Beer, both local and imported, is a popular drink among Vietnamese, particularly those in urban areas. It is known as bia hoi which means fresh beer, and government statistics show that the 77 million Vietnamese drink five times more beer that they do fresh milk. But if beer consumption is examined on a per capita basis, annual consumption is modest--less than two gallons, compared with 31 gallons in the United States. Beer offers a promising consumer market where sales by volume are growing 18% a year. Foreign brewers such as Heineken (Netherlands), Carlsberg (Denmark), and Tiger (Singapore) operate in Vietnam. (David Lamb, Los Angeles Times, January 22, 2000)