Warm Beer - Where to find cold beer in Battambang, Cambodia?

For me one of the joys of travelling to a new country or region is to sample what is on offer locally in terms of its cuisine but perhaps more importantly its beer. Indeed I often find myself making associations between countries and their local brew – Singha in Thailand, Lao in Laos, 333 in Vietnam and Angkor here in Cambodia. Every beer deserves a chance and I will always try a new one at least once. Crossing the border from Thailand into Cambodia for the first time six years ago one of my immediate priorities was to sample what was on offer. Imagine my surprise (and disappointment) then when I was presented with a warm bottle of Angkor and a glass. This wasn’t much to my liking but it was something I was going to have to come to terms with – and fast. In fact I don’t think it was until I got to Siem Reap some three weeks later that I got my hands on a cold bottle. Beer here is generally drunk with ice – and plenty of it. I found getting hold of beer initially to be a frustrating experience. The usual scenario was that I would approach a bar or beer garden and make myself comfortable at a table or booth. Someone would eventually come to see what I wanted – not always immediately. I would order, say, an Angkor beer. The waitress would then disappear quite often for some time before returning with 4 warm bottles and a glass. She would then go off to find a bottle opener which for some reason are always in short supply in bars. Having returned she would open a bottle and then go off in search of an ice bucket and having come back with this then spend an age selecting appropriate cubes and depositing them in my glass. The period of time between entering the premises and actually having a sip of longed for beer could very easily be as much as twenty minutes – even if I was the only customer. The whole process had to be gone through again once it was time to open a second bottle.

Cold Beer at Bambu Hotel - Battambang, Cambodia

Needless to say this can try the patience of even a very patient man and when you are absolutely gasping for a cold beer on a hot hot day it becomes a sort of terrible torture. Trying to speed the whole process up by for instance bringing your own bottle opener (or ordering cans) can help but only marginally - you are still at the mercy of the ice maidens who unknowingly control your thirst. When we opened Bambu Battambang Hotel last year I was keen to make this experience a thing of the past at least here at the hotel. I made it clear to staff that when a guest asks for a cold drink they get it quickly, with the minimum of fuss and ice cold. Without being big headed about it I think we have set the standard here in Battambang. We never run out of stock (for some reason this often happens in Cambodia), drinks are always cold and our beer is served in frozen glasses. We stock Tiger beer on draught which I consider to be the best of the three draught beers available in this country and the beer lines from the cooler are cleaned every week.

Ice Block from Battambang Ice Factory

The main reason for the warm beer though is of course a lack of refrigeration which is often down to a lack of electricity or at least a fear of using too much. I know of one beer garden in town that does actually have a very large refrigerator – but they turn it off at night! Go there the next morning and order a drink and it will still be warm. Lunacy. I have a fridge at home but I don’t know of anyone else in our village that has one. They just are not seen as a necessity. All food is purchased daily from local markets so there is no need to refrigerate it and I guess if it wasn’t for the fact that I like to keep a few cold bottles in mine I wouldn’t need or bother to have one either.

Battambang, which now has a pretty reliable electrical supply, still has a number of ice factories – I know of five and there are probably more hidden away. From these each morning emerge three metre long blocks of ice which are then cut up and distributed on the back of motorbike powered trailers around the city and countryside. Roadside vendors all have “Eskies” each of which requires a block of ice daily. Bars and restaurants then have to be supplied and of course there are weddings and funerals which require mountains of the stuff.

Ice Factory in Battambang

I have written about weddings before and for me at least ice plays a very important part. When one arrives at the venue for the main feast you can usually spot the cases of beer and soft drinks warming up nicely in the sun without any attempt being made to keep them cool. After much practice I now have a check list of conditions for being sited at a wedding table and I try to get as many of them ticked off as possible. First and foremost one should try to be seated as far from the speakers as possible to avoid having burst eardrums. This is absolutely crucial. Then I try to find a table made up of mainly women guests - they tend to pamper me and as they don’t usually drink so much beer there is more for me. A fan nearby is also useful especially if the party is the middle of the day. A quick glance around at the source of the ice and drinks should then be made – ideally one should not be too far away. Getting the food at a wedding never seems to be a problem – the service is always very efficient and done by professional caterers. Getting the drinks though is a different matter as – like the ice – they are distributed by family members whose enthusiasm for the job often wanes as the day wears on, especially if your table is in an awkward position for them. If these criteria can be attained then a good time usually ensues. If on the other hand one fails and finds oneself seated at a table full of men who cannot talk to because of your proximity to the speakers and only a haphazard supply of warm beer and no ice the whole experience can be a very trying one. It has happened to me far too many times!