11 of the best local breweries in Hong Kong

Young Masters is the most established craft brewery in town. They're one of the first local breweries that started the craft beer movement in Hong Kong since they opened in 2013, and have long since expanded operations in Mainland China, and Singapore. Their current product portfolio includes IPAs, stouts, pale ales, and various limited-editions and collaborations with bars and companies local and abroad. Their recent release joins the trend of the boozy CBD market with the Hea CBD beer series that launched this August. Other new releases include the recent collaboration with local bar The Shady Acres with the juicy, hoppy Beer Hug IPA, and limited-edition tepache inspired wild ale La Niña Fresa, a collaboration with Mexican bar, Coa. 

Young Masters beers are available on their online store, various beer and grocery shops in the city, including Second Draft, HK Brewcraft, Bound by Hillywood, Once You Go Craft, The Bottle Shop, and Angry Beer.

Hong Kong Beer Co is the OG of craft breweries in Hong Kong. Initially launched as South China Brewing in 1995, it has gone through several owners before Devin Otto Kimble and Daniel Flores – founders of Singapore's Brewerkz Restaurant and Microbrewery – acquired it in 2013. They make classic Session IPAs, pale ales, and lagers, as well as creative seasonal brews like their New Territories Series – exclusively available only on tap at select bars – or their Sevens Stout that runs only during November to April. 

Hong Kong Beer Co beers are available on their online store, in various bars and restaurants across the city like Ho Lee Fook, 22 Ships, Mott 32, 99 Bottles, and many more. Click this link for a map of all the locations where Hong Kong Beer Co beers are available.  

Founded by brothers Luke and Duncan Yardley, the brewery started as a small pet project and then it just grew on its own and made a considerable following in Lamma Island where they started their brew spot, The Beer Shack. Today the brewery is located in Kwai Hing and hosts brewery tours and unlimited tastings of their signature beers fresh from the tap. Yardley Brothers Beer novelty items are sold in the brewery as well as bottles of their popular Lamma Island IPA, Quit Your Job! Saison, and a selection of single batch brews. The beer shack back in Lamma is still open and is a regular stomping ground of craft beer lovers. Drop by and grab a growler ($100) and fill it with beers from the tap for only $150.  

Visit this map for locations where to get Yardley Brothers Beer in Hong Kong. If you're interested in dropping by for the brewery tours, contact beer@yardleybrothers.hk for bookings. 

Founded in 2015 by British beer lovers Ian and Emily Jebbitt, and their friend Joe Gould, Gweilo is one of the largest and most widely distributed beers in Hong Kong and now even exporting to eight countries. They started with only three core beers and used to brew with Hong Kong Beer Co before they could put up their own brewery. In 2017 the brewers set up a $5 million (USD) hi-tech craft beer brewery in Fo Tan – the biggest in Hong Kong – to cater to the growing demand for their beers. Today, the brewery offers six core beers – Pilsner, Pale Ale, Session IPA, Hoppy Wheat, Citrus Crusher, and American IPA – a limited range, and a collaboration range. 

Gweilo beer is available at their online shop and various stores in the city. Click on this map to find locations in Hong Kong where their beers are available. 

Most breweries are inspired by its owners' experiences of craft beers from abroad, but Mak Ho-lun, Mak Po, and Lo Tak-chi at Mak's were born and bred in Hong Kong. Just a few local lads who are determined to make a beer that belongs to Hong Kong, made by locals for locals. Part of their success comes from using unique ingredients to their brews that locals are familiar with, like Mak's Longan Pale Ale using dried longan, dates and goji berries, Lemongrass IPA using lychee and lemongrass, Mint Beer, using dried mint leaves and honeydew, and the Sugarcane Juice beer, which is produced in collaboration with Kung Lee Herbal Tea, a fourth-gen herbal tea shop in Central. The owners are in a constant quest for local flavour combinations to their brews and aim to bring the craft beer market – domestic and abroad – a little taste of Hong Kong. 

For more information about their product line, and to shop for Mak's beers, visit maksbeer.com. 

Founded by husband and wife team Michele and Laszio Raphael, Moonzen also started small then eventually moved their brewing upscale. The brewery honours Chinese roots and tradition, and it is reflected in their flavour brews and packaging designs. Inspired by the couple's time in Beijing, they named their brand Moonzen, a transliteration of the Cantonese phrase mun san which means door guardians, the traditional Chinese architectural ornament you'd see at building entrances. Known for releasing unconventional brews in the market, Moonzen Brewery offers signature beers which include Yama Sichuan Porter made with Sichuan peppercorns and chilli, and North Cloud Yunnan Black Lager brewed with Northern Hops and Yunnan fermented Pu'er tea, among many others. 

Recently, the brewery launched Moonkok by Moonzen, their official bar on Shantung Street in Mong Kok, designed by HEED Studio. The interior is full of vermillion and emerald green to resemble a temple, and the bar serves 12 beers on tap – nine Moonzen brews and three guest additions. Find Moonzen beers on their online store or various shops and beer retailers across town. 

Founded in 2015, the brewery takes its name from the iconic 80s song Below the Lion Rock, which highlights the Lion Rock spirit, a term referring to the 'can-do' attitude of Hong Kong people that emerged during the 1970s. The brewery offers a range of IPAs, pale ales, and stout in various releases and has been regular fixtures in taprooms and craft beer bars in town. Their flagship beer, Lion Rock Signature, is a refreshing fruity pale ale great for easy drinking. 

Find their beers at the brewery's online shop, various grocery stores in the city, and craft beer online shops like thebottleshop.hk and ztore.com. Visit this map to see a full list of bars, taprooms, and shops where you can find Lion Rock beers in the city. 

A passion project by two friends, Mike Bardill and Ging Van, born one Christmas day in Melbourne, Australia. They established Kowloon Bay Brewery in 2015 and built the brewery in Tsuen Wan. Their brews began with the American IPA, Amber Ale, Pale Ale, Nut Brown Ale, Weizen, and now runs in 14 signature beers, and even adding to the list is their creation of Asia's first gluten-free IPA.

Visit Kowloon Bay Brewery for more information about their brews or get a cold one at The Roundhouse. 

Brothers Dan and Dave Gallie started Black Kite when they wanted a career change in 2015. Named after one of Hong Kongs most familiar birds which regularly soar above our skyscrapers, Black Kite brewery is currently based in Wong Chuk Hang and offers core beers that include golden ale, Southside ale, wheat (Hefeweizen), pale ale, IPA, porter, together with a few seasonal beers. 

For people who want to visit the brewery, hit up their email to schedule bookings. Find their brews at The Globe, Mrs Pound, Beer & Fish, The Ale Project, among other select beers in town. For online orders, shop at hkbrewcraft.com or bestbevhk.com. 

Started in 2018, Carbon Brews is one of the recent additions to Hong Kong's ever-growing craft beer market. The brewery is the 3rd largest in Hong Kong spanning over 7,500 square feet of industrial space in Fo Tan. The company produces various craft beer from lagers, ales, and IPAs packaged in stand-out black, and colourful can design named with quirky beer names like Staying Alive (Session IPA), Feels Good Man (wheat beer), Little Rich Lupulins (New England IPA), Crazy Rich Lupulins (Double Hazy IPA), among others. They also release various collaboration brews using unique flavours like the dessert-inspired Meringue-utang (Pavlova Double New England IPA), a collaboration brew with MoonDog Craft Brewery, and Kamehameha.cc (India Pale Lager), a collaboration brew with Coedo Brewery using jasmine rice and Shinshuwase and Kaikogane hops. 

Visit this link to check how you book a guided tour at the brewery and learn a thing or two about how this local brewer manufactures their products. Find their beers at hkbrewcraft.com, thebottleshop.hk, and various grocery stores in the city. 

Founded in 2017, Heroes Beer Co. has established themselves in the local craft beer market and have managed to pick up numerous awards for their unique brews. Their quirkily designed cans in white with crisp black bold letters and a funky graphic design at the back stand out in shops and appeal to a creative crowd. Their beer range is divided into three series: their core beers, Heroes; their stronger ABV's, Villains (comes in black cans); and a collaboration series featuring partnerships with various brewers, creative groups, and institutions like Rugby Union and Hong Kong International Film Festival. Try their award-winning beers Hangry Donut Hopiscus (wheat), Si L Dan (IPA), Hunk Sir Milffee (Porter), among others. 

Find their beers at heroesbeerco.com, thebottleshop.hk, and hkbrewcraft.com.