When a 100-strong South Korean tour group approached a Hong Kong craft beer manufacturer for a tour and tasting session, the operator declined their request. The refusal was not down to a lack of confidence in the product or a staff shortage. It was regulatory: the brewery simply lacked a licence to serve its beer on the premises. “It is not easy doing manufacturing in Hong Kong,” said Luke Yardley, founder of local craft beer brewery Yardley Brothers.