Hong Kong brewery Gweilo Beer is working with Vocation Brewery in Hebden Bridge to bring its core range of beers to the UK market.
The Gweilo core range of Pale Ale, Tropical Lager, and Session IPA
Gweilo is owned by Ian and Emily Jebbitt, and their friend Joseph Gould, all originally from the UK, but who relocated to Hong Kong, where the brewery launched in July 2015.
The partnership with Vocation began with the release of East & West Pale Ale in the UK last year, which received great reviews from beer fans, and has been rebrewed due to its popularity. It has continued with the arrival of Vocation beers in Hong Kong, which are proving popular in the local craft beer scene.
The next stage of the partnership is the release of three core beers, brewed at Vocation, which will launch on Wednesday, 3rd February.
Ian said: “We are super excited about the unique partnership we have forged with Vocation in the UK and in Hong Kong, and can’t wait for our flagship core range beers to be available in the UK.
Gweilo co-founders Ian and Emily Jebbitt, and Joseph Gould
“We hope the people of the UK appreciate our beers and embrace them as a new favourite — if they don’t, my dad has a lot of beer to drink.”
Gweilo Beer has already found its way into many corners of the world and has partnered with Rocky Ridge in Australia and Heart of Darkness in Vietnam. The appointment last year of head brewer Charlie Johnson to oversee the production of all beers is a key part of the brand ethos, to maintain exceptionally high standards at all times.
The importance of partnerships continues with the artwork for the beers, created in collaboration with Hong Kong artist Szabotage. Gus (Szabotage) has created a custom triptych canvas artwork, built from more than 70 stencils. Each stencil represents something important to Gweilo, from natural ingredients and national icons, through to important events.
The Gweilo core range
Tropical Lager (4.2% ABV)
A light-bodied brew with tropical fruit notes. A dry hop of Ekuanot delivers aromas of papaya and lime, which are rounded off by a satisfyingly crisp finish.
Pale Ale (4.5% ABV)
A light, citrusy pale ale. Cascade is used to create an intense tropical fruit aroma. This is followed by a crisp, refreshing bitterness, which doesn’t linger, resulting in an extremely drinkable pale ale.
Session IPA (4.8% ABV)
This is the beer the brewery launched with back in 2015, brewed so the team could enjoy a flavourful session IPA in Hong Kong. It is intensely dry hopped with Mosaic, creating a bold nose of melon, citrus, and pine, balanced by a malty backbone.
