Any self-respecting beer drinker who has lived in Beijing has heard of Great Leap Brewing.

As northern China’s first ever craft brewery, Great Leap Brewing consigned to history the days when beer in Beijing meant Tsingtao, Yanjing, or nothing. Sourcing about 80% of its ingredients from China, Great Leap aims to make world-class beer that showcases the finest aspects of Chinese culture. Arguably the institution that brought true pub culture to Beijing, it is now the go-to place for beer-loving Chinese and expats alike.

Today, we have the honor of speaking to Liu Fang, perhaps the lesser known half of the husband-wife duo that founded GLB. She shares what inspired her and her husband, Carl, to build what has become one of Beijing’s best-known small businesses.

Previous episodes of the Wǒ Men podcast can be found here, and you can find Wǒ Men on iTunes here.

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Soundcloud embed (if you’re in China, turn your VPN on):