It has long been the Pinoy's favorite, a staple in every gathering. So it is no surprise that San Miguel Beer's Pale Pilsen variety has been declared as Asia's best beer by Beer Magazine of the United States. Gathering six other international brands from Japan, Thailand, China, Indonesia and Singapore, Beer Magazine conducted a taste test among its readers with the Pale Pilsen coming out on top in terms of appearance, aroma, taste and finish. It was likewise recommended for its “certain wheat/citrus hit that sets it apart from the rest,” that one can “drink lots of it with most Asian foods and in most climates.”

Many Filipinos around the world don't need a magazine survey to tell them how good their beer is. In fact, San Miguel Beer (otherwise known as SMB) has been part of Pinoy life for decades. A party is not complete without SMB, a bar or resto isn't hip without it and celebrations are not

festive without the famous brown bottle in everyone's hand.

I had my first taste of beer in high school when an uncle offered me a bottle. Dad was no drinker. In fact, he had no vices at all so beer (or any alcoholic beverage) were never seen around the house, not even during family gatherings (boring isn't it?). I distinctly remember my first gulp for it was one of the strangest things I had ever tasted, to say the least. Not wanting to humiliate myself in front of relatives, I continued to drink the beverage, mustering enough will power not to puke. I must have consumed half the bottle's contents when my uncle told me to stop, saying it was enough. My facial expression must have betrayed me. He he.

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I swore never to touch the beverage again. Well, we all know how that turned out! College was totally different, and the endless partying and peer pressure saw me indulging in every vice available. Suffice it to say that I became a major patron of the beverage I swore never to touch again! He he.

Some SMB Trivia:

San Miguel has a cult following in the United States, especially among Filipino "Balikbayans."
San Miguel Beer held a 3-day drinking contest in Makati, Philippines. The winner of this 1994 drinking bout is no other than 20 year old Carlo Decena Bilbao, who still holds the record of 83 bottles of pale pilsen. Take note, this was all consumed without the use of his hands. He would simply pick up the bottle with his mouth and start pounding one after the other. The second placer for this event was no other than the German Gulper himself, Roland Hiitzer, who downed 15 pilsens.
San Miguel Pale Pilsen is featured in the anime feature Ghost in the Shell. The movie has scenes wherein Batou (one of the main characters) drinks a can of San Miguel Beer, which was recreated onscreen faithfully to its real life appearance.
San Miguel in Spain has the same origins as San Miguel in the Philippines. However, since 1953 the brewery in Spain has been under separate ownership and no longer has any connections with San Miguel Corp. Philippines. The beer in Spain is brewed by San Miguel Fábricas de Cerveza y Malta S.A., part of the San Miguel-Mahou group.

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