852 Suds: A Guide to Hong Kong’s Craft Beer Scene

Tracy Wang, Senior Editor | Apr 23, 2017 5:00 pm | Add a comment | 3752 reads

Hong Kong is a little like a diamond: you may think you’ve seen its sparkle, but turn it over and there are even more shiny facets to find. This is certainly the case when it comes to the city’s craft beer scene.

A recent visit to the fifth annual Beertopia beer festival on Hong Kong’s Central Harbourfront, which showcased 119 breweries from around the world and 66 beers brewed right there in Hong Kong, helped us rediscover that multi- faceted scene. Don’t worry if you missed the beer festival itself; we have rounded up five excellent local beer bars to enjoy on your next trip to the Fragrant Harbor.

READ: Certified Beer Mania at 2016's Beertopia Hong Kong

The Roundhouse
Selected by CNN Travel as one of the top 10 beer bars in Asia, The Roundhouse is an impeccable watering hole in Central. This small place with 25 taps has never let us down, with a frequently changing beer list and a menu of American-style barbecue to soak it all up featuring beef brisket, homemade sausage, and smoked beef short ribs.
62 Peel Street, Central (+852 2366 4880)
29 Amoy Street, Wan Chai (+852 2866 3330)

The Globe
We don’t only like British-style pub The Globe because it is just around the corner from The Roundhouse, but also because of its great selection of craft beers, with 18 taps and bottled options from home and abroad. The-300 square-meter space is bustling, but the atmosphere is always relaxing. You can rest easy knowing that your beer cravings will be sated here, whatever your preference.

45-53 Graham Street, Central. (+852 2543 1941)

Kowloon Taproom
Located on busy Ashley Road, this small Kowloon beer bar has a good selection of almost exclusively local brews, including Gweilo, Kowloon Bay, Moonzen, Lionrock, CityBrew, Young Master, and Black Kite, as well as imported bottled alternatives. The taproom also provides a simple Western menu of French fries, pizzas, and sandwiches. The tasting flight of four 5oz glasses comes at a reasonable price of HKD 140.
Astoria Building, 24-38 Ashley Road, Tsim Sha Tsui (+852 2861 0355)

The Ale Project (TAP)
This hidden bar has 15 taps, including 10 local draft brews such as Young Master, Nine Dragons, and Hong Kong Beer Co., and five from Brewdog, Founders, Meantime, Anderson Valley, and Nøgne Ø, which can be paired with street food with an artisanal twist. The Ale Project also sells select bottled beers from Meantime, North Coast, Brewdog, Anchor, 8Wired, Dupont, Boon, Black Isle, and Omnipollo.
15 Hak Po Street, Mongkok, Kowloon (+852 2468 2010)

Craft Brew & Co.
Craft Brew & Co. is a place for beer enthusiasts; fans of Carlsberg, Stella or San Miguel need not apply. The idea is simple: the management only serves beers that they like. With more than 15 beers on tap, handcrafted sausages, and a rustic décor, Craft Beer & Co. is a great place to hang out and catch up on some of the local brews.
36 High Street, Sai Ying Pun (+852 2559 0498)

If that’s not enough to keep you occupied on your sojourn, you might also want to check out one of Hong Kong’s many microbreweries. These include Black Kite, Coedo, Gweilo, Hong Kong Beer Co., Hitachino Nest (Japanese craft beer brewed in Honkers), King’s Belly, Kowloon Bay, Lion Rock, Mak’s Brewery, Moozen, Nine Dragons, The Artist, Yardley Brothers, and Young Master Ales.

This article first appeared in the March/April issue of the Beijinger.