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Celebrate the Year of the Pig
February 04, 2019
The Lunar New Year is upon us and 2019—the Year of the Pig—is associated with prosperity. In Chinese culture, pigs are a symbol of wealth, and their pudgy faces and large ears are also signs of fortune. If you were born in the year of the pig, you are said to be social, energetic and enjoy treating yourself on occasion. Now, we may be biased, but here at GrowlerWerks we can’t help but notice that those characteristics align quite nicely with craft beverage culture. Is there anything better than indulging in an innovative beer or artisan cocktail with friends? Here are a few ways you can keep Chinese New Year in mind when you’re planning your libations between now and the Lantern Festival on February 19th.
Wine may traditionally be the go-to beverage of choice for festivities, but there are plenty of interesting cocktails that are worth exploring. Mix that Drink has a listing of twelve eye-catching drinks you can take for a spin, like the Jade Cocktail or the Lychee Martini. They even include some notes on the meaning behind the names, colors or ingredients used in the recipes.
Oranges are a symbol of good fortune in Chinese culture, so adding some o.j. into the mix may just increase your chances for a prosperous year. And we just happen to have a tasty recipe that’s ready to be batched and served in your uKeg.
You can also trick out the tried and true Dark and Stormy with some Chinese 5 spice to give it some legit Chinese New Year flare. Get the recipe from Liquor.com.
The craft beer scene in China may not be as established as it is in other places, but local brewers are creating some very interesting recipes these days. How interesting? A Guizhou Smoked Chili Porter and a golden ale spiced with Sichuan peppercorns, for example. If you've been considering taking a trip to China, these breweries may just be the reason to take the plunge.
While craft beer may be a newer phenomenon, China’s beer tradition began as many as 5,000 years ago, as evidenced by ancient brewery artifacts discovered in the Central Plain of China. Lest you think those early beer recipes were lost forever, fear not! Our neighbors to the north, Lucky Envelope brewing in Seattle, WA, recreated the recipe in its Mijiaya Historic Chinese Beer.
These Chinese-inspired beers may be hard to come by at your local watering hole, but that doesn’t mean you need to be left out of the festive fun. Chinese New Year is also known as the Spring Festival, and is a celebration of new beginnings, fresh starts and, dare we say, spring beer releases? Brewer’s around the world are whipping up their spring offerings for the year, and they are exactly the breath of fresh air you may be looking for as we start this new lunar year!