Richkat Brewing Bar (猫员外)

Richkat, known in Chinese as 猫员外 (Maoyuanwai), is one of the fastest-growing independent craft brewers in China. It opened its first taproom in Shenzhen's Futian district in 2017 and now has nearly 200 across southern China, including 17 in Guangzhou, with this branch on Tianhe Nan Er Road in the city's busiest commercial district. The founder and master brewer is Gavin Hemple, a Leicester-born homebrewer who came to China in 1998 and turned a homebrew competition win into a brewing business.

Unlike many chains of this size, Richkat makes its own beer at its brewery in Sanshui, Foshan, just west of Guangzhou, so kegs arrive fresh. The beer is unfiltered and unpasteurised, with live yeast left in, and its awards include medals at the Australian International Beer Awards, the World Beer Awards and the Brussels Beer Challenge.

A typical board runs to about a dozen beers across light, fruity, hoppy and dark styles: German-inspired lagers, hazy IPAs, fruited goses and sours, stouts and seasonals, with Chinese ingredients such as hawthorn, lychee with oolong tea and chenpi (dried tangerine peel) turning up in the recipes. Cans are usually available to take away.

Expect the brand's modern-industrial look, with polished wooden seating, and simple bar food such as pizza and snacks. Prices are pitched low, with happy-hour discounts a regular feature, which makes it a sensible first stop on a Tianhe beer evening. Search maps for 猫员外 to find it.