To bring you closer to the influencers of the industry and their insight into our industry, we will be presenting you with a series of interviews with special guests throughout the year.
Hitachino Nest INTERVIEW Series #1
Our first guest is Chris Wong, Owlsome Hitachino Nest Brewery HK’s first local brewer. Other than brewing beer at our brewery, Chris is one of the first BJCP judges in Hong Kong and also the founder of various beer ventures in Hong Kong, including the homebrew supplies center HK Brewcraft, the popular tap house TAP – The Ale Project, and the creative fried fish joint Beer & Fish.
Q1. How and when did you come across Hitachino Nest Beers?
Chris: Whole Foods in San Francisco.
Q2. Which Hitachino Nest Beer/s did you encounter first?
Chris: White Ale, of course.
Q3. What was your first overall impression of this beer? (Packaging, logo, overall taste)
Chris: I was surprised to taste a Japanese beer that is not a commercial lager for the first time and yes, the owl was cute.
Q4. Did this experience make you want to continue exploring the range of Hitachino Nest Beers?
Chris: I was quite impressed with the White Ale so I went back for more. I even went so far as trying to homebrew clones of their beers.
Q5. Have you tasted the entire range of Hitachino Nest Beers? Which is your favorite? Why is it your favorite?
Chris: I am lucky enough to have tasted the whole range. My favorite is the Espresso Stout. It’s a really balanced imperial stout with lots of flavors.
Q6. What are you top 3 favorite foods/dishes and which Hitachino Nest Beers would you pair them with? Why would you choose these pairings?
Chris: White Ale with a light beer battered cod. The spicy and citrus aroma and flavors of the White Ale helps cut through the fat and compliments the fish.
Nipponia with a roasted pork belly. The sweet maltiness of the Kaneko barley almost serves as a perfect honey glaze for the dish.
Dai Dai with fried chicken. This has just enough hops to help cut through the fat. The combination of the Tardif de Bourgogne hops and Fukure Mikan give out this orange flavor that works perfectly with the dish. Who doesn’t like orange chicken.
Q7. What makes Hitachino Nest so unique compared to the vast selection of craft beers available in Japan and around the world?
Chris: Hitachino Nest beers are very balanced. They don’t just load up the kettle with a ton of hops and call it a day.
Hitachino Nest INTERVIEW Series #1
Our first guest is Chris Wong, Owlsome Hitachino Nest Brewery HK’s first local brewer. Other than brewing beer at our brewery, Chris is one of the first BJCP judges in Hong Kong and also the founder of various beer ventures in Hong Kong, including the homebrew supplies center HK Brewcraft, the popular tap house TAP – The Ale Project, and the creative fried fish joint Beer & Fish.
Q1. How and when did you come across Hitachino Nest Beers?
Chris: Whole Foods in San Francisco.
Q2. Which Hitachino Nest Beer/s did you encounter first?
Chris: White Ale, of course.
Q3. What was your first overall impression of this beer? (Packaging, logo, overall taste)
Chris: I was surprised to taste a Japanese beer that is not a commercial lager for the first time and yes, the owl was cute.
Q4. Did this experience make you want to continue exploring the range of Hitachino Nest Beers?
Chris: I was quite impressed with the White Ale so I went back for more. I even went so far as trying to homebrew clones of their beers.
Q5. Have you tasted the entire range of Hitachino Nest Beers? Which is your favorite? Why is it your favorite?
Chris: I am lucky enough to have tasted the whole range. My favorite is the Espresso Stout. It’s a really balanced imperial stout with lots of flavors.
Q6. What are you top 3 favorite foods/dishes and which Hitachino Nest Beers would you pair them with? Why would you choose these pairings?
Chris: White Ale with a light beer battered cod. The spicy and citrus aroma and flavors of the White Ale helps cut through the fat and compliments the fish.
Nipponia with a roasted pork belly. The sweet maltiness of the Kaneko barley almost serves as a perfect honey glaze for the dish.
Dai Dai with fried chicken. This has just enough hops to help cut through the fat. The combination of the Tardif de Bourgogne hops and Fukure Mikan give out this orange flavor that works perfectly with the dish. Who doesn’t like orange chicken.
Q7. What makes Hitachino Nest so unique compared to the vast selection of craft beers available in Japan and around the world?
Chris: Hitachino Nest beers are very balanced. They don’t just load up the kettle with a ton of hops and call it a day.
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