Craft is Art: WEEK 240--make craft beer easier to understand

craft beer has became more widely known in the last 10-15 years or so--in many cities across Asia, craft beer is no longer confined to specialized bars or bottle shops but available in some cafes/restaurants as well selected covenience store/supermarket--that said--how to make craft beer easier to understand/less intimidating/ confusing to newbies is still something craft industry/community as a whole need to work on.

过去十多年来craft beer在亚洲不再局限在专卖吧/瓶子店，亚洲不少城市可以在咖啡馆/餐厅/特定便利店/超市看到/买到--不过，怎么让新朋友更容易理解/减少开始接触时的困惑疑问/甚至误解都是业者以至整个craft beer社区需要努力的方向。

近期和香港啤迷朋友WARREN YU聊聊，听听他自酿课程导师/瓶子店/专卖吧/酿坊/啤酒裁判等等不同业者经历的观点：-

Met Warren at HKBrewcraft some years ago and more recently at a SheungWan craft beer bar--here's a chat to get his thoughts on the topic of getting messages through first liners to newbies in view of his experiences of operating bottle shop/ home brew classes/ craft beer bar/ BJCP beer judge/ brewery....

*English written by Warren/ Mandarin transcript by me.

1) what might be some effective ways of introducing craft beer to newbies/first timers from craft community point of view?

To the industries: Let’s keep things straightforward and ditch the fancy terminology. Discuss flavor profiles and balance in a straightforward and relatable manner.

To the customers: Let’s keep an open mind and be ready to rethink some of the misleading marketing that you might have encountered in mainstream beer advertisements.

1）craft beer社区观点来说，什么是对新人比较有效的推介方式？

业者要摈弃华丽辞藻，简单直白更有助新人理解，讲述啤酒风味时可以（站在新人角度）尽量说得浅白易懂。

新人们要保持开放接受心态，重新审视之前受到的大厂啤酒营销策略/广告宣传影响。

2) what might be some obstacles faced by craft community in attracting more people to try out craft beer- here in Asia?

1.Too many middle-aged men are trying to give their opinions, like what we are doing now. Does not only apply to Asia

2.Excessive use of local ingredients without mastering the basic beer style.

3.Using TIPA or Imperial Stout in a drinking game.

2）在吸引更多新人尝试craft beer方面社区可能面对的阻碍是什么？

其一，过多的旁人意见，比如常见于世界各地的上年纪喝酒人喋喋不休“意见”。

其二，过度强调本地材料的使用但连啤酒不同类型风格基本酿造基础都没掌握好。

其三，“推广”活动时以高酒精度类型比如三倍印度淡啤（TIPA）/高度黑啤为饵。

3) is craft beer more widely accepted or it's still very much a tiny niche market here in Asia- generally speaking?

We are getting much better now and still improving, with many craft options available beyond craft beer taprooms. However, it is time to test the quality of our beer as we increase the quantity.

3）亚洲来说，craft beer已被更广泛接受还是说仍然只在小圈子打转？

至今接受度已大有改善，相对之前能接触到craft beer的地方也再不局限于专卖吧/品饮室，市场供应量有所增加的同时啤酒质素也需面对考验。

4) from your time with a bottle shop with home brew classes to a bar and a brewery - what might be some changes in craft trends or consumers preferences in the last 10 years or so from observations?

Craft beer has become more accessible and approachable for the general public. People no longer have to climb stairs to visit exclusive craft beer shops to buy beer. For this reason, I decided to close HK Brewcraft after ten years and instead operate Blue Supreme and Carbon Brew Taproom to better connect with my audience. While it was a bittersweet decision for me, I believe it represents a positive development for the local market.

4）从有教导自酿的瓶子店到专卖吧再到酿坊，过去十来年有观察到什么样的craft beer风潮/消费趋势转变？

这些年来craft beer变得更容易接触到，喝酒人不再需要特意踩着梯级到特定瓶子店买酒，这是个人关闭经营了10年中环瓶子店转向专卖吧的缘由，是不容易的决定但相信是对市场有正面影响的发展。

5) bar/bottle shop frontliners are the essential first contacts for newbies -at times it could be a coming back for more or run back to MACRO BEER sort of encounter.

Q-what might be some DO?

Dress well, neat and tidy, speak less, and be an active listener.

Q- what might be some DON'T?

Stop showing off your mediocre beer knowledge. No one cares about your BJCP ranking, just shut up and serve the beer nicely.

5）专卖吧/瓶子店的店长/店员是新人最初接触的第一线人员，有时候也会决定新人是就此入圈或从此消失的关键接触，有什么是该做/不该做的？

该做的

穿着整齐简洁，少说话多聆听。

不该做的

别炫耀半桶水啤酒知识，没人在意你的啤酒裁判（BJCP）等级，少说废话，把酒侍好。

6) what are the essentials needed for frontliiners to be more effective in guiding/ getting newbies to be more intrigued /interested ?

Listening is essential. Many frontliners have great passion and knowledge in craft beer, but they often forget that they are still in the retail and hospitality industries. We are doing slightly better than coffee, but we still fall short of service standards compared to wine and cocktail bars.

6）什么方式可以让第一线人员进行更有效推介以勾起新人更大兴趣/好奇？

聆听很重要，不少craft beer第一线人员满怀热枕也有一定啤酒知识，但不少时候会忘了这是零售服务业，某方面来说，香港情况比精品咖啡好，但对比葡萄酒/鸡尾酒吧服务水准仍有距离。

7) one of the obstacles faced by newbies is the uncertainty/ confusions trying to pick from unfamiliar beer styles - advice on that?

Beer is all about connecting people and building community. I recommend visiting a bottle shop or a craft beer bar and talking to the staff, they will surely guide you the way. You can also make good use of the free material on YouTube, which covers beer styles from beginner to master level. If you're serious about beer tasting, the BJCP course is an excellent way to start in beer judging. Compared to wine, sake, and spirits, a beer judging course is still more budget-friendly.

7）新人面对的普遍情况是对眼花缭乱的不同类型风格啤酒选择感到困惑/不知从何下手，有什么建议？

啤酒跟人与人联系/社区的建立有关联，新人可以在专卖吧/瓶子店找店长/店员聊聊找找方向，也可以上网找资料（比如油管就有不少从浅到深的介绍），想多些了解品酒的可以看BJCP课程内容或报考成为啤酒裁判。对比葡萄酒/日本清酒/烈酒类课程，啤酒课程所需费用相对较便宜。

8) how has Hong Kong craft market been for the last 10-15 years?

The beer industry and the quality of beer have significantly improved over the past 10 years. However, we are facing the challenge of losing 300,000 middle-class residents who have immigrated to other countries, with 90% of them being potential clients. This represents a substantial structural change in the Hong Kong market that impacts not only craft beers but also the entire industry. Rebuilding our client base and exploring new opportunities will take time.

8）香港本地市场过去10-15年间有什么变化？

过去10年间，无论是行业本身以及啤酒质素都大有提升。不过‘市场近年面对人员外流带来的挑战，大约30万中产阶级香港居民移居其他地方，其中90%的人都是潜在客户，这对不单只craft beer市场以至整个消费市场都是重大改变，重塑新客源/寻找新机遇都需要时间。

9) generally speaking what are some other major challenges faced by craft beer bar/bottle shop owners apart from rental/operating costs?

You are right. One of the main challenges we are facing in Hong Kong has been the high rental costs. However, after the significant crash in the real estate market, our new challenge is to build a new client base, as many of our existing clients have relocated to the UK and China.

9）一般来说，除了租金和运营开支，craft beer业者面对的其他较大挑战是什么？

没错，在香港租金肯定是主要挑战，在地产行业陷入低潮後，craft beer业者挑战是寻找新客源以填补移居到英国或内地其他地方中产阶级喝酒人。

10) your view on Asia craft market -generally speaking.

I have observed significant improvement in beer quality, especially in technical styles such as IPAs and lagers. I believe we can soon master these styles in Asia, thereby decreasing our dependence on imports.

10）对亚洲craft beer市场的看法？

亚洲酿坊作品个别类型风格比如IPA和LAGER作品质素有大幅度提升，相信亚洲可以掌握好这些类型风格要诀并减少进口需求。