The third biggest selling beer brand in the world, the Chinese-owned Tsingtao, is in serious damage control after video of a worker at one of its breweries appeared to show the man urinating into a tank. The clip has since received tens of millions of views on social media.
In the clip, which appeared online late last week, a worker, dressed in uniform with a helmet on, can be seen climbing over a high wall and into the container before urinating inside it.
An unnamed source told local Chinese media that both the person who allegedly urinated into the ingredients and the person who recorded the video have since been arrested by Chinese police.
Management at Tsingtao Brewery Co said it immediately sealed off the affected batch when the video came to its attention. However, since the video went public, shares in the brewer have plummeted almost eight per cent on the Chinese stock exchange.
Tsingtao management said it “attached great importance” to the video. A spokesperson added: “We reported the incident to the police at the earliest opportunity, and public security organisations are involved in the investigation.
“At present, the batch of malt in question has been completely sealed. The company continues to strengthen its management procedures and ensure product quality,” the spokesperson said.
The video has caused quite a stir in China where the brew is not only one of the country’s biggest sellers but also a source of national pride.
The story was also big news in Korea, where the beer is the number one imported beer, with reports local bars and restaurants had stopped serving Tsingtao and they were now demanding refunds from distributors.
Local Chinese also took to social media site Weibo to roast the brand over the incident.
“A piss that will ruin a lot of money, this worker has done some real damage here,” said one.
“Good thing I don’t drink beer – but it’s unimaginable if this brand is finished because of this,” another person said.
“Is this the first time though?” another person asked.
“I’ve always said the beer here is like horse pee,” another added. “Turns out I was wrong.”
