Hong Kong: Local beers scarce but still available

People in search of a local brew in Hong Kong should prepare for a difficult task, Globespotters posted on June, 1.

The city’s beer choices have long been dominated by San Miguel, a beer from the Philippines that is at least made locally in the New Territories, and Carlsberg, which is imported.

East End Brewery and its sister bars Inn Side Out in Causeway Bay and the Hong Kong Brew House in Lan Kwai Fong solve that quandary.

The bars serve locally-brewed beers from Hong Kong Beer Ltd., formerly known as the South China Brewing Co. It is the only brewery left on Hong Kong Island, supplying the brew pubs with the light Too Soo Brew, Aldrich Bay Pale Ale – an India pale ale named for a Hong Kong neighborhood — and another ale, Hong Kong Beer (all HK $47 per pint at East End Brewery, or two-for-one at happy hour).

The recession and fears of a flu pandemic do not seem to have dampened enthusiasm for local beers, industry observers comment.

“We thought it would be quiet with the swine flu,” East End Brewery manager Cora Garcia, 41, said as she opened the bar up one day. “But it’s been busy. I think people are not travelling so they go out here.”

Amy Yeung, who works for Harmony Asset Ltd., one of the shareholders in the brewery, says the brewery turns out around 126,000 litres of beer per year. Since taxes were slashed to zero on alcohol imports, the brewery – previously off limits — has been keen to encourage visitors.

“We didn’t really promote it,” she admitted. “But sometimes we have walk-in clients, and we welcome this. If you want to have a tour, we can arrange it.”

03 June, 2009