Building an ecosystem
TripSmith's rise mirrors a broader shift in Guiyang's urban culture. Among young residents, a new rhythm of life has taken hold: morning coffee, afternoon tea and evening craft beer.
At the TripSmith Joying Room bar on Taiping Road, manager Wang Zhisong has witnessed how the gold-medal beer captured public attention. Released on Nov 26, the sour beer sold out the very next day.
"After the award, people came in specifically asking for the gold-medal beer," Wang says. "Some even waited outside before we opened in the morning."
The venue pairs local craft beer with Guizhou dishes such as beef rice noodles and regional barbecue — an effort to lower the barrier for newcomers to explore craft brewing.
For Wang, the philosophy is simple. "If we ourselves wouldn't eat a bowl of these noodles, how can we say it's good?" he says. "Brewing beer follows the same principle — take good ingredients and turn them into a good product."
For many locals, craft beer has become more than just a drink; it is a social language.
Thirty-year-old Guiyang resident Zeng Guangyi, a regular customer, drinks craft beer weekly. "People in Guiyang — especially young people — are very open to craft beer," he says. "The flavors are much richer than ordinary beer, and that curiosity draws more people to try it."
Zhang has witnessed the shift firsthand. "I've seen young travelers arrive at the airport, pull their suitcases straight to TripSmith and start drinking," he says. "That's the most rewarding moment for us."
Since 2023, Guiyang's craft beer market has expanded rapidly, with bars reporting strong revenue growth and packed houses during the summer.
Standing at a new starting point after the international award, Zhang now hopes to move beyond exploring terroir to building a regional brewing ecosystem.
Through his farmer co-brewing initiative, he is working with farmers in areas such as Leishan and Libo counties. Oak barrels and wort are transported directly to villages, so that fermentation can take place locally.
The goal is to help farmers sell fruit while sharing brewing knowledge with communities — turning the idea that "each land brews its own beer" into reality.
As president of the Guiyang Craft Beer Industry Association, Zhang believes collaboration is essential.
"An industry grows only when more peers join and the market expands," he says. "It's like beef noodle shops — everyone tastes different. That diversity is what gives a city its charm."
Through the association, Zhang plans to share the lessons TripSmith has learned over more than a decade — from successful brewing techniques to entire batches of beer discarded because they failed to meet quality standards.
His ultimate ambition is for Guizhou to become a globally recognized beer terroir — much like Belgium's lambic brewing tradition.
Like a letter written by wild strawberries and sealed inside oak barrels, the story continues to unfold — inviting anyone who opens a bottle to encounter the mountains, microbes and untamed spirit of Guizhou itself.
