The Best Bars for Drinking Craft Beer in Hong Kong

Hong Kong has seemingly gone mad with a local boom of homegrown craft breweries finding their way onto the scene and in the hearts of Hong Kongers thirsty for innovation on the beer front. Locals have sought to blend Hong Kong flavours with the traditional beer curing process, whilst overseas residents have presented a hunger for the imported and need for funky craft beers found abroad.

With summer in full swing, there is no better time to gather in the cool aircon and sip cold creamy IPAs, lagers, and ales at Hong Kong’s top-quality bars specialising in the curation of craft beer!

Carbon Brews Central

Hong Kong’s largest brewery, Carbon Brews, has expanded their dominion in the F&B industry, importing the magic of their Fo Tan distillery onto Wyndham Street in their gastropub-debut. The taproom holds 29 taps of Carbon Brews’ eclectic collection of seasonal and F&B-partnered beers to choose from, with a funky fermentation-style menu and juicy options for the meat-lover and health-conscious eater.

Where: Carbon Brews Central, Shop 01, G/F, 60 Wyndham Street, The Centrium, Central, Hong Kong

The Globe

The Globe stands as the unofficial British centre for pub food and a cracking selection of craft beers. As well as delivering an impressive chef-driven menu including a weekly refreshed set menu highlighting British pub classics, The Globe is a haven for craft beer, celebrating local brands and imported drink for the gastropub’s multi-cultured makeup. The craft beer menu stretches more than six pages in length!

Where: The Globe, 45-53A Graham Steet, Garley Building, Central, Hong Kong

Blue Supreme

The so-called “beer-focused restaurant” Blue Supreme is a cosy addition to the city’s craft beer scene, located on Cat Street in Sheung Wan, which affords the bar-restaurant space for drinkers to spill over onto the street in a daily party gathering around its neon sign. Blue Supreme specialises in selling live tap beer, bottled with yeast and culture causing a second fermentation in the bottle, a process called bottle conditioning. Belgium lambic, wild sour, and farmhouse craft beers are imported, and Hong Kong-brewed ales can be drunken here too.

Where: Blue Supreme, 21 Tung Street, Sheung Wan, Hong Kong

99 Bottles

A Peel Street classic, 99 Bottles is one of the more approachable craft beer bars in Hong Kong, holding three massive fridges worth of locally loved craft beers from Double Haven, Black Kite, Gweilo Beer, and Young Master, and an additional selection of spritzy wine, hard liquor, cider, and jelly magic. 99 Bottles is for the fun-loving drinker, young and spirited, seeking an introduction into craft beer, but with an added sweetness and Peel Street-love. 

Where:99 Bottles, Shop B, 59a Peel Street, Central, Hong Kong

The Madhouse Taproom

With two locations serving the craft beer-crazy Mong Kok contingent and a foodie heaven in Causeway Bay, The Madhouse Taproom serves 20 taps in its Mong Kok location and 23 in Causeway Bay of local and international sour, ales, lagers, and IPAs, curated specifically with a monthly rotation. Staff at both venues are aptly skilled in education of craft beers, tasting process, history, style, and brewing.

Where: The Madhouse Taproom MK, G/F, 16-18 Yim Po Fong Street, Yim Po Fong Street, Mong Kok, Kowloon

The Madhouse Taproom CWB, Shop 2, 29 Leighton Road, ChinaChem Leighton Plaza, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong

Ho Lan Jeng

Formerly called 65 Peel, Ho Lan Jeng is Hong Kong’s premium craft beer bar, paired with a meaty menu elevating the salty and sweet notes found in the bar’s curated selection of local and American, Japanese, and British craft beers, as well as in-house crafted sweet sours. With a name roughly translating to “so f*cking good,” Ho Lan Jeng deserves its verbose namesake description: the moody lit, neon light-flushed, edgy bar emphasises youthfulness and hoppy sweetness.

Where: Ho Lan Jeng, 2/F, 29 Wyndham Steet, Central, Hong Kong

TAP: The Ale Project

The Ale Project is Young Master Brewery’s flagship craft beer space championing locally produced beer, opening in 2014 and influencing a wrath of fans and beer enthusiasts to open their own venues around Mong Kok and across the city. TAP’s beer list in both Mong Kok and Tseun Wan sees constant refreshes to ensure trending beers are brought into the city. The Mong Kok location offers some of the best bar-food out among craft beers in the city, with the TAP’s Smash Burger (HK$108) and Hot Thigh Burger (HK$105) as fan favourites. 

Where: The Ale Project MK, G/F, 19 Hak Po Street, Mong Kok, Kowloon

Out of the Brew

Practically saving boozing Hong Kongers during the slow months of dining restrictions throughout 2021 and early 2022, Out of the Brew is adored among even beginner drinkers in the scene. A la 99 Bottles, Out of the Brew specialises in canned and bottled craft and drinking is made for outside on the beautiful Shin Hing Street steps. From Neonotic to Hong Kong Beer Co, hEROES to Moonzen, Lion Rock to Yardley, Out of the Brew continually updates its selection, with local fan-faves flying through in their three industrial-size fridges.

Where: Out of the Brew, 3 Shin Hing Street, Central, Hong Kong

Tipsy Tap

Located in the thick-of-it in Tsim Sha Tsui, Tipsy Tap boasts one of Hong Kong’s most international craft beer selection with local favourites from Yardley Brothers and Hong Kong Beer Co lined up against IPAs and pale ales from New York City, Milan, London, Berlin, Mexico City, and San Paolo. Staff at Tipsy Tap are well-knowledgeable on craft beer pairings, personal recommendations and reviews, and beer making.

Where: Tipsy Tap, G/F, 5 Austin Ave, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon