For Rohit Dugar, founder of Young Master Brewery, the introduction of a new beer, designed for comfort drinking, but equally at the rowdy environments of a dai pai dong in Hong Kong, arrives at an evolution for his 13-year-old craft beer company in Hong Kong.
“With our roots in the broader craft beer movement, we have been able to grow a strong presence in hotels, introduce different beef styles to people, explore new modes of consuming beer and flavour profiles,” Rohit tells Foodie.
Their new malty, golden, and hip Young Master Grand arrives to break out of the mold perfected over a decade and more.
Where craft beer drinking has matured in recent years, people’s tastes have matured, Rohit claims. The stylish Grand beer launches at a juncture where “people are transitioning from float mode to comfort mode. We want this to be people’s comfort and everyday go-to beer.”
The larger beer, available in 640 millilitre glass bottles and 500 millilitre cans, is brewed with 100% barley malt, delivering a honeyed finish with a crispy aftertaste. It is not a departure from the company’s unconventional craft beer production, but an entrance into a new market segment with a different look and feel to Young Master’s other beers.
“The format of the Grand big bottles are designed for sharing at a dai pai dong, whereas the everyday comfort mode is better suited for the 500 millimeter can format where you would enjoy strolling outside, at the beach, or home.”
The element of dai pai dong drinking was key in the conceptualisation of Young Master Grand, a competitor yet influenced by the likes of San Miguel, Blue Girl, and Tsingtao. The stylish glass body of the beer is illuminated with a sleek gray label, black Chinese logo of Young Master, and red text adding details.
Whereas Hong Kong’s existing dai pai dong-adjacent beer brands are brewed across the border in China or possessing European heritage, Rohit was adamant to serve a locally Hong Kong-brewed beer with a true Hong Kong identity.
“It was one of the big drivers for us to launch this product as a homegrown brand, positioning the beer as part of local dining and for drinkers of the next generation. There is an appeal to the bottle format in a dining setting.”
“The robustness of the Grand beer matches the robust flavours of Chinese dining. With the beer, we have retained a very quick, crisp, and ocean finish, without lingering on the palate, so you can enjoy spicy or rich stir fry dishes that complement the meal.”
Within the Young Master portfolio of craft beer, concerning products with low ABV to strong beers, the Grand sits in the middle as a crushable beer.
Long heralded as a feature of Hong Kong’s drinking culture, streetside drinking was key in the design of the 500 milliliter Grand can. “People today are looking for convenience. When you go to a convenience store like a 7-Elevent or Circle K, [the canned beer] is the preferred format for comfort and everyday beers for people.”
“The more mainstream consumer is searching for a larger format at an attractive pricepoint with the 500 milliliter offering more value than a 330 milliliter beer can.” Rohit envisions the Grand can as the perfect beer for late-night drinking with friends
With an official launch planned for mid-July and entrance into Wellcome and Marketplace supermarkets and Circle K, Young Master Brewery is ramping up distribution across Chinese restaurants in Hong Kong to showcase their product.
“It is a pivotal moment for the company to be starting this ambitious and audacious project to begin competing with larger beer companies and more directly with Young Master Brand.”
“This product is about breaking out of a niche to a much wider audience to become a de facto local Hong Kong beer brand.”
The 500 millilitre cans are now available at leading retail outlets across Hong Kong, including Circle K, Marketplace, city’super, HKTVmall, and the Young Master Online Store.Treat yourself to a taste of the golden Young Master Brand beer today here.
This feature is brought to Foodie in partnership with Young Master Brewery.
