Brunei: Why You Will Drink Beer From a Teacup

Id you’re travelling around South East Asia you won’t be drinking beer in Brunei, unless of course it is out of a teacup. The reason is simole, pint sized Brunei is completely dry. That’s not to say you’ll find sand dunes and deserts in Brunei, what I mean is that you won’t find any alcohol. At least that is the theory.

Approximately 70% of the population of Brunei would consider themselves Muslims. The remaining 30% are a mixture of Buddhist, Christian, Hindu and other assorted beliefs. That means a significant minority are open to having a drink from time to time, it’s just that they’re not allowed to, which is why you shouldn’t be drinking beer in Brunei.

The thing about making something illegal though is that it doesn’t disappear; it just becomes more expensive and unregulated. The same is true about buying beer in Brunei. Instead of simply going to a shop, you are passed through a complicated network of friends and acquaintances until you find what you are looking for, or are given the address of a certain shop where you can buy a beer an even start drinking beer in Brunei.

As a tourist I wouldn’t advise trying to find alcohol, but if you are going to do it anyway this is what To do. First off is head to the Chinese area of town. What you’re looking for are small restaurants with a lucrative side business and lots of happy customers drinking beer in Brunei from teacups.

Drinking tea is such an ingrained part of the local culture around this area of the world that everyone does it, whereas drinking beer in Brunei isn’t. The theory behind this practice is that you wouldn’t look twice at a couple of people sitting down and chatting over a cup of tea, which I suppose is why these teapots are filled with beer. Now you know what you need to do if you want to go drinking beer in Brunei, good luck trying to find the right shop!