Drinks
Beer Lao
Beer Lao is also a government owned product and is the only beer sold in Laos and luckily it tastes very good. See the message board and leave a review about this beer.It costs about $1 US for a 750 bottle. It can also be sold in a can and found in six packs.
Water
is safe when ordering from restaruants and cafes. In the countryside where there is no running water it is best to buy bottled water or boil your own.
Soft Drinks
There isn't much variety in soft drinks. The major company is Pepsi who have their range of soft drinks on the market but are more expensive. The local drink is Cosco-Cola which tastes and looks very much like Coca-cola, even the packaging and logo are similar, and it's not surprising that Cosco-Cola is made by the government through Lao Brewery.
Lao coffee beans
Lao Coffee
Lao coffee is often called Pakxong coffee (cafe pakxong in Lao), which is grown on the Bolovens Plateau around the town of Pakxong. This area is sometimes said to be the best place in Southeast Asia for coffee cultivation. Both robusta and arabica are grown in Laos, and if you ask for arabica, there is a very good chance the proprietor will know what you are talking about. Most of the arabica in Laos is consumed locally and most of the robusta is exported to Thailand, where it goes into Nescafe. The custom in Laos is to drink coffee in glasses, with condensed milk in the bottom, followed by a chaser of green tea. The highly-regarded tea is also grown on the Bolovens Plateau.Coffee can be found just about everywhere in Laos. Lao coffee is made in a coffee sock and is very thick, strong and dark black. It is served in a small glass with a couple of tablespoons of condensed milk at the bottom. Coffee is always served with a chaser of either weak black tea or warm water. Tea is made strong, with condensed milk, served Indian style and is quite common and can be found in many places. Chinese tea is served in teapots in most cheaper restaurants and noodle stalls.
