Head in the clouds

He says that in Hong Kong, household kitchens are often so small that people tend to eat out more than they cook at home, and it’s both normal and affordable to do so. Equally, he says Hong Kong’s Central District was designed to be compact so that the city didn’t encroach on the nearby mountains and beaches offering residents easy access to nature. It’s easy to get out of town and onto beautiful hiking trails, and boat rental with friends is a popular weekend activity for Hong Kong’s young working professionals. 

Leaning into local life has been a long term project for Black Kite, the brewery founded by Hong Kong-born brothers David and Daniel Gallie in 2014, and of which Tom became the director, during the pandemic. Prior to 2014, David found himself unfilled by his job in banking, and worked in one of the high-rise office buildings synonymous with Hong Kong’s central business district. It was there that David became acquainted with the Black Kite, a bird of prey which has enjoyed wind-tunnels created by the city’s jagged skyline for so long as to become a symbol of Hong Kong. 

Over time, these majestic birds of prey circling just beyond his office window, became emblematic of freedom for David, and inspired him to pursue a life unfettered by the monotony of unfulfilling work. Eventually plucking up the courage to leave the nest, and take a leap of faith, David quit his job and opened Black Kite with his brother, Daniel, in 2014. Brewing started with mostly German styles, but as the brewery’s identity developed, it moved away from replicating styles associated with other parts of the world, and began integrating unique, local flavours into recognisable styles. 

Tom crossed paths with Black Kite in 2019 when, as an existing friend of David and Daniel, he began renting tank space in which to brew cider for his own fledgling business, Neon Cider. The trio built a close working relationship into their existing friendship to such success that when David and Daniel decided it was time for them to move on, settle down and focus on their young families, they confidently passed the reigns of Black Kite to Tom. Today, Tom is director of both businesses, but has recently appointed a new, local head brewer, Eric Ng, who’s focusing on deepening the brewery's relationship with the culture of Hong Kong. 

“We're working on a really exciting project this year called the ‘Seven Essentials’,” says Tom. “In rural Chinese wisdom, there are seven essentials to a good life, all of which correlate with things you should have in your pantry. These are firewood, rice, oil, salt, sauce, vinegar and tea, meaning we’re making beers inspired by these all the way through the year as a series that’s really trying in a genuine way to use flavours that are both interesting and are historically rooted in Hong Kong. Eric is leading the charge on that, and we’re really excited to see where he takes us.”

“You see a lot of American-style craft beer [on the craft beer scene in Hong Kong], and that’s understandable given that everyone starts out trying to brew what is recognisable as craft,” Tom continues. “But in the last couple of years — and I mean, people have always done this — breweries have really started to take localised inspiration. I think we're really starting to shift into our own thing, and that's really exciting. I think the next couple of years can be really cool.”

For now, Black Kite relies on its stockists and close ties with the hospitality industry to get its beers to market; Tom says that with rent being as eye-watering as it is right now, you only get one shot at opening a taproom, and so it’s best not to do so until you’re ready to hit the ground running. For far longer than the city’s rental market has been an issue for craft breweries, Hong Kong’s economy has been taking its toll on city residents by making home ownership unattainable. 

Among those who don’t quit the city in search of somewhere else to put down roots, spending on affordable luxury goods and experiences is at an all time high. In theory, this creates an ideal economy for craft beer, but Tom is all too aware that it equally poses a challenge; should craft beer cater to a transient international market with globally recognised styles and trends, or dive deeper into local culture, and engage with endemic flavours, ingredients, and identities? 

With ten years of grappling with this question now under its belt, I doubt there’s a brewery in Hong Kong better equipped to beat a path through an uncertain future than Black Kite. With progress at the brewery being steady and exciting there’s no reason to believe this symbol of the city won’t remain a central part of Hong Kong’s craft beer landscape for many years to come.