A recent article on Forbes.com made for some interesting reading.

“China already consumes more beer than any other country, and now its hops are getting even hipper. Craft beer is gaining a following in China—Beijing has two breweries, and the smaller Nanjing has one, but Shanghai is where craft brewing has really taken off. Considering a trip to Shanghai? Check Startle.com after April 25 for Forbes Travel Guide’s first-ever Five-Star ratings of Shanghai’s top hotels and spas, and then once you’ve decided where to stay, consider these breweries for your first stop for a drink.

Photo courtesy of Boxing Cat Brewery.

In the past two years, the city’s number of craft breweries, beer-focused bars and shops has nearly doubled, thanks to Shanghai’s population of expats and the rising interest of Chinese citizens. The increase in craft beer enthusiasts led French shop-owner Cedric Bourlet to open his beer boutique, Cheers In, last year. The shop now has two branches, stocking bottles of craft brews such as Oregon-made Rogue Ales and Scottish Brewdog beers and offering delivery service. But Shanghai has more than imported beer—they’re making it here, too. The city now has four big craft breweries—including Dr. Beer, which opened late last year—and a handful of smaller, less craft-focused operations.

The city’s top breweries include Shanghai Brewery (which recently opened a second branch), Boxing Cat Brewery (its second outpost opened last year), and The Brew, housed inside Kerry Hotel, Pudong. Kiwi brewmaster Leon Mickelson joined The Brew when it opened in early 2011, and he now says nearly 40 percent of his customers are Chinese. “To be able to start a craft beer revolution is a very special opportunity,” Mickelson says. “I’ve had 100 percent success—have not heard a bad thing from a Chinese drinker. Our beers range from a light, easy drinking lager to a vanilla milk coffee stout, and expats also love that variety.”

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China already consumes more beer than any other country, and now its hops are getting even hipper. Craft beer is gaining a following in China—Beijing has two breweries, and the smaller Nanjing has one, but Shanghai is where craft brewing has really taken off. Considering a trip to Shanghai? Check Startle.com after April 25 for Forbes Travel Guide’s first-ever Five-Star ratings of Shanghai’s top hotels and spas, and then once you’ve decided where to stay, consider these breweries for your first stop for a drink.”

Check out the full article at Forbes.com