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The most interesting thing about Carlsberg Myanmar’s new beer, Yoma, which means “mountain range” in Burmese, is the way in which producers made the new brew with local tastes and culture in mind.
First of all, they are using rice in the brewing process, according to interviews with Carlsberg officials in the Myanmar Times on Wednesday.
Secondly, they have pegged the beer’s alcohol content at 5.4 percent because 5 plus 4 equals 9. A public relations representative for Carlsberg Myanmar told Coconuts Yangon that the beer’s alcohol content of 5.4 percent was chosen because local research revealed that nine was a “lucky number.”
Nevermind. It gets better.
Carlsberg Myanmar’s marketing director Birgitte Weeke Christensen told the paper that the beer has been “tailored to Myanmar tastes,” and followed that up with this awesome quote.
“Everyone said Yoma is like when you leave all your luggage, sit on a mountain top, and it’s refreshing,” Christensen said. “The whole concept is about everything is changing quite fast, and you kind of need a bit of a chill out.”
Oh really? Everyone really said that drinking Yoma is like sitting on top of a mountain without your luggage?
In Yoma’s defence, it is bringing some welcome diversity to the beer market, which is dominated by Myanmar Beer and in a lesser way, Dagon.
Carlsberg has rolled out Yoma and another existing brand, Tuborg, marketing up a storm ahead of and during the water festival. According to the report in the Times, Carlsberg is even planning on introducing…Carlsberg!
So all is well.
Editor’s Note: This post has been updated to clarify information initially reported in the Myanmar Times and referred to in our first story. According to Carlsberg, the number 9 was not chosen strictly because of its symbolism in “Myanmar Buddhist practices,” as the paper reported, but because it was considered “lucky”.
