Non-Alcoholic Beer Rules in Hong Kong
In Hong Kong, "liquor" means a liquid with more than 1.2% ethyl alcohol by volume, under section 2 of the Dutiable Commodities Ordinance (Cap. 109). A drink at 1.2% or below is not liquor, and no Hong Kong law we read defines non-alcoholic beer.
Checked on 2 October 2026. This is general information, not legal advice: laws change, so confirm with the regulator before you rely on a rule.
The rules in Hong Kong at a glance
- At what alcohol level does a drink count as alcoholic in Hong Kong?
- More than 1.2% ethyl alcohol by volume is liquor.
- What may a label call a non-alcoholic beer in Hong Kong?
- No legal term. A drink at 1.2% or below is not liquor.
- Who may sell or buy non-alcoholic beer in Hong Kong?
- The 2018 ban on selling to under-18s, the vending-machine ban and the remote-sale age declaration cover liquor only.
The detail, with sources
Since 2018, businesses in Hong Kong may not sell or supply intoxicating liquor to anyone under 18. They may not sell it from vending machines, and they need an age declaration for remote sales such as online orders. These rules apply only to intoxicating liquor, so they do not reach drinks at or below 1.2%.
Elsewhere in East Asia
Japan and South Korea count a drink as liquor from 1% alcohol by volume, and Hong Kong from just above 1.2%. Taiwan draws the line at 0.5%, and mainland China's beer standard puts non-alcohol beer at 0.5% or less. Below those lines, the rules on labels and age come mostly from food regulators and industry codes rather than from alcohol law.
| Country or territory | A drink counts as alcoholic from |
|---|---|
| Japan | 1% ABV or more is liquor (酒類) under the Liquor Tax Act. |
| South Korea | 1% ABV or more is liquor (주류) under the Liquor Tax Act. |
| Mainland China | We found no single legal line. The national beer standard counts non-alcohol beer as a kind of beer. |
| Taiwan | More than 0.5% ABV is an alcohol product (酒). |
Across the whole region
- All 27 countries and territories in one table
- What halal authorities have published
- What regulators say about drink-driving laws and non-alcoholic beer
- The same rows as JSON or CSV, free to reuse with credit
If a rule for Hong Kong has changed, or a source no longer says what we say it does, write to getsoma.store@gmail.com and we will correct it.
Who publishes this page
SOMA is a non-alcoholic craft beer brand founded in Bangalore, India, and its beers are under 0.5% ABV. Our first deliveries will be in Bangalore, and we do not ship outside India. We keep these pages because the rules on non-alcoholic beer differ a great deal between countries, and many pages online state them without a source.
To learn how non-alcoholic beer is made and what is in it, read Non-Alcoholic Beer 101.