HK’s Young Master Brewery makes ‘milestone’ expansion into China

Young Master, a pioneering Hong Kong-based craft beer brewery, is expanding its footprint across Asia with a launch in Shenzhen, as it prepares to celebrate five years of continued growth in Hong Kong since its creation in 2013.

This is another step forward for the brewery as it expands its regional presence in Asia, following its first overseas debut in Singapore.

Rohit Dugar, founder of Young Master, said that Shenzhen is a city with one of the youngest populations in China. “Its thriving design and creative culture coupled with its proximity to our home base, is the perfect place for our maiden China launch,” he explained.

“The decision to further expand is driven by the near universal thirst across the region for distinctive world class beers that are made by fiercely independent brewers like us.”

With an aim to lay down roots in Southern China, Young Master will establish both a self-owned distribution network for its beers and its first taproom on the mainland – a contemporary beerhall playfully named “Goon Goon 灌館”, due to launch towards the end of November 2018.

Set to open in Upperhills in the Futian district, the space draws its inspiration from the Bauhaus design aesthetic popular in post-war Hong Kong. The venue will serve a full range of the brewery’s signature beers and a food menu that reimagines beerhall cuisine in its local context.

Founded in 2013, Young Master is among one of the more successful local breweries with its beers served at venues including Mandarin Oriental’s Captain’s Bar, the Four Seasons Hotel, The Peninsula, and Grand Hyatt.

To mark its anniversary, the brewery will also be releasing a limited-edition fifth anniversary beer. The salted caramel and chocolate birthday cake imperial stout is a twist on its Hak Mo Sheung series. A limited quantity of kegs and handful of magnum (1.5L) bottles will be released at select venues across Asia.

Young Master’s ‘Master Lead Brewer’, Tom Hanson says that this barrel aged celebratory stout is part of the story of the company’s journey from its first tapping at a local homebrew store, to becoming one of Asia’s highest rated and most award-winning craft brewers.

“This limited-edition beer is just one example of the wide variety of craft brews that we’ve become so well known for,” says Tom.

“We plan to take our ethos of ‘designing distinctive beer from scratch’, to Shenzhen, Singapore and hopefully far beyond over the next five years.”