Beijing duck, steamed dumplings or a glass of green tea: these are the culinary offerings most associated with China. But beer? Believe it or not, China is the beer-chugging capital of the world. The Chinese public gulped down 59.3 billion liters of alcohol in 2012 -- nearly double the amount quaffed in the U.S. Beer accounted for 84% of that figure, according to market research firm Euromonitor. Yet per capita, Chinese consumption was only about 35 liters annually -- less than half of the United States, according to Bloomberg -- and still has enormous room to grow. That has led to a microbrewery boom in Beijing. "There's a whole slew of places that are about to emerge," said Ryan O'Neal Johnston, owner of Beijing's The Drive-Thru Bar. "For anyone interested in anything besides lagers and Tsingtao, it's on."
@highlight
China is the beer-chugging capital of the world, drinking twice as much as the U.S.
@highlight
Per capita  consumption of beer is still half that of Americans, showing room for growth
@highlight
A growing  number of foreign-run microbreweries have launched in Beijing
@highlight
Biggest challenge is intellectual property: "If you're not being copied then you're not relevant"
Chinese
Chinese
The clientele has been diversifying rapidly as more @placeholder return from stints abroad and with greater levels of disposable income, according to microbrewers.
Chinese
Chinese
Both men too have married into @placeholder families and are currently raising their own.
Beijing
Beijing
Beijing
Beijing
"There are 20 million people in this city and the more local Beijing breweries, the greater the likelihood that there will be a craft beer revolution in @placeholder."