Take-5: Black Kite Beer
“Let’s grab a beer?” Four little words that are loaded with hidden dangers of Bud-ness. Let’s explore Hong Kong’s craft beer landscape.
Don’t get us wrong. If you park yourself at a bar with some friends and want a Stella, by all means enjoy. But if you didn’t already know it, there are boatloads of craft brewers currently operating in Hong Kong that might be able to up your Stella game. The Hong Kong Beer Co, Gweilo and Young Master are trailblazers, but since HKBC opened its doors in 1995 roughly 30 have thrown their hats in the ring. Imagine Morgan Freeman speaking when we say “Some of them did not survive.” But plenty did. There are listicles and Facebook groups all over the place detailing what each one does, from where and why, but we’re going to do the hard, hard work of sampling some current pours. So in the first of our irregular, entirely unscientific survey of SAR brews, please enjoy some Black Kite.
Founded by locally born brothers Daniel and David Gallie, Black Kite (黑鳶) aims to reflect the singular local culture through modern brewing techniques and fresh, creative ingredients. It’s named after the bird of prey (not the Klingon cruiser) sometimes seen over The Peak or Sai Kung, appropriate considering it’s one of the harder labels to find. That said, you can find BK at Craftissimo in Sheung Wan, Leeder Quay there and in Mui Wo, Chueng Chau Islander in, erm, Cheung Chau, and a little Boundary Street bar in Prince Edward, Bound. Black Kite produces four core beers in its Wong Chuk Hang brewhouse, as well as seasonal and special beers – like the forthcoming, vaguely floral hopfenweizen that should be out around CNY. We’d tell you more but then the Black Kite people would come for our pets, so keep up to date on Instagram. In the meantime, let’s check out the classics.
Birds of Prey
| Type: IPA
Ah, yes. The India Pale Ale, or simply IPA. The go-to brew for those among us who don’t really drink beer, and a reliably refreshing, not too complex choice for those who do when confronted with an unfamiliar menu – where the other choice might be a gawdawful Heineken. Or worse: Coors (this we will judge). Black Kite’s contribution to the genre is a not-so-pale gold, medium-bodied ale with a citrusy burst of energy on the finish. There’s something kind of earthy in here too, that keeps this IPA grounded while staying airy enough to keep popping open. And it doesn’t leave that icky aftertaste at the back of your throat. This one belongs on a beach in the sweltering heat.
Easy Glider
| Type: Golden Ale
Truth in advertising! A lovely, crispy ale, without a bitter aftertaste but with a decidedly “ale” vibe in a body light enough that you don’t feel as if you just downed a large bag of potatoes? Yes, please. Easy Glider lives up to its name and gives the IPA a run for its money on the accessible, kind of all purpose front. BK describes this as “marrying Pilsner malts with Cascade and Mosaic hops,” so maybe that’s what gives this a slightly honeyed, round texture and taste; it’s more savoury than some of the others. Whatever it is, it works, because this doesn’t have that hard end ales can. Crispy, yes. Hard, no.
Pins and Needles
| Type: Kettle Sour
Last year we had the distinct pleasure of trying Quidi Vidi Brewery’s (way out in Newfoundland) seasonal Raspberry Creamsicle draught, an eminently quaffable fruit beer that’s thankfully 1) no longer available and if it were 2) is far away. In a good news-bad news scnenario, the good news here is that Pins and Needles is the second coming of that. This delicately rosy brew has a tropical, almost wine-y nose and an unmistakeable passion fruit finish. It’s beer, not fruit beer, so it’s free of a sweet edge that could get cloying fast, and passion fruit’s sour side keeps it chuggable and zingy. The bad news, of course, is that this isn’t far away. We in trouble.
Two Many Dollars
| Type: DIPA
The brewers will tell you Two Many Dollars rolls in Talus, Sabro, and Ekuanot hops (beer nerds will appreciate that) for a “gushing tropical fruit bomb of pomelo and grapefruit.” Black Kite can call it whatever it likes. We call it an IPA’s more adult sibling: richer, more robustly flavoured and able to stand up to robust foods. IPAs are a solid go-to for a reason, but sometimes you just need a little kick. This is that kick. We had this with spicy Korean jjimdalk (찜닭), a braised chicken stew that’s quite layered in both texture and taste and it performed smashingly. The 8.8% ABV makes food a good idea too, but if you’re sipping one will go a long way.
Everyday Lager
| Type: Kolsch Lager Draught
Yeah, we don’t have a funky can for this one because Black Kite’s draught is, well, a draught. You’ll need to venture out of your house to find it. When you do, you’ll get a cloudy bronze, moderately hoppy, not too draught-y tasting brew, which is light and super-refreshing when it’s icy cold. Sorry, but we always think of tap beers as medium cool at best. On the spectrum, Everyday falls somewhere between a wheat beer and a stout, more flavourful than a standard lager but not overwhelming. It’s clean feel is probably best served on an outdoor terrace.