Beijing Boyce

Zimbu: Enough booze, time to cruise.

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Halloween comes haunting on Saturday this year and that means everyone and their incubus is planning a party. It also means Zimbu the Plush Monkey will make his yearly outing from Chez Boyce. Here are some of the slated parties. (Note: It’s always best to double-check details with the venue.)

Friday, October 30

The Boat (map) does Halloqueen on Friday – drinks are two-for-one until midnight and there is a prize for “most flirtatious Drag Queen” – then follows it up with Halloqueer on Saturday from 9 PM to 4 AM.

Alfa (map) adds a Thriller theme to its 80s night on Friday, with a RMB500 gift certificate for the winner of a Michael Jackson dance-off, and will  also hold a Halloween party on Saturday.

The Bookworm (map) will host Death in the Palace: A Murder Mystery. States The “Spookworm” newsletter: “you will be thrilled and terrified… as well as be called upon to help solve a truly grisly murder.” (Apparently, the victim is an expatriate living in Beijing who is hanging out at The Bookworm and writing a novel about an expatriate living in Beijing, so there is justice in the world.) Ticket price includes an open bar. More details at www.chinabookworm.com.

Saturday, October 31

For those seeking a night of debauchery, the Yen fetish party is from 10 PM at 706 factory (map). No doubt DJ Blackie – Zimbu’s favorite – will be playing “Whip It“.

Acupuncture hosts its third Spooked party, this time at Lan Club (map), from 9 PM

Disco Ain’t Dead is the Halloween theme at Sanlitun Blue Frog (map): Free food and drinks for those in costume as well as drink specials all night. From 10 PM.

La Baie des Anges (map) is holding an anti-Halloween party called Hallowine. “We won’t put stupid costumes and make up, but will serve you our special cocktails and wines the whole night!” says the invite. Does that mean I can’t wear my beret? Starts at 9 PM.

Scarlett Wine Bar (map) will hold Spooky Scarlett, with RMB10 shots or a rack of 12 for RMB88. Prizes for best costumes include a stay at the hotel, with a Jack Nicholson lookalike as your personal butler.

Getting a groan for its twist on the holiday, Xiu (map) will hold Xiu-loween from 9 PM with some “frightening surprises and performances guaranteed to impress even the undead!” (Like patrons getting their drinks on time?) The theme is Gothic chic.

Bling (map) repeats its Cash Money Halloween Costume Party, with RMB5,000 for the “most innovative and exciting costume.” From 9 PM.

The Saddle Cantina (map) Halloween party includes 10-kuai draft, 20-kuai mixed drinks, shooter specials, and Champagne for those with the best costumes. From 8 PM.

The Schoolhouse at Mutianyu (map) has a pumpkin-carving contest during the day. Judging starts at 7 PM.

Michael Jackson Thriller is the theme at Paddy O’Shea’s (map) – free shots for those in costume, Danger Doyle’s (map) will have “plenty of surprises” and DJ Pinhead, and Hooters (map) will hold a party from 6:30 to 10:30 PM, with a free cocktail at the entrance and a beer-drinking contest.

Bed (map) will show scary movies and spin tunes (the RMB50entry fee includes a drink), Centro (map) will wrap up several nights of celebration, to mark its sixth anniversary, with a Halloween party, and patrons in costume at Union (map) will get a draft beer or sangria – this place has had decorations up for weeks

I also hear there will be Halloween parties at China Doll (map), Fubar (map), and Luga’s Villa (map). I presume Tun (map) will follow up on last year’s bash. Finally, I’m not sure if Chocolate (map) is planning a party, but then again, every night kind of feels like Halloween there.

Feel free to leave details – or email me at beijingboyce (at) yahoo.com – about any other bashes…

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See also:

• Tales of the Plush Monkey (2006)
• Zimbu goes Zim-boo! The weekend Halloween party wrap-up (2007)
• Halloween party wrap-up: One monkey, three boos, and a handful of cheers (2008)

Made a long-overdue visit to Nashville (map) for its superb happy hour, where drinks are two-for-one daily from 5 PM to 8 PM. This includes the bar’s impressive list of single malts. There are nearly 30 choices at the RMB60 mark alone, including Balblair 10, Talikser 12, Laphroig 10, Balvenie 12, Cragganmore 12, and Bowmore 12. Even better, patrons can mix and match: for my RMB60, I had a Caol Ila 10-year-old, followed by a Jura 12-year-old. The pours are not the biggest, but this is still excellent value. The whiskey menu ranges Wild Turkey and Dewar’s at RMB35 to 30-year-old Laphroig and Bowmore at RMB280.

Nashville also has a wide range of beers, with Guinness and Kilkenny on tap at RMB60 and bottled beers such as Flensburger, Krombacher, and Moosbacher for ~RMB60.

The staff is friendly, the theme is country and western, and the place has an earthy feel given everything from the jars of cigar labels to the rough-hewn shelves holding the booze to the display of beer glasses to the album covers on the wall – think Kenny Rogers.