Beer in East Asia (Routledge Studies in the Modern History of Asia)

Chambers, Nuangjamnong, and their contributors look at how the development of the beer industry in East Asia presents a unique opportunity for understanding the region’s political economy.

Asia is both the world’s largest beer-consuming and beer-producing region, and the fastest growing beer market. Per-capita consumption is lower than Europe, but catching up fast. Beer consumption is also widely understood to correlate closely with economic growth and urbanization, much more so than other alcoholic beverages like spirits. With ten country case studies from both Northeast and Southeast Asia, the contributors to this volume look at the history of beer production and consumption across East Asia through a lens of historical institutionalism and political economy. In doing so they not only examine the development of the beer industry in the region but also what it tells us about the countries themselves. They ask questions such as: To what extent have state versus societal actors influenced the path of beer production? How has beer production changed? Was there a critical juncture at which beer production abruptly changed course?

A valuable resource for students and scholars of modern East Asian History, and particularly those with a focus on colonial history, industrial history, and state-society relations.

Paul Chambers is Lecturer and Advisor for International Affairs at the Center of ASEAN Community Studies, Naresuan University, Thailand.

Nithi Nuangjamnong is Assistant Professor in the Department of Political Science and Public Administration at Naresuan University, Thailand.