KARL JIANG AND TAYLOR ARM STRONG

KARL JIANG AND TAYLOR ARMSTRONG

Wuhan-based Brewers

Interview by Sophie Steiner

Wuhan has been through a rollercoaster in the last 18-plus months but is finally on a clear upward trajectory. This bodes well for tourism – specifically related to food and beverage.

We caught up with Karl Jiang of No. 18 Brewing and Taylor Armstrong of Devils Brewery to understand how the reopening of the now stronger and bolder craft beer scene in Wuhan has served as a symbol of the reemergence of the pride of a city now unified more than ever.

How did COVID-19 affect No. 18 Brewing? Jiang: Like all businesses and public places in Wuhan, we were forced to temporarily close down the brewery in January 2020. At the time, we had prepared a variety of beers, both core beers and experimental small-batch beers, to release during the Spring Festival. After recognizing the gravity of the situation, we distributed some of the beers to employees and donated the rest. I started to volunteer in my community – driving around medical staff and delivering masks – and I arranged for a brewer to move into the brewery to manage production during the time that the brewing wasn’t functioning, with food being delivered directly to the brewery every few days. At that time, it was hard to purchase anything on the street – everything was closed – so all raw materials had to be delivered through slow channels.

“While many small businesses didn’t survive the pandemic, we were fortunate enough to make it through and come out stronger on the other side”

How long did you have to shut down the brewery, and how did you spend your time during lockdown? Armstrong: The US started chartering evacuation flights for citizens to return home, but I’m so happy I stayed. Soon after lockdown, I packed my things and moved into the actual brewery for the long haul. When I tell my quarantine story to anybody, their first comment is “You must have drunk so much beer during quarantine,” but in reality, I only drank a pint maybe every few days. I love beer, but drinking alone gets depressing real fast. The brewery is over 1,000 square meters, so I built a small kitchen, cooking everything in my electric pressure cooker. I could start an electric pot cookbook at this point. I spent time reading, video chatting with family, running some test batches with ingredients we had in the brewery and exercising in my makeshift brewery gym.

How has the craft beer scene in Wuhan recovered since COVID-19? Jiang: The recovery was slow. When the city began to reopen in March, diners wanted to eat typical Chinese food – hot pot and barbecue – not Western food and high-end craft beers. But slowly, business began to pick up throughout May, and by June there was explosive growth. No one wanted to stay at home anymore – they wanted to go out, eat, drink and party. While many small businesses didn’t survive the pandemic, we were fortunate enough to make it through and come out stronger on the other side.

Were your brew releases changed as a result of COVID-19? Armstrong: We have since returned to a ‘new normal.’ We have more local customers, which is more sustainable in the long run, and we have been offering a wider variety of beers to appeal to this emerging crowd. After quarantine, I brewed a lychee dragon fruit Gose called Quarantine Devil by myself. The experience of brewing fully by myself was interesting, and I’m considering brewing it again, but this next time with a helper.

Where do you see the craft beer scene going in Wuhan in the next five years? Armstrong: I see a trend starting even now of more local craft breweries opening up across China that will push the craft beer scene forward even more quickly. This will in turn help cultivate more general beer interest and more local enthusiasm for our product. I think that COVID caused a short-term hit, but a longterm win for the craft beer scene in China. The ball is rolling and even COVID can’t stop it.

> This interview has been edited for brevity.

ROLLER COASTER

East to West

After a month-long battle against COVID-19, Guangdong opened up to the rest of China last month. Residents in the southern province no longer need a COVID-19 test for inter-provincial travel. Sadly, a new spout of cases has kicked up in the beautiful Yunnan province, Nanjing and elsewhere. So, if you were planning on visiting the province’s many travel destinations, you may want to postpone that trip for a later date while authorities and residents take necessary action to ensure public health and safety. Two years following the completion of Beijing Daxing International Airport, Chengdu officially opened its own mega-airport in late June. Chengdu Tianfu International Airport – the second international airport in Sichuan’s capital city – started operations on June 27. Chengdu is now the third city in China home to two international airports, with Beijing and Shanghai as the other two cities. Similar to Beijing’s Daxing airport, Chengdu Tianfu is located roughly 50 kilometers away from the city center – depending on where you’re trying to go, of course. A trip from Chengdu Tianfu to the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding is around 84 kilometers away, according to Google Maps. The official opening marked the completion of the project’s first phase, which includes the construction of three runways and two terminals that can handle up to 60 million passengers annually. China Daily reports that long-term plans for the airport terminals will cover 1.4 million square meters and handle 120 million annual passengers. Chengdu’s two international airports should help the city become a major transportation hub, linking the PRC with Southeast Asia, Central Asia and Europe. However, this may take some time as China’s borders remain closed off to most foreign travelers, and a reduced number of international flights are currently bound for the country.

MILE HIGH Panda Planes

HOSPITALITY HIGHLIGHT Abu Luzi Eco Lodge

Situated near Jiuzhaigou’s Shangsizhai Village, guests will find the Abu Luzi Eco Lodge. This Tibetan-style inn is located in a rural valley less than 30 minutes from the famous Jiuzhaigou National Park entrance. The eight rooms are modern yet honor local Tibetan design, a heritage that is most commonly found in the homestyle cooking done in the lodge’s restaurant. Overlooking both the valley below and sprawling mountains, guests can enjoy a cup of Pu’er tea, roasted yak meat, rich stews and sauteed wild vegetables and herbs. During the stay, guests can visit the park, hike nearby trails, ride horses, explore Tibetan villages or relax in the lodge’s garden while taking in breathtaking views.

HOT SPOT

Ella

While most daydreams of sunny beaches, the idyllic green hills, flowing waterfalls, and charming small-town atmosphere of Sri Lanka’s Ella make it a must-visit destination. The train views from nearby Nuwara Eliya towards Ella are considered some of the most beautiful in the world – chockfull of lush tea fields and colonial heritage, it’s easy to pass time here, replacing the coastline heat for a cool mountain breeze. Outside of tea-sipping, visitors can embark on a trek to Little Adam’s Peak, overlooking the longer excursion to Ella Rock. The Nine Arch Bridge, a part of the train trip between Kandy and Ella, is the best example of colonial-era railway construction in all of Sri Lanka. This 30-meter-high bridge is situated amongst the lush tea fields just a 30-minute trek away from Ella. To the side of the train tracks is a narrow, steep path leading down to lavish green tea fields that surround the bridge. Ravana Falls hosts a large area for swimming but can get busy with other tourists, so swing by early, then continue to the Buduruwagala Rajamaha Viharaya temple, a Buddhist religious site with an over 1,000-year-old set of 16-meter-tall carvings, the largest standing Buddha statues in the entire country. More off the beaten path, Haputale is a smaller town located in rolling tea hills an hour from Ella. Most famous for Lipton’s Seat – an expansive tea field viewpoint – a hidden gem is the Diyaluma Falls, the second-highest waterfall in Sri Lanka at 220 meters (720 feet) tall. While the falls are impressive from below, there are tiers of secluded natural infinity pools near the top that are other-worldly. To find them, set off on a steep, uneven, rocky hike up the side of the falls, but the payoff is verdant green for as far as the eye can see. Unwind with an authentic Sri Lankan feast of curries, coconut sambol, and lunu miris – a chili and onion chutney – at family-run restaurant Matey Hut back in Ella’s center.