29 Rising International Breweries To Get You In The Olympic Spirit

August 2, 2021 | Karl Kalinkewicz

Trappist Ales, room-temperature pints, and generic lagers. Maybe you once heard your most enthusiastic beer friend explaining the origins behind the “India” in India Pale Ale and the “Russian” in Russian Imperial Stout after their 5th flight of the day. While 20 years ago this may have been the extent of international beer knowledge for the common consumer, today the gospel of craft is spreading to all corners of the world.

With the glory of the Olympics underway, we’ve decided to highlight some of the up-and-coming stars in the international craft game. You won’t see Mikkellers or Cantillons featured front and center on this list, but rather a set of breweries who are either growing in stature or proudly representing their countries as craft pioneers. Check out our 29 rising international breweries that will get you humming those John Williams Olympics theme songs. Special thanks to Miguel Rivas, @thebeertrekker, for his contributions to this article!

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2 Days, 2 Nights | Hong Kong Beer Scene

September 6, 2018 | Karl Kalinkewicz

I’ve had a life-long obsession with skyscrapers. I don’t really know where it came from, maybe growing up just outside New York City played a roll, or maybe too many Tower of Babel lessons in church as a youngster had the opposite effect of what was intended. Now, I tend to judge cities on two major categories: Their skyline and their craft beer scene, two lovers who often quarrel rather than get along. Where the towers rise, the beer quality tends to fall – world class postcard skylines like Dubai and Shanghai have not inspired great beer to follow suit, and while both cities have recently been doing better in this regard, in New York and LA you have to get outside the high-rises to find the best stuff. However, the Hong Kong Beer Scene proved to be different.

Whether you have a long layover, or you’re able to take a few days to explore, here’s a few of my favorite places I went to while enjoying the shade of some of the most marvelous structures made by man.

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