My Chosen Drink

Tsingtao is a very popular Chinese Beer.

The Tsingtao Brewery was founded in 1903 by German settlers in Qingdao, China. Since its introduction, Tsingtao® Beer has enjoyed impressive sales growth and has always been the number one beer in China. Introduced to the United States in 1972, Tsingtao soon became the top-selling Chinese beer in the U.S. market and has maintained this leadership position ever since.

Tsingtao® Beer is brewed and bottled by the Tsingtao Brewery, the largest and most prestigious of the approximately 600 breweries operating in China. The Tsingtao Brewery itself has grown from four breweries in 1996 to 48 today.  The Tsingtao brand is sold in more than 50 countries worldwide and accounts for more than 50 percent of China’s total beer exports. In fact, Tsingtao is the number-one branded consumer product exported from China.

Taste Characteristics
Tsingtao Beer has a pleasant aroma and a well-balanced taste. Its high-malty flavor and well-hopped character make Tsingtao a refreshing complement to any Chinese meal.
 
Ingredients
Tsingtao is produced with spring water from Laoshan, a mountain area famous throughout China for the purity of its water. Tsingtao ingredients include the highest quality hops, as well as the finest yeast and barley imported from Australia and Canada.

Tsingtao Beer Celebrates Year of the Dog
Legend Of Chinese New Year

The origin of Chinese New Year is attributed to the legend of a monster beast that would swallow people whole. The beast feared the color red and loud noise. So to scare him away, the people would put up red paper and set off firecrackers. These days, people have long forgotten the legend. They just think the color and sound add to the excitement of the Chinese New Year celebration.

Tradition

Even though the height of Chinese New Year lasts only two or three days including the New Year's Eve, the New Year season extends from the mid-twelfth month of the previous year to the middle of the first month of the new year. A month before the New Year is a good time for business. People buy presents, decoration material, food, and clothing.

The Eve of the New Year is carefully observed. Supper is a feast. Every light is supposed to be kept on the entire night. At midnight, the sky is emblazoned with fireworks, and the streets with firecrackers.

During and several days following the New Year's day, people are visiting each other, exchanging gifts. The New Year atmosphere is brought to an anti-climax 15 days later with the Festival of Lights, an occasion of lantern shows and folk dances. The Lantern Festival marks the end the New Year season, and afterwards life becomes routine once again.

Facts
Chinese New Year is celebrated on the first day of the Chinese Lunar Calendar. Each year is named after one of 12 animals according to the Chinese zodiac.
The celebration ends on the fifteenth day.
The Chinese like to greet each other with "Gung Hay Fat Choy." This means "Happy and Prosperous New Year."

Chinese New Year Colors

You probably guessed correctly: the favorite colors during Chinese New Year are RED and GOLD. Red symbolizes happiness, while Gold symbolizes wealth.
 

The Year Of The Dog

The Year of the Dog begins January 29, 2006, and runs through February 17, 2007. The Year of the Dog is synonymous with being trustworthy, principled, intelligent, honest, attractive and loyal. The Dog's domestic character will bring harmony to home life, patriotism to one's country and unwavering focus to whatever cause you wish to support.