Perseverance, passion and positivity: meet the young start-up turning Macao’s flavourful culture into a signature craft brew
The name reflects an ethos: looking at the world from a fresh perspective, exploring life through a unique lens and uncovering the lighter, more amusing side of everyday reality. Far more than a playful moniker, “Funny Eye” embodies a philosophy at the heart of Macao’s first and only craft beer brand.
Crystal Kwok Tsz Ching, co-founder of 2048 (Macau) Limited, the business behind the brand, first encountered craft beer in Hong Kong in 2018. She remembers being struck by its distinctive flavour profile: sweet, floral and deeply aromatic, a world away from the mass-produced bitterness of industrial lager. Keen to explore more craft styles, Ms Kwok soon realised that no local craft breweries existed in Macao. The absence sparked an ambition: she would brew her own.
“At the time, I never imagined I’d actually own a proper brewery; it was more of a personal challenge to be the first in Macao to brew my own beer,” she told Macao Magazine in an interview.
Then an undergraduate at the University of Macau, she teamed up with two fellow students from the university’s Cheng Yu Tung College. Supported by the residential college, the trio began experimenting with small-batch brewing in their spare time, with encouraging results, establishing 2048 (Macau) Limited in late 2018.
In 2019, the young founders joined the Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (CIE) under the Institute of Collaborative Innovation at the University of Macau, where they translated scientific brewing techniques into commercial production. The result was Funny Eye, Macao’s pioneering craft beer brand, which combines East Asian tea traditions with Western brewing techniques.
Guided by two residential college professors, the team created craft beers infused with traditional teas, dried flowers and fruit. Since then, the company has developed dozens of varieties, including lychee black tea, passion fruit green tea, osmanthus, coriander and coffee.
Its current range includes a Portuguese egg tart-flavoured IPA alongside “Macau Local IPA”, a crisp brew with citrus, lemongrass and lychee aromas. The firm has also expanded into other segments, offering a plum sparkling cocktail beverage and a sparkling tea, while launching a sub-brand, WildDays, for the Chinese mainland market.
Beer by cart
The group’s entrepreneurial journey began humbly at the Hong Kung Night Market, a short stroll from Senado Square in the historic heart of the Macao Peninsula. Selling their craft brews from a simple cart on weekend evenings, Funny Eye began to attract a following.
Their initial strategy was simple and direct: establish Funny Eye as Macao’s premier craft beer by building grassroots support. The founders believed local recognition should come before expansion elsewhere.
To build a local presence, they entered entrepreneurship and brewing competitions, expanded retail distribution and opened a dedicated tasting room. Encouraged by mentors at CIE, the 2048 (Macau) Limited team entered the 2020 Bank of China Trophy One Million Dollar Macao Regional Entrepreneurship Competition and won first prize.
Before the COVID-19 pandemic, the founding members regularly travelled to Hong Kong to brew larger batches. However, travel restrictions forced them to remain in Macao just as they graduated from university. The trio faced a crucial decision: pursue Funny Eye more seriously or set the venture aside for conventional corporate careers.
They chose the bolder path.
Backed by interest-free financial assistance schemes supported by the Government, Funny Eye officially opened its local brewery in 2021, with an investment of around 3 million patacas.
Establishing Macao’s first commercial craft brewery presented regulatory hurdles. “We collaborated with staff from different government departments to work through the process,” Ms Kwok recalled. Leveraging the Investor’s “One Stop Service” provided by the Commerce and Investment Promotion Institute, 2048 (Macau) Limited successfully navigated licensing requirements to establish its local production site.
Fresh out of university, the team encountered challenges at every turn. Yet Ms Kwok credits these early difficulties with fostering resilience. Her outgoing personality helped propel the business forward, whether she was persuading people to try the beer or securing financing.
Although pandemic restrictions repeatedly disrupted operations, Funny Eye persevered. A major turning point occurred when Ms Kwok began sharing her entrepreneurial story on Xiaohongshu (known internationally as RedNote). The social media platform broadened the brand’s reach, cultivating a fanbase across the Chinese mainland.
A Macao brand
Unlike industrial beers, craft brewing allows Funny Eye to express local identity and narrative. According to Ms Kwok, the objective is not necessarily complex technical wizardry, but to offer fresh, hyper-local beer.
“We connect Macao’s culture with our beer – through packaging, taste and overall concept,” she explained. “Most brands produce beer strictly from the perspective of beverage manufacturers, but we approach it through culture. What we insist on, above all, is the spirit of being ‘made in Macao’.”
Today, production is divided between local supply and exports to Chinese mainland, distributed through wholesale channels. “Our main priority now is supplying products and building our brand,” Ms Kwok said.
Every stage of production takes place locally. From grain milling and fermentation to bottling and packaging, Funny Eye carries out its operations in-house in Macao. This sets the brand apart from other local names.
“I believe people should never forget their original intention,” Ms Kwok said. “We intended for our beer to be made in Macao, and over these eight years we have strived to maintain that.” The company consistently turns down lower-cost contract manufacturing facilities outside the city to protect its local identity.
Ms Kwok’s infectious optimism shines through her journey: “I was proud from the very first day I decided to do this.”
While commercial milestones validate the business, Ms Kwok finds the deepest reward in personal connections. She recalls one customer telling her that Funny Eye had become part of his memories of university life.
Reflecting the brand’s spirit, she wants it to remind people to find positivity in difficult times.
“Through Funny Eye, we hope everyone can discover the silver lining in any situation,” she said. “When people find themselves facing tough times, perhaps enjoying our beer will remind them that others have overcome similar challenges and, with resilience, they too can press ahead.”
Looking to the future, Ms Kwok envisions the brand as an enduring symbol of Macao’s creative youth.
“One day, when people think of Macao, we would like Funny Eye to come to mind as the city’s signature craft beer, just as other world cities have theirs. We aspire to become one of Macao’s defining features.”
