Chang

Chang is one of those beers that instantly transports people straight back to a beach in Thailand, usually somewhere involving plastic chairs, grilled seafood and slightly questionable decisions about how much suncream was actually necessary. Brewed since the 1990s, Chang became one of Thailand’s biggest beer brands by doing something very simple extremely well: making crisp, cold lager that works perfectly in brutally hot weather. Which, in Thailand, is a fairly important skill.

The name “Chang” means elephant in Thai, which explains the famous logo and also feels very appropriate because the beer has achieved near-legendary status across Southeast Asia. Backpackers, expats and holidaymakers have all developed deeply emotional relationships with it over the years, often fuelled by very affordable bottles and tropical humidity.