Located a 10-minute walk from Houhai station, E.T. Brewery is at the base of an apartment compound and near a real estate agency whose more wayward employees are having a rowdy, beer-spilling time from a second floor vantage when we visit.
A fair chunk of change has clearly been sunk into E.T. Brewery, which has seven fermentation tanks and twenty taps – though most are not ready to pour when we visit.
A long wood bar sits in front of the taps, above it dimmed filament bulbs – apparently the same model that has been used in every upmarket Shenzhen bar opened over the past year. Sitting below the lights, co-owner Terry Xie explains what makes E.T. Brewery special: craft beer, made by and for Chinese (“I think we have a bit of an advantage, because we understand what people prefer better”).
An early attempt at combining Chinese tastes with modern brewing is the MC&HNY (RMB40), a 7-percent ABV stout that incorporates Chinese angelica, a parsley-family plant popular in wintertime Chinese medicine. The earthy, cinnamon sweet brew is intriguing, but difficult to imagine draining a full 400-milliliter pint of.
The La Jennesse IPA (RMB40) runs along more traditional craft beer lines as an IPA that uses Australian Galaxy hops to create a bitter, fruity 6.5 percent ABV brew.
Service staff are Shenzhen University students who happily take drink orders in English, but are unlikely to engage in bar room banter.
A staircase flanked by black-piping handrails leads upstairs, where the industrial chic of brick walls and unpainted concrete continues. It’s a look that seems to have been adopted as the uniform of swanky brew pubs in southern China.
While E.T. Brewery might look similar up front, the kitchen offers a surprise with the Argentine steak (RMB118). We pause after taking the first bite into the perfectly peppered, medium-rare meat. It’s that good. But coming with only a side of grilled cucumbers, a carrot and a piece of broccoli, it shouldn’t be so expensive.
Music is the usual English-language top 40 bar room mix, with a few of Xie’s personal favorites thrown in. He explains that each hour has a different playlist, depending on the mood they want patrons to be in – a level of foresight that bodes well for this up-and-coming establishment.
While E.T. Brewery might not have the refined vibe of Shenzhen’s more established tap room, it is home to a desire to try something new and the equipment to do it, making it a meaningful addition to Shenzhen’s growing suds scene.
Price: RMB100
Who’s going: craft beer drinkers, curious neighbors
Good for: a Chinese twist on craft beer
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