Beer Call

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China's first beer museum takes its subject very seriously. "Tsingtao beer culture," intones a guide, "is a paragon succeeding in integrating Eastern and Western culture." At the World of Tsingtao, tel: (86-532) 383 3437, who can argue? Located in the Yellow Sea port from which it takes its name, the museum at China's best-known brewery contains two-dozen exhibits that bear titles like "Mystic Yeast." The Bavarian Purity Law of 1516 gets a display, as does a 4,000-year-old Sumerian hymn to Ninkasi, the goddess of brewing. Better still, the guide promises that at the tour's final stop, "visitors can sample all kinds of fresh Tsingtao beer."

But first you have to learn how. A display explains the proper procedure for tasting beer: look, swirl, sniff and sip. Then there are vital facts to master: "The nutritional value of beer is outstanding," says the guide. "One glass is equal to four eggs." Exhibits are labeled in English and Chinese, and a self-guided tour map means visitors can go it alone should following the group become tiresome. Just be sure to reconvene for drinks when you're done. In the tasting room, three generations of Chinese families sit at tables, passing Tsingtao blond, dark and even green (the latter is made with spirulina) from grandparent to parent to child. A four-year-old downs his, smacks his lips, and challenges mom to a toast. Cries of "Ganbei! [Cheers!]" echo in the hall as faces flush and cigarettes are lit. Tourists from Japan, Taiwan and Korea eye one another, making prideful toasts. A table is accidentally tipped over, a pitcher smashes to pieces, and a janitor mops up. Then the next group's shouts and laughter spill into the room as the bartender begins to pour.