the ganbei culture.
From my personal experience, I once went to a Chinese banquet where someone hauled in a 4.5 liter (huge) bottle of Johnny Walker Black, the one that comes with a wire display rack. First I thought that it was a generous gift. Then I saw that person begin pouring the scotch into a number of pitchers filled with ice. That was when I had to remind myself that I was in Greater China, and that people were not intending to just having a sip. I can only describe the way we emptied that bottle that day as grotesque. I myself drank the usual amount for scotch, about 2 ounces, but I had to keep a full glass on the table, which eventually got thrown away, because otherwise someone would constantly refill it as encouragement to ganbei.
I'm sure we've also encountered Chinese ways with red wine, which can come with a bucket of ice. Some people regard serving wine with ice as more sophisticated than mixing in Sprite. I learned that lesson when I had to be stopped in the middle of pouring the wine directly from bottle to glass. They thought that drinking red wine at room temperature was grotesque. At the same time, they made fun of other Chinese who only like their red wine when it is sweetened.
In Beijing, Hong Kong, or Taipei, do as Beijingers, Hong Kongers, or Taipeiers do.
