Beijing Boyce

Yeah, it’s been done, but Happy Niu Year!

A mascot ahead of its time...

Every time I leave Chaoyang West after a visit to Suzie Wong, Black Sun Bar, or Block 8, I always kick myself for not stopping in at Souk. It ranks among the first spots I visited in Beijing, at a YPHH event, on a night that ended up taking in the former Big Easy, Latino’s, and New Get Lucky.

Anyway, it has been a couple of years since my last visit, so I dropped by earlier this week and found it pretty much remains the same. The beds, the hookahs, the private areas, the laid-back atmosphere – it all adds up to a place that I can only describe as pleasant. Souk has a half-dozen German beers, starting at RMB35 for a Bitburger, and I thought the three beef fajitas OK for RMB30.

The biggest problem is the toilets – not only did the men’s not flush, but the paper towel dispenser was broken. Even so, if you are looking for a spot to get away from it all, Souk will do.

In part eleven of this series, Ben Shaw, who manages a start-up in Beijing and runs the Beijing Gourmand blog, lists his top five places to drink in the city. His blog’s Chinese name translates as “Taotie in Beijing“, with taotie being a mythical Chinese demon that devoured its own body.

Entero
I always look forward to the 29th of every month. That’s when Entero invites a Japanese butcher to serve Beijing’s tenderest steaks. The steak set comes with a side of bean sprouts, miso soup and rice, and at only 50 RMB is a great deal. The best part about the steak is that the second and third helpings get progressively tastier.

Entero has a decent, if not expansive, selection of single malts, both Scottish and Japanese, as well as bourbon and cocktails. The atmosphere is laid-back and it is one of the few places where it is comfortable to sit at the bar for long stretches of time. Entero will score well with music lovers with the option of watching videos of blues and jazz legends in the main bar, or heading into the private karaoke room to make some music of your own.

Ichikura
One of the classiest places in Beijing; going to Ichikura always makes me feel sexy. Others have already covered Ichikura pretty well, so I’ll just say that they have a great single malt selection and know the meaning of service.

G-zou
There are now several whisky bars in Beijing, but I think G-zou is the only place focusing exclusively on shochu, a Japanese spirit. The fun thing about shochu is that it can be made from nearly anything, barley, potatoes, sweet potatoes, sourgham, rice, or a combination of any of these. The flavors range from those similar to vodka, baijiu, or even tequila.

I think of G-zou as the yang to Ichikura’s yin; its also a small bar, but it’s very light and airy. The bartenders are friendly, and always remember your preferences, or remember which shochu you’ve already tried so they can recommend something new.

Lugar
Lugar is an excellent choice for a romantic night out. It has a unique single malt selection, great cocktails, awesome tapas, and the pool table is always free. It distinguishes itself from the rest of the Gulou/Nanluoguxiang joints by avoiding the whole bohemian thing. In the summer you can sit on the roof under their giant umbrellas and sip cocktails.

Tun
I don’t often go to places that get really crowded, but if I’m in the mood for a lively atmosphere then I’ll head to Tun, particularly for the Friday ladies night. Tun has a good selection of American microbrews, and it is nice to drink beer that you can actually taste.

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Top fives:

• Andrew Schorr & Ellis Rahhal
• Pete Demola
• Shane Crombie
• Ben Shaw
• Kaiser Kuo
• Bjorn Stabell
• Phoebe Wong
• Diane Fermin
• Badr Benjelloun
• Elisabeth Tchoudjinoff & Katrina Arndt
• Paul Adkins
• Chandler Jurinka
• Kevin Shen
• Steven Schwankert

More chandeliers than you could shake Tiffany’s at, more gilded pillars than you could shake Fort Knox at, morev elvet chairs than you could shake what’s left of Louis XVI at, more… well, you get the idea. Chocolate, just around the corner from Treasure Island, is over the top and in this case it is a good thing.

Patrons get to Chocolate by riding down an escalator and entering a cavernous room that takes a page from LAN Club, complete with that sense you could pack the entire place up and move it to, say, Chengdu overnight. Three big differences: it is a lot less pretentious, the drinks are about half the price, and it has the vibe that something risque could happen at any moment.

Expect plenty of velvet, gilding, elaborate pictures frames holding oil prints, mind-numbing techno music, and a floor show that I hear mirrors that at Treasure Island (we didn’t arrive at the right time to catch it). Oh, and faux solid gold urinals and toilets, at least in the boy’s loo.

As for prices: A Beijing draft is RMB20, other beers start at RMB30, and a Black Russian sets you back RMB38 (so does a Mojito, though it was unavailable on this night).

Also in the area:

Hollywood: This place remains under chain and lock. I have to say I don’t miss the impromptu shoulder massages – and requests for tips – from the toilet attendants.

Treasure Island: Closed on this night, though a note on the door indicated it would be open late this week, which means now.

Maggie’s: For some time, the lads showed up but the ladies stayed away, apparently due to frequent police checks.  On this night, the demographics were reversed.

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See also:
Treasure Island: Where vodka meets fire breathers and pole dancers

The extremely annoying “lady bar” touts on the Sanlitun Village side of Sanlitun North appear to be gone – let us hope it is not just for the holidays. On my last five visits at night I have heard not a single “Sir, lady bar,” “Massage-e”, or “Sexy girl!”

Other happenings…

Rooftop Pepper, known for flair bartending shows that delayed drink delivery, is closed. (Hat tip to Mr. Brau and apologies to him for taking two weeks to follow up).

Timeout reports that Song has joined the likes of places such as China Doll 3.3 that have closed for “renovations”. I thought the design was the main selling point? Or maybe the place is finally getting toilets.

Hatsune is slated to open its Sanlitun Village branch in March, while sibling restaurant Karaiya is due a month later. Next month, the current Hatsune outlet will offer a free appetizer and bottle of sake if you say “Samurai sushi” upon ordering.

Maxim’s in Solana has a handful of new French liqueurs, five new flavored coffees, and stocks several Chinese wines, including a Xi Xia Chardonnay at RMB88.

All-Star, which in my mind still needs to earn the words “Sports Bar” behind its name, will reopen for dinner on the 31st. It appears the “open 24 hours” concept is falling by the wayside. A sign on the door lists the hours as 5 PM to 2 AM.

Across the way, a new Banana Leaf is under construction, while a bit further on, Water Bar & Restaurant is slated to re-open on February 6. Meanwhile, the long-awaited Crobar is giving new meaning to the words “opening soon.”

And over on Lucky Street, Tao gets back to business on February 1 and The Stumble Inn is looking to increase its list of 54 beers. One patron has already tried the lot.

I wrote last week about Beijing funny guy Richard Robinson costing the New England Patriots the Super Bowl last year in what I call The Sweater Game. In his defense, Robinson argues he is single-handedly responsible for the Boston Red Sox winning – in 2004 – their first World Series since the days of horses, buggies, and wooden teeth. Why? Because he visited a Buddhist temple in Beijing and asked the monks pray for victory. I guess we can call it even.

Anyway, here are some places that will show the Arizona-Pittsburgh showdown on February 2 at 7 AM:

Goose and Duck: This spot usually draws the largest crowd and includes free brunch. No reserved tables, so it is first-come, first-seated.

Paddy O’Shea’s: The game will be shown on all five screens, with commentary on; two for one on Bloody Marys and Budweisers; half-price breakfasts.

The Pomegranate: Same deals

Frank’s Place: A buffet American breakfast with beer for RMB98

Tim’s Texas Roadhouse: This is the branch on Ladies Street, not near the silk market.

The Rickshaw: Breakfast deals (this place was packed last year so you best get there early if you want a seat).

The Saddle Cantina: Breakfast deals

Luga’s Villa: RMB20 set breakfast of three scrambled eggs, two pieces of bacon and two sausages, and two slices of toast; the invites says half-price drinks at half time and all drinks half-price. Kinda confused by that…

This is what I have gathered from emails and checking the City Weekend and The Beijinger event pages. On top of this, The Stumble Inn will be showing the game and I imagine The Den (which showed the rest of the NFL playoffs) will have the action as will Hooters and Blue Frog. The Pavillion also traditionally shows the game.

If I hear of other venues showing the game, or any further specials at the places listed above, I’ll provide an update.

Forty-two years ago, Channel 11 in New York started the tradition of televising a fireplace on Christmas Day, the idea being that those who did not have one could still enjoy the experience of a “yule log.” In that same vein, for those who cannot enjoy the fireworks at Chinese New Year, I offer this video made two years ago from my apartment overlooking Workers Stadium.

And this one, taken at midnight…

Happy Chinese New Year, everyone!

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See also:

• Who says Beijingers don’t show public affection? (Happy New Year!)
• Let the fireworks begin
• More fireworks anyone?

Monday marks Australia Day and The Stumble Inn and Ned’s are the only spots I know thus far that will celebrate this antipodean holiday from the land that gave us Crocodile Dundee, vegemite, and Dame Edna.

The Stumble Inn will open bright and early at 9 AM, and will screen the Aussie cricket match and have food and drink specials, including six VB for RMB100, as well as a slate of Australian beers, such as James Boag’s, Cascade, and Crown.

At Ned’s, it will be happy hour prices on some beers all day long. Anyone buying an Aussie brew gets a Ned’s beer holder.

Note: This event is BYOB (Bring Your Own Bilby).

Oy, we are one shrimp short. Does anyone have another? (photo: istockphoto.com)

Take an otherwise ho-hum subterranean space, add a good slate of beers, install dart boards, TVs, foosball and pool tables, and comfy seating, come up with some fun events, and you get The Stumble Inn, the new sports bar and lounge in the former Sangria. Owner Shane O’Neill and manager Glenn Phelan have put this place together faster than it takes a group of Chinese businessmen to polish off a bottle of free baijiu.

First, the beers: The Stumble Inn offers the best beer selection in Beijing, with 5 on tap and 49 in bottle, including Lucky, a Shanghai brew that comes in a green Buddha-shaped bottle and is available nowhere else in our fair city. Add in the American, Belgian, Australian and other brews, and the city’s beer lovers should be happy. The more adventurous can join the nearly two dozen people listed on a wall chart and try each beer, upon completion of which you will receive a case of your favorite as well as a personalized shirt and mug. About the only fault I can find with the beer list is that Coors Light is listed as Canadian, about as low a blow as you can strike at a Canuck.

Second, the layout. The space is well used, with the dart boards set in a side pocket, though this does reduce the opportunity for “it’s always fun until somebody loses an eye” jokes. The pool table also has its own zone, while the pool table is placed to allow a good flow of traffic to the bar, table and lounge seating.

Downstairs is a different story, with a floor that looks like it came out of a Brady Bunch rec room and a decor that reminds me of a Chinese teahouse, complete with a wooden bridge to the toilets, though changes are apparently in the works.

The Stumble Inn is also holding several other events. First, it is joining the ladies night bridge and offering free Bacardi Breezers to the fairer sex, Saturdays from 8 to 11 PM. Second, it will screen American Idol every Wednesday and then hold an “open mic” Beijing Idol contest, overseen by a panel of three.

Finally, as you stumble out, you might find yourself reversing direction to read the backwards message printed one word per step. And that message might just inspire you to go back for another beer…

5 plays vs. 340 wines

The book Paper Lion recounts the experience of George Plimpton who tried out for the Detroit Lions football team. The climax comes after three weeks of training when Plimpton is sent into a practice game to quarterback five plays. He fails miserably – he drops the ball on one play, overthrows a receiver on another, and slips and falls on yet a third. Due to the speed and complexity of the game, what seemed manageable to a fan in the stands turns out to be profoundly difficult on the field, and he returns defeated to the bench.

I kind of had a similar experience earlier this week when I sat on a tasting panel with three experts in Shanghai and tried 340 Bordeaux wines over two and a half days. I had no illusions that the tasting would be easy, but I did relate to Plimpton’s “regular guy in a professional setting” scenario.

I have joined about a half-dozen tasting panels, most of them organized by wine magazines. They typically covered 20 or 30 wines and we had ample time to sniff, sip, and score. The Shanghai tasting, however, featured far more wines and proceeded – at least to me – at warp speed.

I will write later posts about the wines we tasted and the pros and cons of this system, but first let me explain the two major challenges I found. And for brevity’s sake, I’ll make three points about each.

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The body
- My gums and cheeks often felt like they were glued together, due to the drying sensation from the tannins in many of the 270 red wines we tasted. It would take 10 seconds or more for enough saliva to form and “unglue” them. Imagine the sensation of sucking on a lemon, except much drier and much longer lasting. It’s not pleasant and it happened 40 or 50 times.
- My teeth ached after finishing the whites, due – said a co-taster – to the acidity. And with the red wines, my teeth turned purple. Brushing them became painful because my gums had become so sensitive.
- And my brain struggled to keep track of the wines, simply because there were so many. I just gave #142 a score of 12 of 20. Hmm, maybe it is as good as #139, which I scored 13. I better try both again. Retrying these wines simply made my gums and teeth feel worse.
- Interestingly, my nose was the one part of my body that kept up. Right to the end, I could pick up smells, whether chocolate, mint, grass, or blackberries. I also could smell corked wines, which were fortunately few and far between.

The mind
- Experience is invaluable in these types of tastings. If you have a clear idea of what constitutes a score of 12 or 14 or 20, you are going to save a lot of time. I lack that experience. I worried that a wine I scored an 11.5 on a Tuesday afternoon, when I felt tired, might have scored a 13 early on Monday morning when I felt refreshed. This meant re-tasting. Related to this were the different wines styles. Was I giving higher scores to those wines that stood out due to ample fruit or strong aromas, rather than to those that might as good, or better, but more subtle and elegant? Again, more re-tasting…
- Because of this lack of experience, I struggled to keep up to the experts. They might be finishing a flight of eight wines just as I was starting the fifth glass. This added pressure to speed up.
- Finally, experts usually have a broader wine vocabulary and can make quicker and more specific evaluations of what they smell and taste. What I might note as “fruity and earthy“, they might classify as “blackberries, ripe dark plums, and freshly tilled soil with a hint of flint.” They are also more fine-tuned to discern acidity, tannins, body, and so on.

In the end, a TV crew interviewed each of us. The reporter asked me my technique for trying so many wines. I said I drank a lot of water, cleaned my palate with bread, and afterward brushed my teeth – I pulled a toothbrush from my jacket as evidence. I added that I found the number of wines near-overwhelming, but thought the process useful for consumers, though instead of 340, they could get together and try four or eight wines at home. I stand by this: One of the best ways to learn about wine, and about what you like, is to compare and contrast.

Like Plimpton, I left the event feeling a bit defeated, as I had neither enough training nor experience to perform like my fellow tasters. (I should add that they were extremely patient and, even better, fun).

But as a consumer, I felt somewhat victorious. Why? Because it may well be my tastes differ from those of the experts, since we approach wine from entirely different backgrounds, and it affirmed that we should all drink what we like. And one of the best ways to discover what you like is get together with some friends, open a half-dozen bottles of wine, and create your own panel. Trust me, you will enjoy it much more if try them a few – rather than a hundred – at a time.

Note: I’ll soon have posts on how the process works at such an event and some of the pros and cons of these types of tastings.

(This post is also on sibling site, Grape Wall of China.)

Quick notes on quick stops last night…

Face: I attended the going away party for Jenn Hinkle, who is one of my drinking buddies at the Friday night wine tastings and who will go “dry” for the upcoming year she will spend in Iraq. Of course, I gave her an entirely impractical gift: a corkscrew. Anyway, given the rather crisp night, the warm atmosphere of Face – dark woods, comfy sofas, an intimate bar – appealed, though the service charge does not. By the way, has this place always had two pool tables?

Bar Blu: I recently met one of the managers and dropped by for a talk, but someone we missed each other, so I will have a fuller write-up later. On this night, the place drew a good crowd on the main floor, with about a dozen people dancing and the rest putting back drinks. The covered deck upstairs has changed since my last visit and now offers soft lighting, sofas, a long stainless steel bar, and some table seating – overall, a “chill out” feel. One small point: When I ordered a Coke, the waiter (not exactly the most friendly sort) headed downstairs and five minutes later brought up an already poured glass. Maybe it’s just me, but when I am sitting at a bar, I want to see my drinks mixed, juices poured, and Cokes opened. By the way, Bar Blu is offering value-friendly food and beer combos, and I’ll have more on these soon.

Kokomo: A smattering of patrons at a place that, to me, will always be associated with Olympic fun. Kokomo now stocks Pommery Champagne, which is being distributed by COFCO, a massive Chinese corporation set to make waves in imported wine distribution. I also got the inside scoop on the upcoming new world order, as an English gent explained to me his plans to reestablish The Empire (well, as soon as he regains enough coordination to stop knocking his scarf off the chair).

Finally, a walk around Gongti and Sanlitun North found the streets near empty and the bars lightly populated – am I the only one who finds this weather refreshing?

Just back from Shanghai, where I sat on a wine panel and tasted 340 wines over 2.5 days. My first such experience, and likely my last, given it is still painful to brush my teeth. I will have more on this, and what it’s like to be a consumer among professional tasters, but in the meantime a quickie on the Super Bowl:

Expect a slew of parties for the February 2 game. I traditionally spend the first half checking out venues around town before settling in at the Goose & Duck for the second half.

Last year ranks as the most memorable: Beijing’s Richard Robinson removed his lucky sweater with his Patriots ahead and only a few minutes left. Despite pleas from fellow fans to put it back on, he refused, and a few minutes later the Giants made a desperate comeback – highlight by the miraculous “helmet catch” – and won. This not only prevented the Patriots from being Super Bowl champions and the first team to go 19-0 in a season, but also gives me a perfect go-to post every year (see details of “The Sweater Game” here). Epic.

I’ll soon have a list of other venues showing the big game…

I try not to cross-post from sibling blog Grape Wall of China too much, but just in case some new readers aren’t aware of that site and are into wine, here is some upcoming stuff. From a recent post:

“Posts have been few and far between of late. Blame it on my two-week holiday in Canada, the crush of projects I faced upon returning to Beijing that ate into my limited blogging time, and the hacking of this site that made it impossible for me to get access. (Thanks to IT guru / pinyin legend Mark Swofford for returning things to normal.)

“I have started to add posts again and there are dozens in the pipeline, including:

• A post by Chantal Chi on China’s wine-making regions as well as posts from other contributors.
• Interviews with Patricio de la Fuente Saez, managing director of Links China, with Rebecca Leung, wine writer and author of the Wine is Beautiful blog, with Charles Carrard of French Wine Paradox, and with wine consumer and collector Jeff Gao.
• A look at ten trends in China’s wine market last year, trends that will likely continue this year.
• A write-up of a dinner I attended with what I consider the Beijing wine “dream team” as well as write-ups of more than a dozen other events.

“Also, freed from Internet and cell phone during the holidays, I started on a series of articles about my experiences as a consumer during 2008, a spectacular year in which I was fortunate to meet many fellow wine fans, drink some superb wines, meet some international bigwigs, have dinner with Robert Parker on the Great Wall, attend blind tastings organized by wine magazines, and, well, much more. I will also write about some events on the horizon, including the expected launching of Decanter on the mainland, a wine search database, some new Chinese wines, and more, and the downside of being a wine consumer, which will touch on issues that range from high retail prices to my experiences with some rather hostile people in the business. As usual, there is no shortage of topics…

A quick post about places recently visited and events coming up…

Sports bar and lounge The Stumble Inn (formerly Sangria) on Lucky Street opens tonight, with free food and drinks from 8-10 PM.

Also this weekend, the hutong branch of Palette Vino serves samples of 50 wines from RMB80 on Saturday, while French Wine Paradox holds its third “I am a Paradox” event on Sunday (details about both here). I visited the Palette shop last night and it is a cozy space with wine by the bottle from RMB160 and a modest but decent menu (think lamb chops, warm chicken salad, cheese and marinated olives, and the like).

Paddy O’Shea’s has a happy hour from 3 to 8 PM with 30 percent off beverages except wine by the bottle. That means craft beers like Victoria Bitters are RMB28.

Three visits to Side Saddle and three excellent burritos: the last one had chopped beef, refried beans, rice, nacho sauce, medium sauce, shredded cheddar, sour cream, guacamole, chopped onions, cilantro, and marinated mushrooms. Yep, it (barely) fit into one wrap. RMB40…

Le Petit Gourmand continues to be a highly reliable hideaway, with strong wireless, cheap coffee (RMB15), decent sandwiches, and a nice ambience.

Popped into The Tree and it looks like the single malt collection has been somewhat drained since my last visit. I like this place in winter simply for the warmth evoked by the pizza oven, something – along with a better breaking up of space – that is lacking in Nearby the Tree.

Tried the seafood fried rice at Herbal Café after seeing Element Fresh had barely a seat in the nonsmoking section. The rice was nice, but the seafood – and especially the shrimp – came off as bland, something my lunch-mate noted might be improved with a bit of chili.

Union Bar & Grille is becoming my brunch hangout. The combination of a breakfast and bottomless coffee for RMB45 is hard to beat. The place does not have wireless, which might appeal to those who are tired of being surrounded by laptops.

A few people noted that the Tour Les Jour in the Hooters building had closed. Actually, it underwent renovations and has reopened sans the seating. The place is half the size and, as is tradition, far too loud. You know when you get in a taxi and have to shout directions at the driver because he has crosstalk cranked up on the radio? That’s about the same experience I had at Tour Les Jour the other night. I couldn’t even hear the total for my bill, so I handed over a RMB100 and hoped for the best.

Cross Club on Sanlitun South is closed. In a town where people are asking for nice wine bars, this place did a decent job, with live jazz to boot. By the way, count The Bookworm among places with a decent wine-by-the-glass list – 11 selections.

I popped into Ginkgo (formerly Room 101): Expect a lighter and more open décor now that the bar is at the back (that lovely snaking wood stairway remains). The wine list includes a red and rose from Morocc0, with the wine list organized by style – in this case, it uses unique descriptors such as “Elegant and Mineral” and “Tannic and Seductive” – from RMB98 per bottle. Snacks include pizzas from RMB38, while standard drinks are RMB25, Grants sets you back RMB20, and Johnnie Walker Black and Blue are RMB30 and RMB110 respectively. Draft choices range from Stella (RMB40) to Hoegaarden (RMB50). We caught the band Zebra, which my friend described as playing “funky jazz.”

The same night, I visited Café de la Poste, which was closing just as we arrived around at 2 AM, so we headed to Salud which saw a strong crowd (as usual). Love the house rums, love the eclectic crowd, love the bar staff. A walkabout on NLGX revealed that the only other two places there with substantial crowds were Reef Bar (one of my favorites) and Sandglass.

More notes later…

Something about two-for-one drinks inspires creative thought and Tuesday night proved no exception as an off comment during a powwow with The Village Grouch and The Village Encyclopedia provided an explosive solution to a pressing problem. The latter opined that one can only get attention in this world if – think Iran and North Korea – one claims to be building a nuclear bomb.

As regular readers know, I have been running a series called the Give a Crap Report about what would happen in the bar scene if only people listened to me. The obvious problem is no one listens. And the obvious solution is to claim to be building a nuclear bomb. Consider it done. And unless I get some results, such as Union Bar & Grille including more toast with its breakfasts (see below), the bar scene can expect me to rain down upon it some atomic vodka-infused chaos – we have to use Smirnoff because heavy water is too hard to source (and, yeah, I’m kidding).

Anyway, here is the newest report, with eight things that would happen if the bar scene gave a crap what I thought…

17. Some enterprising bar owner would open a place that stocked Australian wines and beers, served meat pies, and went by the name The Budgie Smuggler.

18. The Union Bar & Grille would add another piece of toast to its brunch. Yes, two eggs, toast, hash browns, meat, and bottomless coffee for RMB45 is a superb deal, but here’s the problem: I put an egg on each of the two slices provided and thus need an additional slice to mop up the excess yolk and/or for the jam. One more piece, that’s all I ask. And if it happens, I would argue this is the best brunch deal in town.

19. Paddy O’Shea’s would stop sending out invites in ALL CAPS. BECAUSE USING CAPITALS MAKES IT HARDER TO READ. A black 12-point font and sentence case would do just fine.

20. The Legation Quarter would erect a big showy sign out front so taxi drivers can a) find it when I go there and, even better, b) start to recognize the place as a landmark as they repeatedly pass by. The current situation smacks of what happened at RBL, which lacked a decent sign and thus made it hard to find, an unfortunate situation given the substantial foot traffic in Wangfujing. (By the way, every time I leave The Legation Quarter, I have trouble getting a taxi. Not hailing one, mind you, but getting the driver to agree to take me to the Workers Stadium area. What gives?)

21. DJ outfit Acupuncture, which has done a rocking job filling venues around town, would get its own spot and reap more of the profits. Suggested name: Drop the Needle. Well, maybe a better choice would be: Acupuncture.

22. The decision-makers at Luga’s HQ, which has borrowed perhaps a few too many things from its competitors – ranging from events and décor to an entire bar – would NOT follow-up the opening of burrito joint Side Saddle by the Rickshaw / Saddle Cantina guys by starting a place called Side Luga’s.

23. Drei Kronen 1308 would a) start calling itself DK1308, which is easier for people to remember, and b) restart its two-for-one happy hour until midnight. They aren’t going to fill this place when beer is RMB58 per kuai pint, coffee is RMB40, and soda is RMB30.

24. Someone would do something about the glaring discrimination when it comes to free drinks nights. It is all for the ladies, the ladies, and the ladies. Frankly, in this day and age, you would expect people to be more progressive. So, I put it to the bar owners collective – who is going to be the first to do a lady boys night?

See also:
Give a Crap Report II: Tun, Q, Maison Boulod, Press Club Bar, and more
Give a Crap Report I: Bookworm, Klubb Rouge, Maggie’s, All Star, Luga’s, and more

Say, y'all know the way to Lotus Lane?

Former China Doll 3.3. bar manager Bob Louison, now with Spirit “It” bar consulting and regularly teaming up with Grand Marnier for projects, will lead a cocktail-making class at JW Marriott’s Loong Bar this Saturday. Learn how to make Mojitos, Cosmos, and more, and get a feel for what a life of mixology might be like (just be careful around that huge crystal dragon above the bar – it’s kind of expensive). The cost is RMB200. RSVP with Bob at 15010-352-077 or Gary at 13611-158-967. I wonder if they are going to make Alfonso Specials…

A heads up that The Bookworm will soon begin promoting its 2009 international literary festival, slated for March 6 to 20. Tickets go on sale February 9 for the two-week festival which covers everything from fiction and poetry to journalism and travel writing. This year’s featured guests include Ian Buruma, Jonathan Fenby, Marina Lewycka, Mo Yan, Tilda Swinton and William Zorzi. For more details, email festival@chinabookworm.com.

Also related to The Bookworm:

- Word has it that spaces for the Monday quiz night fill quickly and some people show up as early as 6 PM to secure a spot for the 7:30 PM brain teaser.

- It is amazing what a difference a new door can make. The shift from that drafty and constantly banging door to a nice sliding unit means the place is not only quieter but also warmer.

- Look for the posting of my first play next week – it is titled As the Worm Turns. It is set in The Bookworm and features a foreigner who blogs about bars in Beijing. Just kidding, it is much more interesting than that…

UPDATE: The Saddle and The Rickshaw will be making a special Obama-themed cocktail all night for 25RMB per big glass.

The inauguration of Barack Obama is on January 20 and you can catch it at… Paddy O’Shea’s?

So far, this Irish pub is the only spot I know showing coverage. Manager Karl Long writes* that “Obamarama” will include coverage from 10 PM to 2 AM, with buy one, get one free drinks, free finger food and apple pie, and prizes for those wearing the most American flags.

(This would also be a good time for someone to follow up on my suggestion to make some signature shooters, such as the Barack Attack, Obama Slammer, and - for the brave of heart and liver – the Whamma Bamma Thank You Obama Slamma.)

See also:

Eggs and votes: Tomorrow’s U.S. election coverage
McCain, Barack, or Pedro? Catch the results Wednesday morning
Catching up: Kro’s Nest, Obama Slammer, and more

Peter Koveos of China International Radio interviewed me for the Beyond Beijing program last week and our topic fit the economic times – where can the women of this city drink for free. I earlier wrote about this but it is worth a recap. This is the list I gave on air:

Monday: TUN ladies night, 8-11 PM (gents get free Tsingtao from 8-8:30 PM)
Tuesday: Kro’s Nest (free keg of beer at 6 PM, two at the Gongti West location – women and men may partake)
Wednesday: Zeta, Bling, and Suzie Wong (I also included China Doll 3.3, but it is now on hiatus)
Thursday: Song
Friday: TUN, 9 PM-midnight
Saturday: Zeta

I also warned listeners to put my advice in the context that I got off at the wrong subway stop, spent 20 minutes wandering outside and destroyed my chance to be at the station on time, and hurtled into the studio seven minutes before the show ended. Fortunately, Koveos and cohorts are the patient sort, sneaked in my piece, and even treated me to a few beers after the show in the CRI lounge, making it one of the few places men – at least on this occasion – get to drink for free in this city.

See also:
Ladies week: Seven nights of free drinks in Beijing