---
title: "Meng Fei's Craft Beer Accused of Infringement? Craft Beer Under Consumption Upgrade Again Sparks Heated Debate!"
description: "Gao Yan, known as the first person of Chinese craft beer, and Meng Fei, a celebrity host with 30 million followers, are embroiled in a controversy. After terminating their cooperation, Meng Fei allegedly continued to use Gao's proprietary 'Baby Fat' craft beer recipe to produce 'Meng Fei Xiao Niang', leading to accusations of infringement and outcry from rock music circles. The incident is still unfolding."
author: "New Distribution"
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published: "2017-08-13"
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---

# Meng Fei's Craft Beer Accused of Infringement? Craft Beer Under Consumption Upgrade Again Sparks Heated Debate!

> Gao Yan, known as the first person of Chinese craft beer, and Meng Fei, a celebrity host with 30 million followers, are embroiled in a controversy. After terminating their cooperation, Meng Fei allegedly continued to use Gao's proprietary 'Baby Fat' craft beer recipe to produce 'Meng Fei Xiao Niang', leading to accusations of infringement and outcry from rock music circles. The incident is still unfolding.

**By Intern Reporter Pang Yujiao**
**Edited by Gu Debai**
**Source: MicroWine (ID: zgweijiu)**
Gao Yan, hailed as the first person of Chinese craft beer; Meng Fei, a celebrity host with 30 million followers. Recently, according to media reports, an incident involving Meng Fei's alleged infringement has caused a stir. The reason is that Meng Fei, after venturing into craft beer and terminating his cooperation with Gao Yan, continued to use Gao's unique 'Baby Fat' craft beer recipe to produce beer—Meng Fei Xiao Niang—without authorization, drawing criticism from Gao Yan and many in the rock music circle. The incident is still escalating.

**01**
**Craft Beer Gains Favor**
This suspected infringement incident has once again brought the previously hot craft beer into the spotlight. Prior to this, many beer companies had already dipped their toes into craft beer, seizing the trend and aiming to control the market, which has become a consensus among many beer enterprises.

Not long ago, CITIC Securities Co., Ltd. issued a document titled "CITIC Securities' Verification Opinion on Guangzhou Zhujiang Beer Co., Ltd. Increasing Capital to Nansha Zhujiang with Raised Funds and Opening a Raised Funds Account by Nansha Zhujiang," which showed that Zhujiang Beer plans to invest 225 million yuan in craft beer production lines and experience store projects, including projects in Guangxi, Dongguan, Zhanjiang, and Hunan.

As the beer industry leader, AB InBev introduced the American craft brand Goose Island in 2011 for $38.8 million. In 2014, two more American craft breweries, Blue Point and 10 Barrel, were acquired by AB InBev. This year, AB InBev added Shanghai-based craft brand Boxing Cat and American craft brewery Wicked Weed to its portfolio.

Heineken, the second-largest brewer, which released its half-year report not long ago, acquired a 50% stake in American craft brewery Lagunitas Brewing in September 2015. In May this year, Heineken announced it had completed the acquisition of the remaining half of Lagunitas.

At the end of 2015, Tsingtao Brewery's 16 community bars launched craft beer products, with the debut of Classic 1903 marking the arrival of the "era of great craft beer" led by Tsingtao.

Carlsberg has long cooperated with Brooklyn Brewery in the US and acquired the UK's London Fields Brewery.

Not only are beer giants on the move, but quality craft brands are also continuously attracting external financing and expanding their layouts for greater development.

For example, in January last year, the well-known domestic craft brand Panda Brew announced it had received a total of 20 million yuan in investment from investors including Tiantu Capital, Zmeng, Shanghai Zhushan Fund, and Six from Smartisan Technology. In May this year, Panda Brew announced the completion of a 119 million yuan Series A financing round.

**02**
**Rapidly Developing Craft Beer Market**
What is craft beer? Unlike industrial beer produced on large-scale assembly lines, craft beer typically uses top fermentation, resulting in a richer taste compared to light industrial beer. Moreover, craft beer is brewed only with malt, hops, yeast, and water, and may involve various innovations, using spices, fruits, and vegetables during brewing to achieve a fuller body and flavor, leading to higher costs and consequently higher market prices.

Taste and price are the two major characteristics of craft beer and the main reasons for the consumption boom.

Influenced by a consumer mindset that is curious and constantly seeking new things, many people have started trying craft beer and have become regular consumers. Within this consumer group, some beer enthusiasts appreciate the rich taste and diverse flavors of craft beer; they have a clear understanding of craft beer and can both buy and savor it. Meanwhile, a larger portion of consumers are buying into the brand effect behind the word "craft."

According to a research report by market research firm Mintel, 34% of beer drinkers are willing to pay more for craft beer, and 45% of consumers perceive craft beer as high-end. With supply-side reform in consumption, consumption is shifting toward higher levels, and consumer concepts are undergoing significant changes. Compared to traditional low-cost industrial beer, the "high-end" concept carried by craft beer undoubtedly satisfies most people's pursuit of a premium image.

From 2008 to 2016, the continuous rise in imported beer volumes is also a prominent feature of consumption upgrading.

**2008-2016 Imported Beer Volumes (Source: China Industry Information Network)**

From a market perspective, the beer market lacks momentum, with China's beer production declining significantly. According to data from China Business Industry Research Institute, in 2016, China's beer production was 45.064 million kiloliters, a year-on-year decrease of 4.4%, marking the third consecutive year of decline. However, sales revenue has been growing slightly year-on-year, indicating to some extent the trend of beer consumption upgrading.

Extensive industrial brewing can no longer meet market demand, and with beer profits being thin and sales declining, the concept of small profits and quick turnover can no longer promote the healthy development of beer enterprises. Seeking diversified development and corporate transformation through craft beer has become a consensus among many beer companies, laying the corporate foundation for the development of craft beer.

**03**
**Challenges Faced**
**1. Consumers Have a Vague Concept of Craft Beer**
Since craft beer has only emerged in China in the past two years, consumers lack sufficient understanding of it, and most are buying the "high-end" image rather than product knowledge, leading to unclear purchasing tendencies in the buyer's market.

A deeper background is the lack of beer culture in China. Unlike countries like Germany, which is famous for its beer culture, China's beer culture is limited to small restaurants and street stalls, and few people savor a beer the way they would taste baijiu or wine.

For many consumers, beer is still the 1.0 version of a few yuan per bottle for casual drinking; there is little difference for them between industrial beer and craft beer, and craft beer may even be criticized for its unique flavor.

"Currently, domestic consumers are in a state of blind following regarding craft beer, with no understanding of which beers are good or bad," an expert in the beer industry told MicroWine reporters.

**2. High Raw Material Supply Costs**
According to data from China International Beer Network, in 2016, China imported 5.9 million tons of barley, accounting for 21.1% of global barley imports; from January to May 2017, China imported 3.89 million tons of barley, a year-on-year increase of 128.0%, with a value of 5.45974 billion yuan, up 92.2% year-on-year. It is foreseeable that China's brewing barley will continue to rely on imports for the current and foreseeable future. Insufficient domestic raw material supply, coupled with the demand for genuine ingredients in craft beer, results in high raw material costs, which to a large extent limits the expansion of craft beer and is one of the reasons for its higher market prices.

**3. Lack of Industry Standards, Market Flooded with Small Brands**
As a new thing in China, craft beer still lacks comprehensive laws and regulations for standardized definition. Many small factories have jumped into craft beer production, resulting in a mix of good and bad products. Due to the absence of regulations and industry production standards, small factories vary in their technical capabilities regarding process control, microbial management, and finished product standards, and a large number of products that do not meet "craft" quality are eroding the brand power of "craft beer" in the market.

Some beer market experts also suggest that while the current craft beer market is fragmented, the future of craft beer may follow the same path as the beer industry and automobile industry, where large enterprises form oligopolies through mergers and acquisitions, which is also a development trend for sub-sectors within the industry.

Not long ago, the second working meeting of the "Beer" national standard drafting group and the working meeting for drafting the group standards of "Pure Draft Beer" and "Craft Beer" were held in Guangzhou.

The formulation plan for the "Craft Beer" group standard will be divided into tasks after the meeting, and after industry research and opinion collection, the initial draft will begin. He Yong, Executive Deputy Secretary-General of the China Alcoholic Drinks Association and Secretary-General of the Beer Branch, revealed at the meeting that the "Craft Beer" group standard is planned to be completed in the first half of next year.

The American Brewers Association, which recently launched an official craft beer seal, defines craft brewers as small, independent, and traditional.

**Small:** Annual production of less than 6 million barrels, with beer production determined by the operating rules of the joint venture; **Independent:** The craft brewery itself owns or controls at least 75% of the brewery's equity; **Traditional:** Using traditional or innovative raw materials and following traditional or innovative brewing methods to create beer flavors. These three points may provide some guidance for the drafting of the "Craft Beer" group standard.

Many online opinions believe that the development of domestic craft beer is likely to follow the trajectory of American craft beer. One point worth noting is that the American Brewers Association recently released a semi-annual report showing that small independent brewers in the US produced less than 6 million barrels of craft beer in the first half of this year, a 5% increase year-on-year, marking a new low in growth rate. After more than 20 years of development, American craft beer seems to have hit a growth ceiling. In 2015, craft beer sales reached $22.3 billion, accounting for 21.1% of US beer sales.

As of May this year, China's craft beer market share was less than 1%. If it truly follows the American trajectory, how far is it from 1% to 21%? And will that 21% be the ceiling for China's craft beer development?

**Extended Reading:**
## Meng Fei Slapped in the Face! High-Profile Entry into Beer Industry with Self-Created Brand Turns Out to Be Stolen Recipe...
**Source: Rocker (ID: Rockerfm)**
"WTF, Meng Fei has provoked the rock circle?"
A few days ago, when scrolling through my social feed, I saw this:

Wu Wei of Life Pill, Zhou Yunshan of Ruins, Liu Zifu, and many other musicians stood up and called out to Meng Fei.

What did Meng Fei do to offend all the tough guys in the rock circle?

From their descriptions, Meng Fei infringed on Master Gao.

Master Gao, known as the "Cui Jian of the craft beer circle," is closely related to the rock circle and has long been respected by Rocker. And Meng Fei is a celebrity host with 30 million followers.

**Why is there no news online, and only a few musicians have spoken out? Rocker immediately sensed something was not simple!**

With these questions, Rocker went to Master Gao's bar and found a friend working there.

Without asking, this friend told me a shocking revelation!

When he got excited, he couldn't help saying: "**Meng Fei's hands are too long; he stole someone's stuff and still brags about it.** "

"**Don't be fooled by his dignified TV persona; off stage, his heart is black!** "

After a long afternoon of conversation, Rocker felt it necessary to expose this incident so more people would know!

**01**
Who is Master Gao? Master Gao, whose real name is Gao Yan, is the first person of Chinese craft beer.

In 2008, he first brought the concept of craft beer to China and wrote a book called "Brew Your Own Beer."

This book was later regarded as a bible by countless young brewers, and his name is well-known in the craft beer world; beer lovers would bow and call him "Master Gao"!

He is 1.9 meters tall, loves alcohol, and has a hearty laugh, looking like an "old hippie."

You cannot simply classify him as a "businessman" or "brewer," because he is more of a person **willing to pay for sentiment**!

At the beginning of the year, "folk song brother" Li Zhi began his painstakingly planned "334 Plan," where he would travel to 334 prefecture-level cities over 12 years to promote his beloved live music.

This was destined to be an unpopular plan; it was time-consuming, labor-intensive, and yielded little practical benefit, which made many sponsors shy away.

But Master Gao, who claims to "never listen to folk music," resolutely stood behind Li Zhi, muttered a curse, and then gave his full support!

He sponsored the full set of equipment at the highest specification and also covered five years of maintenance costs. To do all this, he invested his entire annual net income.

Some said he was foolish, but he said: "**Popularizing craft beer is like popularizing music; both are projects to enlighten the people, using art and science to overcome ignorance and mediocrity.** "

> Rumor has it that Li Zhi, who doesn't drink, broke his abstinence for Master Gao

As he said, over the years, Master Gao has quietly contributed to China's independent music scene, showing his loyalty and righteousness.

He funded four craft beer music festivals, and even when ticket sales were poor, he remained steadfast, because not everything can be measured by money.

In 2016, he sponsored SMZB's 20th anniversary European tour and also co-launched a limited-edition craft beer with the band.

When asked why, he simply said: We share the same creed, **we don't bow to reality, we say no to idiots!**

It is precisely because of his good reputation in the cultural circle over the years that when trouble arose, so many musicians were willing to stand up for Master Gao and confront Meng Fei.

> Craft beer rock festival held in Nanjing

**02**
In the public eye, Meng Fei has always been a witty and wise host; the show "If You Are the One" has almost dominated the TV screens of middle-aged and elderly audiences nationwide.

In the past two years, Meng Fei has begun to venture into the business world. Some netizens commented: "**Meng Fei is a media person, but more so a businessman.** "

This is not without reason. Before opening his store, Meng Fei used his influence to create a buzz, and on opening day, he used his connections to invite celebrities like Guo Degang, Huang Jianxiang, and Huang Han to show support.

The store is not cheap; Rocker has been there once. A bowl of noodles that costs a few yuan on the streets of Chongqing was transformed and charged 38 yuan.

The store displays gifts from guests of "If You Are the One," successfully attracting many loyal fans of the show to visit, and the constant stream of customers made other businesses envious.

Meng Fei is shrewd. After achieving some success with light dining like "noodles," he knew to quickly enter the high-end dining market. "My home has not only noodles but also hot pot; everyone is welcome to taste."

This year, Meng Fei and actor Huang Lei opened a hot pot restaurant in Nanjing called "Huang Liang Yi Meng." However, within days of opening, a "sky-high menu" was exposed.

A netizen named "Mao Dashu" said that the three of them ordered a 128 yuan double-flavor pot, 380 yuan per jin for customized tripe, and 398 yuan for 15 slices of beef. In the end, they spent over 1,500 yuan, with a per capita consumption of over 500 yuan.

Once the prices were exposed, the internet was filled with complaints: "This is a rip-off," "Celebrity effect, big store bullies customers," "Damn expensive"!

But Meng Fei remained calm. He appeared in the media and retorted: "Only after you've paid do you have the right to say whether it's expensive or good," "If you haven't eaten there, you have no right to speak!"

His years of media experience taught him when to say what to get the best effect.

**His remarks not only won applause from many fans but also increased the store's visibility**, and the number of customers grew daily.

**He knows he has the influence to command wind and rain, and he knows how to use that influence for business.**

Clearly, this was not enough for Meng Fei; he wanted to use his influence to create a beer.

Before entering any new field, newcomers must pay respects to the old hands, and the craft beer circle is no exception.

Meng Fei found Master Gao, who was also in Nanjing. He knew that to make money from craft beer, he had to consult Master Gao.

He specially visited Master Gao: "I want to create a beer for my Meng Fei noodle shop."

Master Gao was pleased to see the famous national host at his door and said amiably: "If you need beer, just say the word and we'll deliver it; there's no need for you to come in person."

He generously brought out his signature beers, lined them up: Meng Ding, Baby Fat, Ying Shui Di Jiang, Jasmine...

Meng Fei immediately took a liking to "Baby Fat"—Master Gao's unique treasure and China's first bottled craft beer. He said he wanted it to launch in Nanjing by the Mid-Autumn Festival.

> Meng Fei Xiao Niang with Master Gao's logo
>
To accommodate Meng Fei's plan, Master Gao worked on the production line for several days straight. As for Meng Fei, he only needed to provide his fame and sit back to count the money.

That was the entire process of their first cooperation. Meng Fei named the beer "Meng Fei Xiao Niang," saying: "Occasionally I hear people complain that our noodles aren't good, but no one has ever said our beer isn't good!"

> Jin Xing's husband gave high praise after drinking it

The win-win situation was gratifying, but no one expected the cooperation to end quietly.

When Meng Fei proposed to terminate the cooperation, Master Gao's team initially didn't take it seriously; in business, alliances often dissolve and reform.

But what they didn't expect was that after the termination, the popular "Meng Fei Xiao Niang" continued to be produced.

The new Meng Fei Xiao Niang tasted no different, and it maintained almost identical color, alcohol content, original wort concentration, and bitterness value as before.

To achieve such consistency, one would need detailed knowledge of raw material ratios, fermentation temperature and time, and other process details. If the recipe hadn't been stolen, it would be impossible to replicate these values by simply switching breweries.

To those in the know, this is blatant plagiarism!

Master Gao realized that his secret recipe had likely been stolen! He immediately stated: "The new Meng Fei Xiao Niang has nothing to do with us."

"Be honest in business; please behave yourself!"

At that point, he still had some illusions about Meng Fei—after all, he was a nationally known public figure, he had been polite when he came to pay respects, and they had signed a confidentiality agreement during cooperation, so he shouldn't have done something sneaky or despicable.

But Meng Fei ignored this and continued to promote the new beer with great fanfare.

At the time, facing criticism over the "sky-high hot pot," he decided to clarify and, in the process, advertise the new beer.

**He is shrewd; he doesn't waste any opportunity for publicity.**

In the advertisement, he proudly introduced his new Meng Fei Xiao Niang.

He publicly claimed it "contains four types of hops" and emphasized in the ad that even after changing partners, it still tastes the same! It was so blatant it was shocking.

Seeing this ad, Master Gao was furious. He had stolen something and was still so brazen, doing shady business and swindling people.

He flew into a rage and went to the comment section of Meng Fei's ad to expose the truth and denounce the true face of the famous host. As expected, his lengthy comments were manually blocked.

**03**
Master Gao had considered defending his rights and making the truth public, but the results chilled him...

In the media circle, close friends advised him, "Let it go; you can't beat Meng Fei." Those with less close relationships wouldn't even answer his calls and would avoid meeting him.

**Indeed, in Nanjing's media circle, if you offend Meng Fei, can you still survive?**

Meng Fei's influence extends beyond the media circle. In the music circle, many artists who knew the truth remained silent, not daring to say a word: "Offending Meng Fei means cutting off your own income!"

Only some rock friends stood up, knowing what it feels like when your labor is plagiarized. They supported Master Gao: "Never tolerate infringement; resist to the end!"

But being underground for so long, their voices carry little weight, and the public doesn't care what they say.

**What is reality? This is reality!**

A host with tens of millions of followers, even if he stole something and burned bridges, no one dared to speak out for fear of his fame, power, and connections!

What's more heartbreaking is that many of Meng Fei's fans jumped out and bit back at Master Gao.

Some sternly questioned Master Gao: "Is your Baby Fat's taste so unique? Different from other beers? You're bragging!"

They completely ignored the fact that it was that beer that ended China's history of no craft beer and is unique worldwide.

> Image from the public account "Baobao Lan's Kitchen"

Others arrogantly said: "If Meng Fei hadn't cooperated with you, you wouldn't have the status you have today."

**A brewer can be unknown and live a plain life, but must never disgrace his craft!**

If having your craft stolen is exchanged for so-called "status," fame, and money, then I can only say that is an insult to a craftsman!

Master Gao, in front of the screen, watched the spittle from Meng Fei's fans fly toward him, but he was powerless.

He had brewed beer for half his life, but he couldn't understand why he, the victim of theft, was being attacked. Was his hard work worth nothing?

Seeing this, Rocker felt it was time to stand up, not only out of respect for Master Gao or anger over the infringement.

I want everyone to know that even if everyone remains silent, even if the power in front of you is overwhelming, someone should still stand up and shout.

Rocker is not afraid of the public opinion pressure he will face; I am here to convey the truth to everyone, to tell you: This is the attitude of a rocker!

**04**
Public figures going into business has become a trend in recent years. With their massive traffic and resources, they naturally find it easy to do business.

Especially someone as clever as Meng Fei, whether it's the low-end "Meng Fei Noodles" or the high-end "Huang Liang Yi Meng," he knows how to use his resources and fame to serve money.

All this is understandable, but if you rely on your strong capital and extensive connections to be unreasonable, enter another industry with arrogance, steal someone's stuff, and remain proudly ignorant, then I can only say: **You really need to wake up!**

This may be the worst era for intellectual property; malicious infringement happens all the time, and once victims speak out, someone always splashes dirty water on them, saying they're "seeking attention" or "making trouble out of nothing."

People seem to have become accustomed to repeated infringement scandals; they have become numb, and the public has seen enough excitement and stopped paying attention.

Should ordinary people just give in when facing celebrities with huge fan bases?

Of course not. **Infringement is always a serious issue with no room for compromise!**

Even if rock or craft beer is still a niche circle, I want to tell you, **we are not afraid to fight to the end!**

Rocker remembers that Meng Fei first became famous through a news program called "Nanjing Zero Distance," which exposed social injustices.

Fifteen years have passed. I think it's time for Meng Fei to return to that show. But this time, his role may not be the host, but the subject...

-END-


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