Beyond his duties as a Hong Kong pilot, Andrew Munns is the Beverage Director for Out of the Brew, a top bar promoting local craft beer flavours.
Andrew Munns is a true multi-hyphenate. During the day, he jets out of Hong Kong International Airport to global destinations as a pilot; at night, his role as Beverage Director for Out of the Brew, a Central-based bar, sees him pulling pints and promoting the best of Hong Kong and Asian craft beer.
And, not to forget, he is a leading Hong Kong beer sommelier, also known as an Advanced Cicerone, the third in Asia. He is the 177th beer professional in the world to receive Advanced Cicerone certification.
“I would not say it is because I am Australian why I love beer, but I was leaning towards that route. We do have a bit of a stereotype when it comes to that!” says Andrew. His journey in beer, one of fascination and professional work, began in 2011 at the world-leading Little Creatures brewery in his hometown of Perth.
“They were the OG of the Australian craft beer revolution, pioneers in that regard. If you begin to spend time with the brewers and in the scene, you learn to get a kick from craft beer.”
When the beer fanatic moved to Hong Kong in 2016, the local craft beer scene paled in comparison to Australia’s and to the city’s current strengths now – this compelled him to invigorate the offerings for craft beer in Hong Kong.
“Hong Kong’s history of beer is so ingrained in the mass produced lager, think San Miguel, Blue Girl, Tsing Tao. Today, we have some really good Hong Kong breweries producing some really good quality and artfully made beers.”
Restaurants, bars, cafes, supermarkets, and hotels in Hong Kong regularly stock Young Master Brewery, Black Kite Brewery, Yardley Brothers, Hong Kong Beer Co., and dozens of other brands. Beer literacy amongst Hong Kong consumers is growing alongside the profile of beer brewed locally and independently.
Andrew thanks the pandemic for the opportunity for local Hong Kong breweries to expand operations and tempt locals in expanding their knowledge of beer. Forced onto the ground for two years as a result of strict COVID measures, the Australian assisted four friends to launch Out of the Brew, a hole-in-the-wall bar in Central focussing on locally-produced, Asian, and Western craft beers.
“Out of the Brew is all about the community. We wanted a place where you can come, enjoy a beer, and hang out with mates. The main objective is to promote Hong Kong craft beer and, more importantly, promote craft beer in general.”
Andrew’s two year stint grounded on Hong Kong soil exposed him to a greater network of beer-lovers, with joining the founding team at Out of the Brew a motivation to enter the Cicerone Certification Program, a world standard for “beer professionals [..] developing and recognizing beer skill and knowledge.”
Students on the programme are educated with comprehensive beer knowledge, from keeping and serving beer, the flavour and styles of beer, ingredients of beer and brewing process, to how to pair beer with food. As an Advanced Cicerone, Andrew has the second-highest ranked certification, a similar ranking to WSET Level 4.
Flying regularly to Europe for his day job meant he could study, and enjoy, from the best breweries and beers in Germany, Belgium, and France.
“Working in Hong Kong and seeing what the craft beer scene is like, it was obvious that there was a lack of education. People did not know about beers in general. I felt a responsibility working [at Out of the Brew] to provide our customers with the best knowledge that I could possibly give them.”
Andrew notes that Out of the Brew’s collection, both in their double-stacked fridges and on tap, rotates daily and weekly. On any day, you may find easy sipping Belgian beers, HKD300 plus Australian wild ales, a collection of North American sour beers, local craft beers inspired by Hong Kong flavours, or imports from Central and Western Europe. No two days are the same for offerings at the bar.
“Craft beer is seeing a bit of a transformation at the moment, both globally and in Hong Kong. You are seeing consumers moving towards different styles that would be associated with what I would consider to be more traditional styles, such as West Coast IPA’s, Pilsners, Lager and even English Cask Ales.”
“It is very important to strive to do something different all the time and evolve. For me, this means educating customers that come in here and the community.”
For the laymen, Andrew details the differences between IPA, Stout, Pilsner and Wild Fermentation Ales. For the craft beer aficionados, he assists with food pairings, specified recommendations for new styles, and hosts events for local breweries to host take-overs.
“The craft beer community is growing by the day in Hong Kong,” Andrew notes. “All the local brewers deserve massive credit for lifting the industry to where it is today.”
Andrew Munns is available at Out of the Brew to introduce you to the world of great craft beer you will love to drink.
