In the past 20 years, craft beers have become more premium and entered some upscale restaurants. One New Zealand brew master is trying to convince Chinese that beer is more than a thirst-quenching working man?s drink. Gao Ceng brews the tale.

Leon Mickelson, the brew master at the Kerry Hotel Pudong, Shanghai, is a pioneer in bringing craft beer to China. His mission is to change the image of beer from a working man's drink to an important part of fine dining.

Mickelson, 33, is trying to persuade Chinese customers that beer can be more complex and serious than they expect, but it's difficult.

He offers a tasting menu that features his creations and those of other brewers. They feature hints of tropical fruit, caramel, vanilla, chocolate, roasted coffee and other flavors.

One of his own beers is inspired by Sichuan hotpot. He created a recipe using five key spices in one hotpot soup - Sichuan pepper, star anise, cinnamon, cloves and fennel.

In the past 20 years, craft beer has becoming more premium, entering high-profile restaurants and even competing with wine, he says.

Mickelson started brewing beer with his father on Saturday afternoons in Hawkes Bay, New Zealand, 16 years ago.

"Although home brewing seems simple and rough, the brewing principle is just the same," Mickelson says.

He is certified as a brew master from the renowned Institute of Brewing and Distilling in the UK. His craft beers have won 14 medals in the New Zealand International Brewing Awards. He also judges various international brewing competitions worldwide.

Science and art

Compared with being a judge, he's more accustomed to being a brewer, someone he describes as "using science and art to turn grain into an alcoholic beverage."

He spends most of his time at hotel's brewery The BREW - he calls it his "kingdom" - among enormous stainless steel vats used for brewing and storage. That's his studio where he creates new beer flavors and monitors the brewing process.

The brewery is opened to visitors and Mickelson enjoys showing guests around. The brewery exhibits and explains raw materials (barley, hops, yeast) as well as the brewing process. He explains that barley is roasted differently - light, moderate and deep - each giving different character.

"The degree of roasting to some extent determines beer color and, hence, flavor. Golden yellow implies a caramel sweetness and dark brown implies a possible note of coffee and chocolate. Hops give beer the necessary herbal aroma, spicy flavor and bitterness," Mickelson explains.

"The brewing process is more about chemistry and engineering while the original recipe design is an art job, which visualizes the abstract idea into actual flavor," Mickelson says.

It can take as long as eight weeks to create a new flavor. Mickelson is frequently inspired by his dining experience. One beer, for example, is inspired by his dining at a Chinese hotpot restaurant.

"I am impressed by the flavor and aroma of Sichuan hotpot," he says. After one dinner he identified all the ingredients of that particular hotpot soup and found five spices - star anise, cloves, cinnamon, Sichuan pepper and fennel seeds. He then designed a recipe using those spices.

He usually makes several samples - and sometimes as many as 20 - to ensure the flavor is right.

Having a sensitive nose and palate is essential for a brewer, as is hard training. It's the same for wine connoisseurs. To maintain a sensitive palate, he often drinks various beers of different styles.

"If you limit yourself to some fixed flavors, your palate will soon become blind," Mickelson explains.

Great diversity and good complexity define his personal brewing style. His beer menu offers special craft beers from many countries, including Australia, Belgium, India, Ireland, as well as creative organic beer and seasonal mash.

Brewing style

The BREW has won five medals in Beerfest Asia 2012 - Pils (gold), White Ant (gold), Razorback Cider (silver), Indian Pale Ale (bronze) and Skinny Green (bronze). What's more exciting to guests is that Pils and IPA is now available as part of the hotel's complimentary in-room mini-bar bevarage.

Mickelson also adds a tasting platter to the menu, giving diners and drinkers an opportunity to try different styles.

To expand his own offerings, he is trying a new way of aging, letting beer remain in a wine barrel for 13 months to give it complex characteristics, including smoky, malty and oak-like.

He said he is proudest of a new beer he calls ESB, Extra Special Bitter, which will be released next month.

During the brewing process he adds fragrances and fruits. His favorites are tangerine peel, lemon grass, coriander, Sichuan pepper and lychee.

The beauty of wine is only appreciated when ordinary wine is compared with extraordinary wine. For beer, it's the same.

According to Mickelson, most Chinese are used to big brand beers such as Tsingtao that are light, simple and thirst-quenching. Some use large amounts of rice and relatively little barley and some are stereotypical.

"Compared with wine, beer in some circumstances has more complexity, which allows more space for appreciation," he says. "Wine is dominated by fruitiness and acidity while beer, through its malt sweetness, hop flavor and bitterness, creates a complex tasting experience when it crosses the palate."

He outlined three steps to beer appreciation. First, observe the appearance, whether there's a clean color and creamy thick foam. Then swirl it like wine to catch its aroma, such as tropical fruit, caramel, vanilla, chocolate and roasted coffee. Finally, taste it to determine whether it is "balanced beer flowing harmoniously to the palate."

Given its various characteristics, craft beer can be paired with various dishes. Mickelson recommends pairing light fruity beer with salad, fish and white meat; dark beer featuring a meaty flavor can be paired with heavier foods, such as steak.

The BREW launched Trike & Trailer, which is the city's trailer-style mobile keg attached to a vintage sidecar motorcycle. The trailer comes with up to three different choices of craft beers on tap, or the equivalent of 150 liters of fresh brewed beer. It is available to rent at 10,000 yuan (US$1,570) for up to six hours.

Meanwhile, The Trailer Park BBQ will be held every Saturday from noon through 4pm at The BREW. It costs 350 yuan a person plus 15 percent service charge.