Boxing Cat Brewery - Battling a great wall of bureaucracy
Boxing Cat Brewery is a ray of craft beer sunshine in mighty China. American brewer Michael Jordan brews quality craft beer in Shanghai. He's making beers for Boxing Cat Brewery's two restaurants. Michael fights the biggest of battles promoting craft beer in China. A country which mark on the beer landscape is almost solely thin, piss yellow German lagers of the worst kind. Just getting quality malt, hops and yeast to the brewery is a big challenge for Michael. For example, the yeast comes hand-carried from California.
Mikkeller knows Michael from his work at Danish brewery Fuglsang. When Mikkel had an impending trip to Hong Kong planned, the idea of a collaboration was born. Mikkel travelled to Shanghai to make the first collaboration ever with a Chinese brewery. The result, an IPA named Bruce ChiLee, sounds amazing. Simcoe hops paired with Chinese green chillies – sweet and sour galore. Sadly, due to difficulties with Chinese bureaucracy Bruce ChiLee couldn't kick it's way through the border control and find its way to Europe.
But! And there's a big BUT! A shipment arrived in Copenhagen yesterday.
Two steel kegs containing true high quality craft beer presented themselves once the crowbar got to work on the wooden crates. We are very proud to present the first micro-brewed craft beer out of China this coming Tuesday at Mikkeller Bar. The two beers are:
TKO India Pale Ale - Bold, aromatic and hoppy IPA brewed with American aroma hops Cascade and Simcoe.
Contender Extra Pale Ale - Golden fresh Pale Ale brewed with Mosaic hops.
We're very much looking forward to try these brews with you guys. The beers will be on tap from when we open Tuesday the 29th, 14.00 local Mikkeller time at Mikkeller Bar.
We're also really looking forward to welcome Michael and Boxing Cat Brewery at this year's Copenhagen Beer Celebration, where you hopefully will get another chance to try the results of these forward-thinking people's hard work.
