The surprising history of beer in China, from li to Tsingtao

Munich’s Oktoberfest was never on my travel bucket list. But it offered a chance to meet up with good friends from Hong Kong and their adorable toddler, Joshua, who go to the festival every year as a family. So there I was, spending a weekend at Theresienwiese, surrounded by bewildering varieties of beer and their drinkers. The annual Oktoberfest, first held in October 1810 to celebrate a royal wedding, is about more than just beer. There are amusement rides, games, stalls selling things you...