Mot Hai Ba Yo!

For the Brits, it’s “Cheers!” For the Germans, it’s “ Prost” and for the Mexicans is "Salud". There is no Bangla term for toasting. In fact, as far as I recall there is no term for drinking either.

For the Vietnamese, a loud, hearty, “Mot, hai, ba, YO!” which translates to “one, two, three, yo!” Synchronized drinking at it’s best.

The good news for beer lovers is that Vietnam has some of the cheapest beer in the world.  Beer hoi, as the special local draughts are known, can be found on street corners all over the country for around 5000 dong a glass (roughly 25 cents.)  Most batches of this 'fresh beer' contain almost no preservatives.

Bia hoi bars are found all over the streets. Traveling around Vietnam you are sure to find yourself seated at some very small plastic stools, around a rickety plastic table, so close to the traffic that the wing mirrors of motorbikes threaten to dash your drink from your very hands. Sometimes you could end up sitting straight on the pavement, as I did in the backpacker district in Saigon.

 

Due to lack of refrigeration, beer is traditionally served with a huge chunk of ice dunked in it. This means that under the sweltering sun, your beverage can become severely watered down. All you can do is drink up and top the mixture up with beer. Once your beer is served it is time to cheers and more countdowns of 'Mot, Hai, Ba.. Yo!'. Clanging of glasses before everyone attempts to down as much of the beer as they can. Great  way to make conversation and meet new friends.

 

Bangladeshi beer?

In terms of the law, Bangladeshis are not allowed to drink or carry alcohol without an alcohol licence. You can get a licence with a doctor's prescription, so possession of alcohol can be legal for `medical reasons'. There are a few bars in Dhaka that serve alcohol, however if you are not in a expat club prices are just prohibitive. A beer at the Westin bar in Dhaka will cost you around $13. As a foreigner you are not required to possess such licences and you can drink all you want at any of the expat club.

Amongst ethnic minorities, because such people are either Buddhist or Christian, there is not only an acceptance of alcohol but there is often a culture surrounding it. You do need need a license to prove that you are a Christian or a Buddhist, but hey, that comes with benefits!


And yes, Bangladesh has its own beer. Hunter! And why bother trying to design something when you can just copy somebody else's design, logo and colour, and shamelessly I might add, steal the look and feel from Australia's Foster. The taste? Do not ask me. I try it once at the Nordic Club and, well, you get what you pay for…Lets just say that Hunter taste like....