Maybe it’s the “fellow Californian in Shanghai” thing that makes me feel a camaraderie with Stephen Yu. Maybe it’s our common desire to see craft beer become a homegrown movement in China. Or maybe it’s just because he treats everyone like a friend, and is always the big, smiling guy behind the bar. He’s quick with a sample of what’s new and interesting, but he genuinely wants to chat, and to know what’s going on in your life.
Stephen is the bar manager at Shanghai’s newly reopened Commune Reserve taproom and restaurant, formerly Stone Brewing Tap Room Shanghai. I met him a few years ago when I was writing for a local beer magazine. Back then, he was working for QI Brews, a beer importing company. His enthusiasm for beer and people always made it a delight when he showed up in Shanghai with visiting brewery representatives from the U.S.
Stephen grew up in Southern California, where the beer culture had a great influence on him. He learned about homebrewing in college and developed a deep admiration for West Coast IPAs, which continues to this day. Work eventually took him to Guangzhou, China, but he kept his passion for beer satisfied in his off hours by forming the Guangzhou Homebrew Association with a buddy.
Eventually, he decided that beer needed to be his day job, too, leading him to QI Brews. When the opportunity arose to work for Stone Brewing as it officially entered the Chinese market, he couldn’t pass it up. He started out on the distribution side, but as the situation developed, he eventually found himself behind the bar as a brand ambassador, and he realized that he liked it there. “I found that I just really enjoyed the opportunity to talk to people,” Stephen says, “certainly about beer, but just conversationally as well, making them feel welcome.”
Although customers directly benefit from Stephen’s beer knowledge and passion, his influence has even more impact through his training of the staff. It is uncommon in this city for new servers to have knowledge of craft beer or the importance of proper serving techniques when they start. But Stephen has succeeded not only in developing a technically well-trained staff, but in sparking an enthusiasm in them that mirrors his own. “Seeing them develop their own passion for craft beer is really rewarding—it makes me want to be a better boss,” he beams. With that aim in mind, Stephen passed the Certified Cicerone test last year, and he encourages his staff to pursue the certification as well.
The coronavirus crisis hastened an abrupt end to the Stone taproom, and although Shanghai is gradually reopening, economic recovery is highly uncertain. But the smooth takeover of the space by Commune is a hopeful sign. And it’s great to see Stephen rolling with the punches, plus making changes of his own. While Stone beers will continue to be served, Stephen will be dedicating more taps to beers from Chinese craft breweries. Excellent beers by Wuhan’s No. 18 Brewery are already on tap, and brews from NBeer in Beijing will be offered soon.
To me, this is one of Stephen’s best traits: he knows that, for craft beer to be more than just a niche in China, it can’t be an imported trend. Passion for it must take root here—and he’s helping to make that happen.
Words by Paul Castle