It might still be gloomy, but at least it's stopped raining, and thankfully most of our go-to bars will remain open during the Congress. And I know some of you are still hungover from last night’s two-hour free-beer spree at the Boxing Cat Brewery Pop-up Party. But it's time to pick yourself up and shake it off, because there are lots of deals and parties waiting for you. Now, wake up, drink some water, take a long breath, and read on.
Drinking Buddies has some newly imported bottles on offer brewed by Retorto, Eastside Brewing, and Cane Di Guerra from Italy. Highlights include Cane Di Guerra double IPA (a robust beer with 8.2 percent ABV), Retorto Marsellus W. Tripel Barricata (aged in rum barrels, with 9 percent ABV), and Eastside Brewing Sunnyside American IPA (with 7 percent ABV). Call them on 137 1808 0313 or WeChat (啤友汇DrinkingBuddies) for more information.
This Friday (Oct 20), the newest iteration of the Explorer General IPA will be released by Great Leap Brewing. Named after General Ban Chao (32-102 AD), who mapped the Persian Gulf and was named the "Protector General of the Western Regions" for pacifying the Tarim Basin, this 7.5 percent ABV beer is slightly heftier than previous versions. Brewed with American Chinook hops, the Explorer General IPA starts with an aroma of ripe grapefruit and finishes with a dry, piney bitterness. Starting Friday, it will be available for RMB 25 for Collectivists at all three Great Leap locations.
And what would Halloween in Beijing be without Great Leap Brewing’s Halloween party and costume contest? This year, on Oct 28 at 7pm at GLB#12, they team up again with the Beijing LGBT Center for a costume battle like no other. Show up anytime between 7 and 9pm to register your costume and receive a number. Winners will be announced at 10pm, with the award categories as follows:
Individual Category
- 1st prize: RMB 1,288 gift card to Great Leap Brewing
- 2nd prize: RMB 588 gift card to Great Leap Brewing
Group Category
- 1st prize: RMB 1,688 gift card to Great Leap Brewing
- 2nd prize: RMB 888 gift card to Great Leap Brewing
RMB 10 from each purchase of an Imperial Pumpkin Ale will be donated to the LGBT Center. If at least 10 people come dressed in drag, they will leave the possibility open of an additional RMB 888 GLB gift card prize for the best drag costume.
Slow Boat has adjusted their happy hour to encourage day drinking: now, from 11am to 6pm (Monday to Friday), all beers are RMB 30. Cow on the Boat Cream Ale, with 3.5 percent ABV, returns this Saturday, “after disappearing from our taps within just a few days, we were pleased to see how much everyone fell for Cow on a Boat Cream Ale. We decided not to wait long and brewed another batch of this low-in-IBUs and high-in-aroma beer. Bukeqi.” They also have a new beer, the Knee-Knocker IPA with 5.8 percent ABV, which is a citrus-packed Mosaic- and Citra-hopped IPA with kumquat sweetness and a balanced bitterness, brewed with dried kumquats and fresh mandarin orange juice. Whether it has strong citrusy aromas of tangerine, kumquat, clementine, mandarin, or orange, we’ll leave it to you to judge.
Slow Boat invites you to get funked up for All Hallow’s Eve on Saturday, Oct 28, on the second floor, which will be morphed into a bar/fun/funk zone with DJ Jay 1,2 (8.30pm onwards) playing his signature blend of funk and disco (Think werewolves and zombies donning '60s and '70s threads, boas, and afros!). If you are dressed-to-impress enough, you’ll receive a welcome shot on the house. For the rest, who don’t want to make an effort, there are also deals like four pints of Monkey’s Fist IPA or the SOS. Belgian Wit for RMB 100. Old-school horror movies will be screened all night long (6pm-2pm).
Arrow Factory Liangmahe's autumn/winter menu is out now. If you order the Pulled Pork Sandwich, Pulling-Me-Jack vegan jackfruit sandwich, the Bacon Cheeseburger, El Ranch Hand, or Mornay Glory Mushroom Swiss, you’ll get a free drink to enjoy with your meal on the house (choosing from Clone Easy Ale, Americano coffee, espresso, tea, juice, soft drink, or soda water). Also, the buy-one-get-one-free deal at Liangmahe's location this Saturday is for the Clone Easy Ale.
Hatchery is bringing the Common Burger back, as they team up with Jing-A to organize a pop-up event: The Burger Takeover at Jing-A Taproom 1949 on Oct 19 (4pm-late). Expect the Common Burger (RMB 45), Stout, Bacon & Cheeseburger (RMB 55), and Mac n’ Cheese bombs (RMB 35), as well as new spiced pumpkin Ice Cream Sandwiches (RMB 35). There will also be a Brunchin'& Munchin' event this weekend (Oct 21-22) at Hatchery in 5Lmeet Dongsi with dips, platters, house-made bread, grilled goodness, vegan delectables, desserts, and a pint of Jing-A for RMB 188.
With the Beer Mile (on Oct 29), Jing-A will transform the new Brewpub Xingfucun into a horror house on Oct 28. You can get the new pumpkin ale – on buy-one-get-one-free special, and listen to the spookiest festive songs. They will have a halloween costume contest at Xingfucun at 11.11pm - top prize is a ticket to 8x8 (pick whatever session you want), other than that you could celebrate the day with a scary amount of fresh-carved meat on the carnivore platter
After the popular Shanghai-based Boxing Cat Brewery was acquired by AB-InBev, the move of marching into the Beijing market seemed obvious, as we mentioned before. Boxing Cat Brewery will have a pop-up location at what was formerly Traitor Zhou’s in 1949, Courtyard 4. In the two months before the end of this year, they will provide 12 draft beers including Ringside Red Lager, Contender Extra Pale Ale, Tko IPA, Right Hook Helles, Sucker Punch Pale Ale, Standing 8 Pilsner, King Louie Imperial Stout, Titlebelt Okto, Tripel Threat, Hoppy Bugger IPA, Hoppy Ending White IPA, and Sweet Science Summer Ale. Beers are RMB 40 for 350ml, and RMB 50 for 500ml, samplers are RMB 100, and RMB 35 for a pint. Samplers will be RMB 75 during happy hour (5-7pm). They also offer bar food (RMB 25-115), such as fries, pickles, nachos, and cheese platters.
More stories by this author here.
Email: tracywang@thebeijinger.com
Twitter: @flyingfigure
Instagram: @flyingfigure
Photos courtesy of venues, Tracy Wang