WEEK 89--Chit Chat with LASZLO RAPHAEL of MOONZEN Brewery--on HK craft scene and more...

This week's column is about Hong Kong craft scene--and of course Moonzen.

Hong Kong has been missing from my list of places to visit for a very long time--for obvious reasons--no more work related trip needed--no "must visit" friends there--and until say last 4 or 5 years ago--no Craft Beer reasons to visit too since the scene there is not much better than say KL.

The craft scene in HK however did quicken the steps forward around 3 years ago(correct? HK geeks :) --a lot more different craft brands started to get imported--as well the emerging of Local breweries at about the same time.

大概五年前，香港CRAFT BEER市场基本还是一湖平静，不过，最近两三年的发展明显快步起来，除了不同酿坊/品牌进口啤酒不断涌现，也出现不少香港本土酿坊。

应香港狂热啤迷朋友邀请，最近去走走看看，除了到专卖吧和瓶子店坐坐喝喝，也去其中两家酿坊看看聊聊，包括这期写的由墨西哥酿酒师LASZLO RAPHAEL 和妻子MICHELE WONG 联手打造的MOONZEN/门神酿坊。

But still--HK as a craft city does not really appeal(surely can't say that on FOOD choices:) --i mean--with limited bank balance--personally Bangkok would always be my choice of city to go comparatively--That changed recently--in large part due to the power of Craft Beer and Social Media---through both i met a few Geeks from Hong Kong--and when beer geek friends in HK suggested/invited for a trip out to meet up and share some beers--i finally went on a short trip recently--visited some craft places including bars/bottle shop/ and 2 of the local breweries...

Hence this week's column --a chit chat with Laszlo:-

Q:  Home brewing and brewing as a business is obviously very different--or is it pretty much the same despite the big commitment in terms of business needs?

A: The main differences for us is maintaining consistent high quality in all our batches. Making a tasty homebrew beer is not difficult, making the same tasty beer over and over again and at a much larger scale is more challenging. 

Q: 玩自酿和开酿坊卖啤酒是很不同的事，还是说本质上是相同的？

A：最大分别在于，自酿时一次性酿造好喝啤酒并不难，不过，要一次又一次稳定的把同一个酒更大量的酿出高水准就不是那么容易。，

Q：开酿坊意味着资金投入，市场压力等等客观因素影响下，酿酒还是件有趣的事吗？

A：市场压力肯定有，更需要在啤酒品质，利润，是不是具备卖点和尝试挑战酿酒方向之间找到平衡点，更何况还有一班啤迷会对自己酿品指指点点？（笑）。面对各种考验，无论是推出新酿品还是跟想法一致朋友合酿都是有趣的，幸运的是香港市场一直鼓励和支持我们。

Q：在香港酿酒遇到的问题包括了什么？

A：所有酿酒原料都是入口货，如何保持成本竞争力和原料新鲜度是挑战。

Q: All those investment and big machine and at times business pressure aside---what about fun factor? Is it still very much a fun thing to do brewing commercially now that you have a market to look out for as compared to anything goes when home brewing? 

A: You've hit the right spot there too between the different between home brewing and brewing as a business. There is a market to look out for and that can be a big pressure and variable to consider when releasing a new beer. There has to be a balance with saleability, quality, profitability and yet continue to push the boundaries. 

(Not to mention there are a bunch of highly discerning beer geeks who will comment on your beers! :P)

AND yet, there is definitely still a fun factor that comes from releasing new beers or collaborating with like-minded individuals for cool craft projects. We are lucky in HK that the market and beer geek circle is very encouraging and supportive of new beers and experimentation, they help us to continue to improve. 

Q：跟你刚开始酿酒时比较，香港市场近年发展快速，有什么需要加强的？

A：现在的香港市场，再不能只是用一杯美式IPA就应付过去了，大家对不同风格/口味的啤酒更感兴趣。整体来说，市场需要更多的教育（什么是CRAFT BEER，怎么来的，跟普通大厂啤酒分别，为什么比较“贵”，为什么好喝，怎么良好储存，什么是适当的侍酒方式等等），也需要创造一个包含不同业者与饮客之间的良好生态环境，这会让香港的CRAFT永续经营而不是一阵风吹就过去了。

Q：对香港CRAFT 市场的期望/理想

A：希望香港能酿出独树一帜的啤酒风格，特别到世界上其他城市酿坊都想要复制酿造。

Q: What are some of the more delicate issue of brewing in Hong Kong? (any local issues or say getting supply of hops / malt / yeast & more….

A: Every raw material in HK needs to be imported, so there is a challenge in keep costs down whilst ensuring freshness.

Q: The craft beer scene in Hong Kong is obviously moving forward in comparison from when you first started—what do you think of the current market? What’s good and what’s needing more improvement---generally speaking.

A: The current market is increasingly interested in styles specific to the region, such as using local or unusual ingredients, no longer can you get by just by brewing an American IPA. In terms of improvement, we can continue educating on craft beer (what is craft beer, how it's made, the difference between craft and commercial, why it costs more, why it is so much better, and how to store and serve it). Basically continue to build the craft beer ecosystem of suppliers/drinkers/homebrewers/brewers/retailers -- this will help grow the craft beer scene in HK sustainably and not just as another passing fad. 

Q: What would be some of your wishes/vision for HK craft beer scene moving forward?

A: Having a HK beer style so unique and special, that many breweries around the world adopt it and brew their own iterations. 

Q：门神品牌定位自然包含了香港/中华文化，未来方向是会有更多适应本地市场口味啤酒出现还是会选择挑战市场口味，引领饮客？

A：个人觉得两者之间是不能分割的，现有不同酿品具备上述两极风格，有本地饮客接受度比较高的，也有比如YAMA（阎罗王）四川麻辣黑啤就不是很多人能接受。

Q：市场大部分饮客喜欢轻松易喝的，而啤迷要求更高层次高难度啤酒，你怎么看待，或者说怎么尝试找到中间点？

A：我们是夫妻档，老婆从市场要求着眼，我则比较想要挑战酿酒范畴，这是件不容易处理的事。过程中，我们学懂一个道理，不要也不应该尝试讨好全世界。新酿坊中还保留一个小型酿造容器可以尝试实验性新酒，大型容器就继续酿常态啤酒。

Q: The branding and positioning of your brewery/beers does reflect the HK elements --going forward --would it be more a case of adapting to local palate/market needs or more of trying to go forth with beer style/taste profile where consumers might need more time to adjust to/get familiar with? 

A: I don't think both ways are mutually exclusive. Our mission is to use our brewery/beers as a vehicle of not only excellent craft beer but also celebrating HK and Chinese culture. This could be in terms of adapting to local palate, or going forth with new beer styles which are new to consumers. Take the Yama Sichuan Porter for example, it uses a local Chinese ingredient, but the style is not one that consumers are familiar with and not everybody likes. 

Q: Getting balance between what majority drinkers demand (easy drinking-- usually also more saleable beers) and what Geeks seeking (bolder-more refined -more experimental beers) can be quite a delicate issue --what's your view on that?

A: This is a continuous discussion between Michele and I. Michele wears the sales hat, she considers what the masses want. Myself as a brewer I want to brew more bold and experimental beers. It can be delicate -- one thing we have learned with beer is that you cannot, and should not, want to please everybody. We are lucky that we have a pilot system of 100L that can brew more experimental beers, and our larger brewery system of 1000L that we use to brew our Year Round Menu. So we try to balance both. 

Q: What might be some immediate plan for your brewery/ brand of beers--say in the next 12-24 months?
A: We are on a journey to make unique and authentic craftbeer styles celebrating every province of China! Starting with Yama Sichuan Porter, Dragon King Fujian Radler . Our next destinations will be either, Yunnan, Hunan, or Tibet. 

Q：最近的未来有什么计划？

A：融汇中华文化，以啤酒体现中国大江南北各省文化美食是宗旨，接下来我们计划到云南，湖南或西藏走走看看。

Q：近期想酿什么啤酒？

A：想酿点限量发行，来自家乡文化影响的墨西哥龙舌酒浸泡凤梨口味IPA，

Q：最近有跟什么其他酿酒师合作？

A：在跟日本BAIRD酿坊合酿一支依据日本七福神中主掌五穀神为想像的“大黑天大福”小红豆啤酒。

Q: Any recent experiment brew in mind that you would love to try out? 

A: Would like to make a limited IPA with macerated pineapples in tequila, a Mexican twist from my own cultural heritage. 

Q: Any collaboration brewers/ breweries in mind or already in the pipe line ?

A: We are collaborating with Baird Brewery (Japan), to brew a red adzuki bean ale, called Daikoku Daifuku. (大黒天大福) One of the seven lucky gods (七福神) in Japan, Daikoku is the god of five cereals and commerce. May he grant you prosperity and wealth!

Q: Some of your personal favourites style of beers to drink? 

A: We love drinking lambics or spontaneous fermentation beers , we think these are fascinating natural occurrences that we would never be able to recreate in our brewery. 

Q：个人喜爱喝的啤酒风格类别？

A：比利时天然发酵果酸啤酒（LAMBIC），利用空气中野生菌类发酵，这是不可能在自己酿坊酿制的类别。

Q：对没喝过CRAFT BEER或刚接触新人的话？

A：试CRAFT会体验到，CRAFT是诚实的，用优质原材料，有更多选择，也会遇上更好的饮酒伙伴。

Q: Tell us some of your personal favourites cities to drink craft beer?  Asia or out of Asia

A: We appreciate cultural heritage whilst drinking, therefore drinking real ale from casks in pubs from Edinburgh or Dublin is definitely a must!

Q: What would you say to a newbie or someone never had craft beer before? (on why one should give craft beer a try)

A: Try craft beer for the experience, the choices, the better ingredients, the honesty and the better company!

WEEK 88----What is a GOOD Beer?

OK --this is essentially a tricky subject with perhaps some answers---as well NO answers--depending who you talk to...

What is a good beer?everyone would have something to say--the most common beliefs is 'Beer is ALL about personal preference"--and that says it all--that A can say Xx is a good beer while B would disagree--because it's all about Personal Taste...

什么是好啤酒？
这是个没有绝对答案的问题。
不只是因为不同啤酒风格类别众多，也因为每个人的味蕾对啤酒领会能力不相同，大家对什么才是好啤酒这件事各有所见。

在Craft的世界，有初尝者和资深啤迷之分，而不论哪个阶段，英雄所见略同这个说词并不一定适用，哪一支啤酒才是个人所好，完全说不准。

But is that all there is about Beer? How do you choose a Beer--or deciding which one is a good beer or which is better?

到底要怎么从浩瀚啤海中辨别好啤酒？
众说纷纭，比如:-

Let's take a look at some of the scenario:-

Believer of RATINGS

It's common knowledge among beer geeks/mid level drinkers that some "beer ratings" site like RateBeer/ Beer Advocate or apps like Untappd would help to provide some info about a particular beer one not familiar with--much like checking on HOTEL info/ratings /reviews before deciding which one to book.

The debate of whether it's more Helpful OR Harmful these "ratings" check can be to a drinker is an interesting one--and relevant one--as these RATINGS are basically the combined opinions of ALL SORTS OF Drinkers-meaning among those who commented about a certain beer--there might well be someone who is not familiar with a certain beer style--or not having the palate to differentiate a good brew from an ordinary one.

*相信其他饮客意见的会依据评酒网站评级决定。

这是蛮多人做的事，如果大多数人都说好，那应该就是好啤酒。

网上有很多关于啤酒的专用网站/部落客/手机应用程式，那么多意见可参考，总会找到适合自己心意的，无论是依据Rate Beer, Beer Advocate又或是Untapdd等啤酒评级网站/手机应用程式，都有各类啤酒资讯，评语，评分以致最佳啤酒排行榜，最佳酿坊，不同类别啤酒排行榜等等别人意见供参考。

很自然的，越是高评分，排名高的啤酒，就会被普遍认为是好啤酒。

In short--checking on RATINGS is essentially checking on someone else's opinions--the best way to go about? Since it's you who will be paying and drinking a particular beer---isn't it only right that YOU should decide rather than let others decide for you?

Follow the HYPE

At times--craft beer can be a bit like High Fashion--there's trending going on--there's certain breweries/beers becoming RARE/HOT items or Must Have items---and people actually chase after them--lining up or paying high prices in secondary "trade" market---it's all happening much like people chasing after shoes or bags or whatever...

*有人会追逐一些当红大热或长期高踞世界最佳酿坊排位啤酒，感觉是，那么多人说好，肯定不会错。

理论上，这是错不到哪里去的方式，浩瀚啤海中，能脱颖而出成为啤迷目光焦点的啤酒自然有突出之处，例如近期很多人追捧很红的美国“混浊果汁”New England 风格IPA，又或是长期被誉为最佳啤酒之一的比利时修道院啤酒westvleteren 12，又或者说位处美国偏远农场的最佳酿坊Hill Farmstead啤酒。

Craft beer can be Scarce Commodity due to relatively small production --or due to geographical/logistic issue---hence it's understandable sometimes drinkers rave/hype about certain brands/beer styles/breweries---like the recent crave for New England style cloudy IPAs---or say the constant seeking out for Hillfarmstead beers or Vintage Lambic or a bottle of NARKE "dark magic"(not a beer name--just saying).....

the mentality is that-when a beer is trending--or being constantly chased by many(especially geeks?)--then it's definitely a good beer--isn't it? 

Keep it within GUIDELINES

While BEER has always been treated as some form of casual quick gulp--There's actually someone out there doing serious work about beer--there's examinations to get qualifications to be a certified beer person--program like CICERONE or BJCP (which emphasis on beer styles guide and producing certified Beer Judges) are 2 prominent ones.

*相信啤酒规格的朋友会告诉你，只要一支啤酒是符合比如BJCP(啤酒裁判认证)所列出类型特质的，就是好啤酒。

简单来说，BJCP致力于提升新晋酿酒师/自酿玩家的啤酒水平，通过对不同类别啤酒所制定的风格指南（比如要符合几项味道/风格细节之类的）间接提高饮客的品饮机会。虽说这个制度注重通过考试提供认证啤酒裁判，不过，也是有不想成为裁判但使用BJCP啤酒风格指南为准则的饮客。

Though not very commonly seen in ASIA---but there are drinkers who uses BJCP guidelines when sampling a beer or trying to decide on a beer's quality-i.e. saying if the beer is a good one or otherwise. Naturally--if a beer fits the guidelines description of a beer--then it should be a good beer...

Good beer can be Brewed

Let's face it---imported craft beer can be "expensive"--especially if you live in a country where alcohol taxes/import taxes are high--hence some friends who are into home brewing would say--though some imported beers are good--but price wise not so nice--why not try brew your own good beer at relatively cheaper/ more reasonable prices?

*玩自酿的朋友会说，不用那么贵价买入口啤酒，自酿才是货真价实的好啤酒。

在很多酿酒资讯上网/看书可得情况下，就算在相对起步中的亚洲，已经有很多人在玩自酿，资讯的泛滥，自己根据一些高评价啤酒酿造方式再造也已是很平常的事。（当然，酿酒功力和设备/原料的差异，就算照单酿制，也不会有完全相同效果）

很多当今高手都是玩自酿出身，所以自酿群中肯定有宝石待发掘，在这个基础上，自酿啤酒货真价实是可以理解的，至于是不是好啤酒，就会像是寻宝游戏了。

It's a known fact that some who are being regarded as among world's best brewers/craft brands in the world started from home brewing--so there's definitely gems to be found among the sea of home brewers here in ASIA--you just need to seek them out.

HOW I Feel is the MOST IMPORTANT

Ok--back to where it started--end of the day--it is YOU who would pay--and drink that beer--so it's very important how you feel about a certain beer--that's no denying.

But--is that all? is it to say how you feel about a certain beer would be the correct experience/ how a beer should taste or deciding if a beer is good or bad?

*更多人会说，相信自己味蕾感觉就对，自己觉得好的就是好。(所以有大厂啤酒饮客会大大声跟你说，xx就是最好喝的啤酒!)

一如一开始说的，什么是好啤酒这件事是没有绝对定论的，虽然可以用《个人口味》这个惯用词来解释，我还是比较倾向于相信这是可以通过更多品饮经验改善的事，味蕾训练到达一定程度後，虽然个人口味还是会影响选酒方向，不过，相比之下，会比早期阶段客观和敏锐很多。

更重要的是--就算有时候喝到一杯/一支自己不喜欢的/不对味的啤酒--那有可能不是啤酒不好的问题--而是身为饮客的你--味蕾训练不足/或个人鉴赏力问题。 试试等自身功力提升後再喝--有时候就会豁然领悟。

The answer is YES and NO

The KEY is--to be able to taste and make a better judgement--one really need to have some form of PALATE TRAINING over a certain period of time with VARIETIES of beer styles sampled.

As human--perhaps even the most senior taster of beer would still base his/her preference for a particular beer/beer styles on personal choices--BUT--with more rounded palate/tasting experiences--it would greatly reduce ignorance/ mistreatment of a particular beer for sure--even if that beer does not taste within the "i like" category--it does not mean the beer is NO GOOD or Bad--it could well be a case where YOU as a drinker does not know how to appreciate that beer--yet

What really is a Good Beer or How to pick a Good Beer?

Personally i would think all scenario listed above is relevant in deciding if you like or dislike a beer--depending on which side you lean on more--or how do you pick up the useful info/knowledge in the process---how to identify a good beer from sea of beers out there can be a hard task at times with no definitive guide--you just need to TASTE more--gather more tasting experiences--talk to beer friends---learn from the knowledgeable---eventually all those experiences would help in making the task of identifying good from so so or bad ones easier--most importantly--never just learn or read--you need to drink & taste--that's the ultimate fun.(otherwise why even start?)

到底什么才是好啤酒，又或者说，怎么选好啤酒？

认真来说，以上所有说法都成立，问题只在于你会偏向哪方多些，craft beer 好玩在五花八门，什么类型口味的啤酒都有人酿，选择那么多情况下，干嘛要限制自己味蕾范围，就算尝试一些自己不熟悉味道类别啤酒也是乐事，会是打开自己味蕾感官敏锐度方法之一，一旦味蕾功力有所提升，辨别好啤酒这件事就会变得比较容易。

你心目中的好啤酒是什么？其实大家一定会找到公认的好啤酒，同时也会有无休止讨论或争辩哪支好或不好的机会，那么多啤酒，跟其他朋友\啤迷讨论下也是乐趣，也可能有意外收获。

WEEK 87--BEING GEEK IN KL--a back dated post

This is actually an "old" piece written in April before CBC trip--a sort of "self-interview" on some issues of being a Geek in craft desert here in KL.

Though this is essentially talking about the scenario of a Geek in KL--but the feelings quite similar to geeks living in other parts of Asia.

here we go:-

Q: Malaysia has got one of the highest sin taxes for alcohol beverages--making it expensive to drink imported beer doesn't it?(under the current adjusted structure--imported beers are facing a tax of RM175(USD 40+) per 1litre for every 100%ABV---and there's another 6% GST to pay basing on price)

A: Yes and No---it's even more "expensive" to drink MACRO beers at some clubs or hangout places or restaurant in town than a craft beer--it's always more satisfying drinking say 2 glasses/bottles of nice craft beer than a dozen or more crappy MACRO...

Q:There's at least a few million drinkers in Malaysia--but why so few craft beer drinkers?

A:There's only a few people involved in importing of craft beer/operating of dedicated bars/bottle shop( essentially there's 3 to 4 craft beer bars+ 1 or 2 bottle shop in KL)--meaning the craft community in Malaysia is very small--with little power/voices fighting the MACRO/other alcoholic beverages for bigger market share--it is understandable that the community is still very very small here in KL.

#听说大马酒税是全世界数一数二高的，那么贵也喝得下手？

这里酒精类别饮料的确比其他城市贵。不过，相比在吉隆坡餐厅或夜店酒吧喝大厂啤酒，CRAFT BEER价钱蛮划算，理由很简单，喝两杯CRAFT胜过喝一打单调无趣大厂啤。

#大马酒类饮料非官方统计饮客人数至少几百万，为什么喝CRAFT BEER的那么少？

本地投入CRAFT BEER进口业务，开专卖吧或瓶子店的人很少，市场供应量少加上没什么推广力量/声音意味着很多人不知道，也没机会接触到这些啤酒。CRAFT BEER在全世界还是小圈子玩意，在大马这个撞意啤酒沙漠就更加不出奇。

Q:In comparison to Bangkok up north( 2 hours flight) and Spore down south(1 hour flight)--why KL is still so much a craft beer desert?

A:There's no doubt a lot more craft beer importers/operators in Spore--where it is also Legally permitted to home brew/open up brew pub--recently there's even a sort of jumping on the craft beer bandwagon situation where more people are trying to invest/get involve with the scene.

Up north in Bangkok--there's lesser importers as compared to Spore--but thanks largely to 2 main importing company which brought in some awesome US/European beers--in particular the Geeky "Mikkeller Bar" BKK--the BKK scene has attracted lots of attention from Geeks in and around the region. And with the rise of home brewing--even opening of a few Thai Brew only bars around BKK( though legally it's not permitted to home or small brew)--the scene is hotting up there for sure.

Q:Are you accusing the KL craft operators NOT GEEKY enough?

A:Yes--to a certain extent that's what it felt like. It is true being in business and being a drinker/geek is VERY different--that is a fact that is obvious to anyone who understand the pressure of running a business--what with the unfriendly environment/policy facing the KL craft operators.

What i have felt all this while is that--business aside--a true geek would seek out beers not available in his/her own bar/line of imports--just for own consumption or tasting/sharing with friends.

It is a known fact that some breweries are hard to get supply from--especially those big names/rarer variants of beers.

But the fact remain that---when inevitably craft operators are being look up to by most newbies/drinkers to lead them on eventual palate development (since they are the regular point of contact)-how can an operator lead the way when he or she is just very happy/contented to sell what's available rather than go the geeky way of seeking out harder to get beers for tasting/own drinking pleasure?

#为什么跟南边的新加坡还有北部的曼谷相比，吉隆坡那么“沙漠”？

新加坡明显的投入CRAFT BEER进口业务人数较多，意味着市场货源供应比较丰富，近两年开专卖吧业者逐步增加中，更多饮客有机会接触到不同类别品牌啤酒让市场热络起来，新加坡也是可以合法玩自酿的城市，更有不少CRAFT相关活动提高能见度话题性，市场活跃是正常。

北部的曼谷，相比新加坡并没有那么多不同入口商，不过，曼谷的CRAFT BEER市场很精彩。很大程度来说，曼谷的市场活力来自两大入口商，一是主攻美国啤酒的BEERVANA，另一则是不断冲击市场好奇心，逐步引入独家啤酒的“米吧”幕后功臣HOPSESSION。如果说新加坡市场活力源自各个不同群体的共同力量，曼谷的市场能量则很大程度上来自一两个入口商对啤酒的狂热痴迷。

#这是在说吉隆坡业者不够狂热？

某种程度上可以这么说，当然，家家有本难念的经，旁观者不能真正体会业者面对的各种压力。不过，抛开生意论点，单纯当啤迷的话，这里业者的确不够狂热痴迷。因为那样，吉隆坡的不同啤酒类别选择明显比不上新加坡或曼谷精彩。道理很简单，不狂热的业者不会热衷于寻找业务范围之外的好啤酒，身为市场引领者可是自己都不找的话，一般顾客怎么知道有这些酒存在或有机会喝到？

#在吉隆坡喝CRAFT BEER有那么差？

那要看是新人还是狂热啤迷。新人来说，吉隆坡3家专卖吧，3间瓶子店都是好起点，那是无可置疑的。任何啤迷也都会感谢这些业者的出现，毕竟没有起点就没有接下来的探索。不过，狂热啤迷自然对不同啤酒类别质素有更高要求，老实说的确会对吉隆坡现状感到无奈。

Q: IS drinking craft beer in KL that unsatisfying?

A: NOPE---don't get me wrong--anyone in KL craft community should be THANKFUL/GRATEFUL that there's a few guys out there invested time/efforts & money to import/run a bar/bottle shop--remember--if no one started--then a lot of craft drinkers would not have the chance to start---that's a fact and everyone should know that.

From a Geek point of view--yes--surely there's a lot of room for KL to improve--and it's also only natural--that a geek would have higher request for better selection/varieties.

Q:Why there's not many who invested/involve with craft beer business?

A: This is not a fast returning business--with high taxes--lower margins--and more importantly this is not a business where owner can just bring in some beers--hire a few good looking guys/girls to promote and then the business would fly on it's own--craft beer is something where passion is needed--and most importantly newbies need the right kind of guidance from operators.

#为什么马来西亚业者不多？

税务高是个问题，也有些人觉得CRAFT BEER利润低，不那么容易做。这其实不是进些货就能做好的生意，也不是请几个俊男美女促销员就能解决的事。这门生意是需要业者本身还有主要员工对CRAFT BEER的热爱和认识，只有这样才能跟顾客有良好沟通互动，某些程度上，业者是需要引领新饮客的。

 #这么说，在大马当狂热啤迷是自找麻烦的事？

也还好，总会有其他选择的，如果本地找不到想要的啤酒，可以南下新加坡或北上曼谷。又或者有朋友可以帮忙国外带回来或帮忙邮寄的话，也是方法。又或是，在网购风行的年代，总有方法的。

 #当狂热啤迷这件事，有尽头吗?

说不准，或者这么说，每件让人狂热的事情有时候只是个过程，也有可能是无穷尽的延续，有人说迷上CRAFT BEER就是一头栽进黑洞里，没完没了。是不是那样，只能说走着瞧，各人自有不同体会。

Q: Is being a Geek in Malaysia a painful matter?

A: Not really--it's bearable--when something is not available locally--one can always seek out when travelling--or ask for help from beer friends overseas--or just go on some website to buy--when you want something badly enough--there's always a way

Q:Being a GEEK---Is there an end in sight?

A: Hard to say really--it could be just a process--or it could really be diving into a black hole--the choice is yours.

Though this piece might sound like picking on KL craft scene or being harsh/unfair to the operators putting in real efforts in moving the craft culture--but it's not what this piece intended at all--nope--far from it--it's more of a common feeling Geeks living in Asia been facing--and as the saying goes--it's only when one hope for the better that one would say something not too pleasant to the ears--otherwise---why bother?