Brewing trouble: Chinese beer worker caught ‘taking the piss’ into tank (video)

The saying “It tastes like piss” has been a light-hearted retort echoed countless times across the globe on a lads’ night out in response to the question, “How’s your beer?” Yet, in the peculiar case of one Chinese brew, this expression took on a whole new meaning when a Tsingtao factory worker was, quite literally, caught “brewing” mischief by urinating into a beer tank.

Photographs of the “piss taker” relieving himself in a beer tank in Tsingtao quickly spread like wildfire on social media, amassing tens of millions of views. The incident prompted Chinese authorities to launch an investigation, potentially endangering the reputation of the renowned mainland brewery.

The Qingdao-based company wasted no time in alerting the police as soon as the video came to their attention, reassuring the public that the batch of ingredients had been securely sealed.

Tsingtao stands as one of China’s foremost beer producers and its most significant exporter. However, in a video that surfaced online last Thursday, a worker dressed in uniform, complete with a helmet, could be observed scaling a high wall to access the container, where they proceeded to relieve themselves. The clip, which was geotagged as Tsingtao Beer No.3 factory, was reported yesterday by Shanghai Daily.

“National Business Daily,” a business outlet, later disclosed information from an internal source, indicating that both the individual who recorded the video and the one caught in the act were not direct employees of the company.

On Friday, the Bureau of Market Supervision and Administration in Pingdu City, where the factory is situated, published a statement.

It revealed that upon spotting the video, they immediately assembled a team for an on-site investigation and sealed the entire batch of ingredients featured in the clip. The bureau pledged to address the matter seriously once the details were confirmed.

Tsingtao, in a statement also released on Friday, emphasised their profound concern regarding the online video and assured the public that the police had initiated an investigation.

Chinese social media platforms were astir with netizens’ disbelief over the clip, as the brand is renowned both domestically and internationally.

“This worker has truly caused significant harm with a single ‘piss’ that could cost a fortune.”

“Thank goodness I don’t drink beer, but it’s unthinkable if this brand’s reputation is tarnished because of this.”

“Is this the first time, though?”

Shares in Tsingtao Brewery experienced a sharp drop when the Shanghai Stock Exchange opened this morning, Monday, October 23, but they later stabilised in the afternoon.

In Hong Kong, where Tsingtao shares are also listed, the market remained closed on Monday due to the Chung Yeung Festival holiday.

Just remember, the next time you take a sip of your favourite beer and it tastes like piss, it’s probably because it is!

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