Hong Kong Beer Co

Hong Kong Beer Co opened its roller door in July 1995 as South China Brewing Company, the first craft brewery in Hong Kong, at a time when the market was dominated by industrial lagers. Its opening was covered by the South China Morning Post and the New York Times. Today it brews at its own production brewery in the Wang Kwong Industrial Building on Hung To Road, Kwun Tong, under head brewer Phillip Rankmore, and supplies bars, restaurants, hotels and supermarkets across the city as well as some neighbouring markets. The brewery describes itself as Hong Kong's most awarded craft brewery: it was named Champion Mid-Sized Brewery in Asia at the Asia Beer Championship in 2024 and 2026, and Hong Kong Champion in 2024, 2025 and 2026. Its beers are named after Hong Kong places, from Big Wave Bay to the Dragon's Back trail.

The beers

• Hong Kong Beer, amber ale, 5.1%
• Dragon's Back, pale ale, 5.3%
• Big Wave Bay, DDH IPA, 6.5%
• Happy Valley, golden ale, 4.6%
• The Peak, pilsner, 4.9%
• 852, Pacific ale, 4.4%
• Sevens, stout, 5.5%

Alongside the year-round range there is a steady run of limited releases, including hazy and West Coast double IPAs, fruited sours and the Mai Po series of barrel-aged imperial stouts, plus the No Limits alcohol-free pale ale. Most beers come in cans and are sold through the brewery's online shop.

Where to drink it

There is no public taproom: the brewery has a small retail window in Kwun Tong on weekday afternoons and otherwise sells online. On tap, it is a regular at the local-only bars Kowloon Taproom in Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong Island Tap House in Tin Hau and Soho Taproom in Central. It also turns up at Second Draft & Friends in Causeway Bay, Out Of The Brew on the Shin Hing Street steps, Blue Supreme in Sheung Wan and Rugger's 28 in Causeway Bay. All of these are listed below.