Our house band Soul Shake has always been part of the experience at Beersmith and they’re not currently here. In retrospect, this positively forced us to develop and look into new revenue channels, which we will continue to focus on in the future. In the past, we didn’t really focus that strong on waimai. In terms of getting some revenue during the closure, we focused a lot on developing waimai business channels. Our people got cross deployed into other functions that kept the business running and were essential, for example, the brewery staff supported the security and engineering department. We put everyone up in Hotel Jen put several safety measures in place to avoid any risks. The main reason we decided to close was to ensure our staff was safe. On the other hand, it gave us a lot of time to think about how we will come back, brainstorming and discussing the future of craft beer, our menu, entertainment, and other stuff. Very strange feeling when thinking that normally you wouldn’t get a seat on a similar day a few months back. The weirdest feeling was drinking beers in an empty bar on those Friday nights during the time we were closed. What specific challenges has Beersmith faced? How did you overcome them? It’s no secret that the past four months have been challenging for the city’s F&B outlets. We’ll also be pairing each of the four beers with food in a tapas style, so the idea is that people will walk away with some knowledge on how they can best match beer with food. We’re going to be taking attendees through the basics of the brewing process and ingredients, and then dig a little deeper into why we make the exact beers that we do. You’re due to host several brewmaster classes in the coming days. I guess I had to come to China to get a hold of it! Otherwise, finally brewing a beer with Buddha’s Hand – I’m not sure how many fruit wholesalers and nurseries I contacted in Australia trying to find it when I was still there. He lifted it to a whole new level within the blink of an eye. Moving past a ‘high-end beer pub with a burger’ and into true gastropub territory with some really innovative sharing dishes, and the attention to detail on the grill has increased the overall experience even more. The process of refining already great beers and dialing in the nuance will be something I always enjoy, especially over such a wide variety of styles.įood-wise, the transition of the kitchen under our Chef Maiker has also been a highlight. Tweaking our core range over time before undergoing a brand refresh was a highlight. What have been some highlights of the brewpub for you personally? The last year in Beijing has shown a lot of the breweries here further pushing the boundaries with local ingredients whilst simultaneously making clean, modern styles worthy of international acknowledgment.īeersmith is on the cusp of celebrating three years in the biz. Whether it’s new brewery openings or increased shelf space for craft, I see great quality beer in more and more places. The scene is really going from strength to strength. What about in the Chinese craft beer scene in general? Our food offering has also really developed – from an increased focus on high-end gastropub-style dining through to our recent addition of a meatless menu all driven by our Chef Maiker Valdivia. As I go through and count them, we’ve released over 30 unique beers in the last 18 months which is something brand new nearly every two weeks. Since then, we’ve been busy brewing plenty of new beers and developing our seasonal beer program. It has definitely been some time since we last spoke. What have you been up to since then? What have been some of the biggest developments at Beersmith? It’s been over two years since we last checked in with you. Below, we caught up with Hede to find out what you can expect if you visit Beersmith over the coming days as well as how the brewery has been dealing with the various restrictions brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. Now as part of their three year anniversary, May 22-29, Beersmith will play host to daily beer specials, a beer passport complete with freebies, and beer masterclasses headed by Beersmith's head brewer and Melburnian, Wilson Hede. Their winning formula can be boiled down to three distinct factors: good beer, good food, and a live band that draws crowds and keeps them there. In an area populated by and synonymous with cocktail bars, the area was severely lacking good beer options, but would a venue specializing in malt for the masses take off? Three years on and any concerns as to whether beer would stick in the area have been assuaged, and anyone who has been to Beersmith over the past couple of years can attest to the fact that the bar is one of the most consistently lively venues in the city. When Beersmith opened in Beijing's CBD it marked a relative gamble for its parent company, Hotel Jen.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |