Drink Differently At Island East Markets

Little-known wine labels, craft beers, export coffee, teas and artisanal beverages – Island East Markets stalls take you off the “Drunken Path”.

Had enough of the same, big-brand beverage offerings? Island East Markets celebrates all things small, artisanal and little-known from organic produce to local design and of course, not forgetting new and exciting beverages for you to try and buy.

Just as you can chat with the farmers who grow your food, all vendors are close to their respective sources and would love to tell you about their products. Come down and give them a try yourself at the Island East Market that takes place every Sunday – vendors do change weekly however.

Wine: Wine vendors search high and low for quality labels from small, family owned vineyards and some are even organic wines. Veritas win, for example, has been brought to Hong Kong by Csilla Fisher. This Hungarian winery, Maroti, belongs to Csilla’s family and she can tell you every detail about each vintage, variety and more. Other wine vendors include House of Fine Wines and Gourmet Food, Simply Wine, Picco Wine Cellar, La Vinotheque Hong Kong, Villa Gabriella and ALMA.

Coffee: Island East Markets has its own dedicated coffee stall, helmed by some of the pioneers of the coffee industry in Hong Kong. Edmond Keung and Reeves Chung, respectively behind Moving Coffee and CENG are highly qualified and passionate baristas who offer multiple brewing methods on-site, as well as cupping workshops.

Tea: What’s an Asian market without tea? Tea aficionados in Hong Kong already know Vivian Mak, the charming lady behind local tea brand Ming Cha. Vivian sources tea from the farmers themselves and is an expert on everything tea related from brewing to pairing.

Beer: Craft beer’s popularity in Hong Kong is on the rise and increasing number of companies are bringing them to our shores. Most are on-line businesses and are hard to find in physical market places so to see and taste them for yourself; you’ll need to head down to the Island East Market. Breweries represented include Hopleaf and Americraft Imports.

Soft Drinks: Soda does not have to be chock-full of artificial sweeteners and additives so for an all natural alternative to the mainstream head to the market to try something like Reed’s Ginger Beer. There is also Real Cola and Root Beer as well as the low sugar DRY Soda, a brand already very popular in the US.

Health Drinks: If your body is out of balance (maybe from consuming too much wine on Saturday nights), the market offers immune boosting drinks and teas developed by Chinese Medicine researchers. Give them a try to re-vitalise your body on a lazy Sunday afternoon. Vendors include EM Drink, i-Detox and Tian Yu Tea.

So, at a glance, the Island East Markets is a fun and vibrant farmers market offering local organic produce alongside local brands, entertainment and activities for the whole family. The market is open every Sunday from January 27^th to May 12^th (closed on March 31^st) from 10am to 5pm and is situated at Tong Chong Street, Taikoo Place, Island East (Quarry Bay MTR Exit A). 

For more information visit www.hkmarkets.org or follow them on Facebook at www.facebook.com/IslandEastMarkets

To contact the organizer you can contact Janice Leung – co-founder and director of marketing – on janice@hkmarkets.org