Setting up the entire operation - including the out-of-town brewery and the Taproom bar in the downtown area - cost around $500,000, money raised from the duo's personal savings and other investors, both Chinese and expatriate.

It took two years of careful planning and bureaucratic approvals before Slow Boat brewed its first barrel. Capacity is around 3,500 liters daily which is around 7,500 American-measure pints, more than enough to slake the thirst of discerning drinkers for the foreseeable future.

People who are unfamiliar with craft-style beers can sample most of the range at the Taproom premises, located in one of Beijing's quaint hutongs (alleyways), not far from the iconic Yonghegong, or Lama Temple. As well as traditional English-style pale ales, there are quirky offerings such as Three Sheets Coffee Porter, Sea Anchor Imperial Vanilla Stout, and Man-O-War Porter. Most beers are between $6 and $9, with the option of ordering a sample tray of different brews to see which appeal.

Having the bar situated in a hutong is a selling point, emphasizing the back-to-basics appeal of the product; the downside is that the Taproom is tricky to find - even with a good map.

"I think everyone likes to come into the alleyways and courtyards of Beijing more than the malls," says Jurinka, 46. "The hutongs are an amazing part of the city, a way of looking at it from a different angle, the lure of Beijing is its culture and history. The Taproom is a bit of a secret in a way, somewhere that only locals would know and could show friends who came to visit, an insider place."

Jurinka can be found there most nights, patiently explaining to customers the subtle taste differences between beers, a job that he says, ruefully, has led to an incremental increase in his waistline.

But late nights drinking with customers are likely to be strictly limited before too long - he and his Hubei-born wife Ji Chun, a teacher who instructs executives in the skills of boardroom English, are expecting their first child in the early summer.

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