Beer Chang is brewed by
Thai Charoen Corp, or TCC, though many mistake it to be a
Carlsberg product. In the past TCC has brewed beer under license from Carlsberg, but in 1995 it launched its own Beer Chang, marketed as a budget beer for the working man.
Chang is Thai for elephant, and the label features two white pachyderms standing trunk to trunk on a green background. A further reason for the Carlsberg confusion is that Beer Chang is actually an Asian cousin of the European Elephant Beer. The Elephant Beer does however in no way measure up.
Beer Chang comes in two sizes, 660ml and 330ml, the latter of which is availabe in both bottle and can. Irregularities in the brewing process can cause variations from the 6,4% stated on the label. That's right, 6,4%. Beer Chang is a strong beer, and the taste is as well. It has bite, kick, and a tasty tangy aftertaste. If you drink it like Thais, on the rocks, that is, the ice will thin the beer a bit. "What?!", I hear you say, "Ice in my beer?". While this may seem like sacrilege to many, it makes sense in the hot and humid climate of Thailand, where even an ice-cold beer will not last long before entering the realm of the lukewarm.
In the city you will find people who would rather drink Heineken, as they want to avoid the budget beer image of Beer Chang, and its somewhat harsh taste. Some people do feel that the taste is too strong for them, and describe the beer with words that I would not be comfortable repeating in front of my mother. I will concede that strong beers such as this one is an acquired taste, but once acquired, beers with a pitiful mere 4,5% will seem like just a step up from water to you.