Beijing Boyce

Rare, and without rhyme or reason, is an occasion to visit a new bar, savor a few drinks, and have my faith in humanity - or at least its mixologists - restored. During nearly four years in Beijing, those faith healers have tended to be tiny obscure establishments, such as Ichikura, The Junction, and First Cafe.

Given this, I could predict the outcome at Maison Boulud, which looms in The Legation Quarter as a high-end fancy-pants nouveau riche-catering import designed to empty wallets and (half) fill patrons with over-hyped fare.

I mean, consider that this place serves a cocktail called “Project 23” that includes rum, pineapple juice, lime juice, coriander, and dried hot pepper shavings, and tastes like… well, hang on a second, it tastes… lip-smacking good! Spicy and sour… fresh and fantastic… it’s the most tantalizing and memorable cocktail to pass by my lips in ages.

So much for my prediction.

This menu also includes “Kentucky Iced Tea“, a drink that is subtle, dry, and well-balanced even as it puts a wobble in your step. The key, besides the Bourbon, is to steep the tea for hours and then chill it, thus giving the beverage plenty of tannic sense.

I tried these drinks Tuesday night “on the house” with a group of food industry people after dining at Sadler, the Italian joint next door (more to come on that place). A comrade and I returned unannounced the next night as paying customers to see if a second round of these drinks would be just as good - it was.

Project 23 (expect big taste, but small volume) and Kentucky Iced Tea each cost RMB68, plus five percent service charge: pricey for the average Beijing cocktail but decent value for drinks of this quality. The service at Maison Boulud is excellent, the bar décor and mood a bit austere, and the typical dress about two notches above my Tommy Bahamas-style look (think “smart casual” and up).

The Legation Quarter is not a convenient location for most people, but with its sedate and spacious grounds, and its proximity to Tiananmen and other historical sites, it is a nice change of pace for those who tend to chronically find themselves in Chaoyang Park, Sanlitun, or Houhai.

-

Notes:
- I sampled the Cucumber Martini on Wednesday and a cocktail that included cherry- and lychee- distilled vodka on Tuesday, but found these far less intriguing than Project 23 and the Kentucky Iced Tea.
- The bar food menu is also quite good, including the tiny sandwiches with foie gras and apricot jam as well as the cubes of seared tuna rolled in spices.