The best beer bars in Hong Kong

65 Peel is all about showcasing the local craft beer scene, especially harder-to-find brews from Citibrew, Moonzen, and more. In fact, you have to turn a good six pages through the menu before seeing anything brewed outside of the SAR. The interior is just as important here. ‘Industrial chic’ is taken to the next level in a cavernous room where exposed concrete and beams set the tone for features like a bright neon sign and colourful murals.

When night falls, after-work crowds pack this Peel Street institution, all drawn in by the remarkably cheap beer and no-holds-barred vibe. There are a handful of affordable pours from the taps, with price points tend to attract a younger crowd, but it’s a great spot for beer geeks of all ages who are content to drink on the street. Stay long enough, and you might find yourself belting out Bon Jovi lyrics with the rest of the gang, too.

This beautifully decorated craft beer bar often draws crowds that spill out onto Cat Street, and for good reason. Blue Supreme specialises in funky, sour, spontaneously fermented Belgian-style beers you won’t find anywhere else in Hong Kong. The menu is packed with everything from Berliner Weisse and fruited ales to farmhouse ales, most of which are procured from up-and-coming European breweries like Alvinne and Fantôme as well as stalwarts like Hill Farmstead and Cantillon. Live beers not your thing? The bar serves beers from local breweries that are a little more accessible. The food is no afterthought, either.

A venerable institution with some 20 years’ history and a surprisingly spacious location – at least for Central – The Globe is one of the best places in Hong Kong to settle in with a pint. A member of the Craft Beer Association of Hong Kong and home to more beers than you can shake a stick at, The Globe is a must visit for any hop head. If all the many various brews aren’t enough for you, be sure to snare one of the unmissable homemade pies.

This bar-slash-bottle shop in residential Poho is a real winner. Scan the shelves for the beer that sounds best to you, and the team will pull the frosty cold bottle or can out of the fridge for you. IPAs, stouts, sours, wheat beers, ciders, alcoholic ginger beers – everything you could ever want is represented here, and the selection is always expanding with new imports and local releases. There are also six beers on tap from local breweries like Yardley Brothers and Young Master. 

This unpretentious establishment on Johnston serves an especially good range of locally brewed beers. On top of the major players (Gweilo, Young Master, Carbon Brews), you’ll find fresh pours from a variety of underrepresented breweries. The bar owner really knows his stuff and can steer you in the right direction if you need some assistance, too. 

This small spot in TST has been flying the flag for Hong Kong craft beer for years. The choice of a fairly unassuming spot appears to be deliberate – but the relaxed atmosphere enables the knowledgeable staff to freely chat with customers about anything beer-related. Thoroughly unpretentious, this is a great starting point for anyone wishing to get acquainted with Hong Kong’s growing selection of craft beers – Yardley Brothers, Black Kite, Kowloon Bay Brewery, and more.

Born out of a former crocodile farm in Fremantle, Australia, Little Creatures is a craft microbrewery that’s been churning out some incredible hoppy beers for many years. Its first foray into Hong Kong has attracted some serious hype, thanks to its spacious Kennedy Town microbrewery. Behind the bar stand the brew kettles, churning out a selection of beers made just for the local market. You can also get some of the brand’s other beers on draft and in bottles. 

Local craft brewery Moonzen has pulled out all the stops for this extremely photogenic bar on Shantung Street. Designed by HEED Studio, the interior is full of vermillion and emerald green to resemble a temple, and the bar serves an impressive 12 beers on tap – nine Moonzen brews and three guest additions. We thoroughly enjoy escaping the bustle of the city and perching at the bar to get a cold one poured, accompanied by some of the tasty snacks on offer.

This small, independent bar brings great craft beer to Tai Kok Tsui. Eight taps pour pints from some of Hong Kong’s most interesting craft breweries, like Young Master, Yardley Brothers, and HK Lovecraft, a brewery devoted to making classic German styles with a twist (think: smoked beers and hoppy lagers). Considering the space is just barely big enough for you to order your beer from the bar, expect the action to spill out onto the street quite frequently. 

Tai Hang’s neighbourhood haunt serves 20 beers on draft, including all the freshest pours from local breweries like Young Master and Heroes. For a Hong Kong bar, it’s surprisingly spacious inside, with plenty of room to manoeuver beneath the vaulted ceiling. The food here is excellent, too. The menu was developed by chef May Chow, of Little Bao and Happy Paradise fame, and it features loads of local influence. No wonder this place is almost always packed.

Located in the Mills, a former cotton mill that has been transformed into a sleek multi-purpose space, the Ale Project, or TAP for short, brings to Tsuen Wan the same uncompromising standards and experimental ethos that fueled its hugely popular venue in Mong Kok. Expect beers from local stalwarts like Young Master, as well as a range of beers from some of the wildest and most notable breweries across the world: everything from wild ales to pilsners and pale ales from the likes of Mikkeller, Cloudwater, Superstition Meadery, and more. In addition to beer, TAP has collaborated with local roaster Cotton Mutton to offer some next-level coffee, including nitro coffee on tap, single origin hand pours, and espresso-based drinks. Oh, and you can play arcade games there too!

Goodbye, generic commercial beers. Hello, artisanal breweries. The Bottle Shop is stocked with shelf upon shelf of exotic craft beers and ciders sourced from across five continents. The selection can be overwhelming, but everything here is meticulously organised and labelled. Whether you’re looking for something hoppy, malty, dark, fruity or barrel-aged, they’re sure to have what you want in stock. Grab a couple of cold ones and enjoy the fresh breeze blowing in off the water.

Kowloon is killing it when it comes to craft beer. There are tons of small bars and shops selling some of the freshest, rarest and most interesting beers in Hong Kong. Tipsy Tap stands at the vanguard of that movement. With a 20-strong line-up of draft beers and a menu with page after page of bottled beers, the bar puts the spotlight on beers and breweries that might otherwise go underrepresented in the city. 

Opened by Taiwanese craft brewery Zhang Men, Zhang Men offers prime people-watching opportunities from its High Street perch. Aside from offering an impressive selection of brews on tap – over 20 kegs of pale ales, sours, stouts and more, all fresh from the brewery – this venue also serves generously portioned dishes, including items cooked with beer.