TIBETANS LOVE BARLEY BEER

Ask Tibetan's about their favourite beer and they vouch for the local product - Tibet Green Barley Beer. Manufactured at the Tibet Green Barley Beer Brewery, one of the world's highest and most advanced breweries situated at Lhasa Economic Development Zone, its main ingredient is highland barley produced by local farmers. Besides, malt and rice from Australia are also used. "Our aim is to provide quality products in an environmental friendly atmosphere," Luobu Ciren, deputy CEO of the brewery, told a group of visiting foreign journalists. 200,000 million tonnes of beer are manufactured annually out of which 50 per cent of the annual output is consumed in Tibet while the rest is exported to other parts of China and also to Japan, he said. Tibet Green Barley Beer Brewery is a relatively new company set up in 2010. It is 35 per cent government funded. Last year, the company achieved a net profit of 78 million yuan. The government has given a 100 per cent tax rebate to the brewery for the first three years. "The daily output is 30,000 boxes, with one box containing 24 cans. The hourly output is 36,000 cans," Luobo said, adding shipping is done directly from the factory as there is an agreement with the Railways. The beer season in Tibet is from the middle of May to October. The production process is mainly automatic. 137 people work in the factory. The first stage comprises extraction, the second stage is brewing which normally takes 17 days and then the product is packaged in bottles and cans. Says a local Dup Chong, "Tibet Barley Beer is my favourite. It may be a tad costlier but it’s the only barley beer". The Brahmaputra Grand Hotel here also serves Tibet Barley Beer. "It's a favourite among our guests. Many of them prefer this local beer over German and American brands," says the manager of the hotel.