Shanghai has a real craft beer scene, and a pint of local brew runs about 50 to 80 RMB. Here is where to drink it, what to order, and how to catch happy hour.
Shanghai has a genuine craft beer scene, and the dependable places to drink it are Boxing Cat at Sinan Mansions, Webrew near Jing'an Temple, and the Goose Island Brew House on Maoming Lu. A pint of local craft runs about 50 to 80 RMB (~USD 7 to 11), less at happy hour, and most taprooms pour a mix of Shanghai-brewed beer and imports. This is not a city where you settle for a warm industrial lager unless you want to.
People arrive expecting to spend a year drinking the same green-bottle lager and are surprised. Shanghai was where China's modern craft brewing started, back around 2008, and the result is a small but serious set of taprooms where the beer is fresh, the taps rotate, and someone behind the bar can actually tell you what a Longjing tea wheat beer tastes like.
Good to know
- Good for anyone who assumed Shanghai meant a year of the same green-bottle lager and would rather drink something fresh.
- What you'll pay about ¥50 to ¥80 (~USD 7 to 11) for a pint of local craft, dropping to roughly ¥35 to ¥50 (~USD 5 to 7) at the early-evening happy hour.
- Make the most of it order a tasting paddle first at the big tap walls, and check Dianping for current hours before crossing town, since taprooms move fast.
Is there actually good craft beer in Shanghai?
Yes, and it has been here longer than most people assume. Boxing Cat and a handful of other early breweries built the scene well over a decade ago, and it never went away. What you get now is a mix of Shanghai-brewed beer, regional Chinese craft from Beijing, Yunnan and beyond, and a rotating cast of imports on tap.
The one honest caveat: the scene turns over. Taprooms open, move and close faster than any guidebook can keep up with, so before you cross town, check the venue on Dianping for current hours. The places below are the established anchors, the ones that have earned their spot, but a quick look at the app the day you go will save you a locked door.
Where should I drink it?
Three spots cover the range, from a three-floor brewpub to a tap wall you could spend an evening reading.
Boxing Cat Brewery, Sinan Mansions
The name that built the scene, now spread over three floors in Building 26 of Sinan Mansions in Huangpu. It brews its own range, does proper pub food, and stays busy across the week. If you are only going to one craft beer place in Shanghai and want the safe, reliable version, this is it.
Webrew, Jing'an
On the fourth floor of Star Plaza near Jing'an Temple, with around 56 taps and a view of the temple below. This is the one for people who like choice, from local staples to experiments like a Longjing tea wheat beer or a guava IPA. Order a tasting paddle first and narrow down from there.
Goose Island Brew House, Maoming Lu
A taproom on Maoming Road pouring more than a dozen Goose Island beers, including sessionable ones that will not end your night early. A dependable, easy-drinking stop rather than an adventure, and a good first craft beer for someone who normally drinks lager.
What does a pint cost?
Budget roughly 50 to 80 RMB (~USD 7 to 11) for a pint of local craft, with imports running higher. The single most useful habit is happy hour: most taprooms run one in the early evening, often knocking pints down to around 35 to 50 RMB (~USD 5 to 7), and it is the difference between a cheap round and an expensive one. A tasting paddle of four or five small pours costs about the same as a pint or two and is the smart order when you cannot decide, which at a 56-tap bar is most of the time.
What should I order?
Start with whatever the bar brews itself, since that is freshest and the reason the place exists. IPAs and pale ales are the backbone of most Shanghai tap lists, lagers and pilsners are the safe crowd pick, and the fun sits in the local experiments: wheat beers brewed with Chinese tea, fruit-forward sours, and the occasional rice lager. If you are unsure, ask for a taster before committing to a full pour. Nobody at a craft bar minds, and it is how you find the one you actually want a pint of.
Prefer to drink at home? Imported and local cans turn up in the better supermarkets and specialist shops, and our guide to where to buy Western groceries covers where to find them.
Which one is for you
If you want one safe, all-round craft beer night, go to Boxing Cat at Sinan Mansions.
If you want maximum choice and do not mind deciding, take on Webrew's tap wall.
If you normally drink lager and want an easy entry, start at Goose Island on Maoming Lu.
If it is a cocktail mood rather than a beer one, our guides to Shanghai rooftop bars and speakeasy cocktail bars point you the other way.
The Book of Han reminds us 民以食为天, to the people, food is heaven. A city takes its beer as seriously as its dinner, and the good taps are simply that same devotion poured cold.
Is craft beer expensive compared to normal beer in Shanghai?
A craft pint sits well above a supermarket green-bottle lager, which is only a few RMB, but roughly in line with an imported bottle at a normal bar. You are paying for fresh, on-site beer rather than shelf lager, and happy hour narrows the gap to a regular drink.
Which area has the most craft beer bars in Shanghai?
The central districts of Jing'an, Xuhui and Huangpu hold most of the established taprooms, including Webrew near Jing'an Temple, Goose Island on Maoming Lu, and Boxing Cat at Sinan Mansions. They are close enough to string two together in one evening.
Does Shanghai brew its own beer?
Yes. Shanghai was an early centre of China's craft brewing from around 2008, and several taprooms brew on site, including experimental local styles like tea-infused wheat beers and fruit sours alongside standard IPAs and lagers.
Do I need to book a craft beer bar in Shanghai?
For a normal-sized group you can usually walk in, though a Friday or Saturday night at a popular taproom fills up. Because the scene changes fast, check the venue's current hours on Dianping before you travel across the city.
