Over dinner some time ago, we overheard a lady at the next table saying to a friend that her parents wouldn’t approve of her date if beer, not wine, was what the unlucky chap ordered at dinner. While eavesdropping isn’t an act that we generally take pride in, we must remember that news and social affairs overheard in London coffeehouses marked the beginning of the original Tatler magazine some 300 years ago. Our neighbour’s candid and blatant declaration struck an odd note and had us put down our wine glasses to dwell on the statement.

Now, there were two outdated schools of thought involved. But since dining is our forte, we shall skip passing our own comments on others’ unwritten family rules, and jump straight into finding out why beer is so unfairly and heavily stigmatised.

For as long as we can remember, beer – a relatively low-cost beverage – has been associated with snacks, finger food, Oktoberfest and howling men (and, yes, women). Seldom do we hear about pairing seared scallops and foie gras with a strong stout or a brown ale that comes with a hint of caramel; this has primarily been the job of premium wine, and occasionally whisky. But adventurous diners and true foodies have always known the hidden value of beer, especially limited production microbrews, otherwise known as craft beers, for they are generally known for some robust and complex flavours.

Beer historian Martyn Cornell told us over a meal recently that what most people in Hong Kong can’t quite grasp is that “beer has a much wider spectrum of flavours than wine”, and that a powerful beer can sometimes outperform wine when it comes to finding pairings for strong-flavoured dishes. That unequivocally opened a door to an unknown space for we, too, once thought of beer as a rather one-dimensional beverage.

Naturally, we had our doubts but Cornell’s credentials help back up his claim convincingly - he is a founder-member of the British Guild of Beer Writers and has written books such as Amber, Gold and Black: The History of Britain's Great Beers.


                                             

We met Cornell at a beer-pairing dinner at Felix in The Peninsula, where we were presented with two craft beers by Japanese microbrewer Kagua – Kagua Blanc and Kagua Rouge. The fact that we were sampling and discussing beers and gourmet food pairings at one of Hong Kong’s top hotels was a unique sight. And the fact that Felix continues to feature a range of artisanal beer (their current promotion lasts from now until March 19) speaks volumes about the position of craft beer today.

Kagua’s craft beers, being two of Felix’s featured tipples, are sophisticated and full of heritage, bringing discernible Japanese flavours of yuzu and sansho in its Blanc and Rouge lines, respectively. The former has a subtle hop character and paired surprisingly well with pan-seared shrimp, and the latter with braised beef tongue. The two beers are also of unusually high alcohol content, compared to mass-produced brews like Stella Artois and Guinness Stout, standing at 8 per cent and 9 per cent to allow for a longer shelf life.

The Peninsula is hardly the only luxury hotel that has embraced the wonders of craft beer. Its neighbor the InterContinental also features a variety of artisanal beers at its Lobby Lounge. While many a times they are dwarfed by the more impressive hotel wine list, brews like the Rogue Yellow Snow IPA, a pale ale from the US that finishes with a huge bitter flush that slices through the flavours of red meat, has garnered a loyal fan base in Hong Kong.

Another Cornell comment suddenly comes to mind. At the same dinner, he pointed out that the beer-pairing scene hasn’t been entirely invisible in Hong Kong. Although slow, the popularity of craft beers and their food pairing has been gaining progressively. That, we believe, owes a lot to restaurants and gastropubs that are doing everything they can to right the wrong stereotype of beer being a binge-drinking prop, by featuring and updating their beer list passionately. Two of these are Blue Butcher and The Globe.

While people’s first instinct often steers them towards ordering wine for a three (or more) course meal, beer is the cult choice encouraged here. Both venues sport an impressive microbrew list, and pairing craft beers with the Blue Butcher’s famous bone marrow with toast and beefy wagyu steak can easily change one’s mind towards beer pairing.

Toby Copper of The Globe in Soho says the bar-restaurant carries over 100 beers at a time and updates its menu almost weekly. Among them is Mountain Goat Steam Ale from Richmond, Australia. The ale is light with beautiful citrus notes, which complement lighter dishes, like salmon on crumpet, brilliantly. It is the beer drinking culture here that we genuinely enjoy.

For no-fuss beer shopping, Hop Leaf, a Hong Kong-based beer distributor and online store, is a clear winner. Hop Leaf carries many unheard-of beers from all over the world, including the Kagua beers mentioned above, and the Rogue Hazelnut Brown Nectar (HK$25/bottle) that was crowned the best brown ale at the 2012 Hong Kong International Beer Awards. 

So our advice here is this: go wild at dinner and give that unknown craft beer a chance, for choices are ubiquitous in Hong Kong. And, it could quite possibly turn out to be your new favourite tipple, so long as you don’t fall into the trap of cheap beers like the infamous Blue Girl or Budweiser. And if your date’s parents object, pass on the message.

Find out about the best craft beers and microbreweries from around the world