Licence to savour: Hong Kong craft brewers push for on-site beer permits

Industry leaders and lawmaker say move could help boost city’s tourism economy

When a 100-strong South Korean tour group approached a Hong Kong craft beer manufacturer for a tour and tasting session, the operator declined their request.

The refusal was not down to a lack of confidence in the product or a staff shortage. It was regulatory: the brewery simply lacked a licence to serve its beer on the premises.

“It is not easy doing manufacturing in Hong Kong,” said Luke Yardley, founder of local craft beer brewery Yardley Brothers.

“It is just a missed opportunity when in every other country – if you are in London, New York, Dublin – customers can go for a day out and visit the brewery. They get to have a nice experience where they can consume alcohol on site. And the key thing is they can buy alcohol on site,” he added.

Yardley is not alone. Many of Hong Kong’s craft beer manufacturers operate in industrial buildings under food factory licences to house their giant equipment and save costs, which makes applying for liquor licences difficult.

The situation has prompted calls for a review of the licensing regime governed by the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) to allow them to offer some samples for customers to taste on-site, which industry leaders and a lawmaker have said may help drive the city’s tourism economy.