-

Good vittles (baked beans, brisket and the like from Home Plate), good booze (Fighting Cock Bourbon and Brooklyn, Saranac and Dead Guy beers from Dxcel) and endless unintentional comedy (a mechanical bull to toss patrons about) — a slow clap to the Beijing Hilton for its Zeta Rodeo last weekend. The event drew a crowd modest in size, though high in spirit, which surprised me given the number of people who said they intended to go and inspired me to get there early for a seat. Go figure.  Some highlights:

• The “Brokeback” bull ride by a pair of patrons that ended with one of them getting thrown off and almost “gored” (see above). True, that horn is a rubber, but still…
• Second place: When Brandon Hess of Dxcel spanked the bull with a cowboy hat. I have no idea what that action  is meant to symbolize. It must be an Iowa thing.
• The fiery baked beans (rmb10) from Home Plate. I couldn’t stop eating them. Three heaping bowls. Pity the people who had to sit within six rows of me on a flight the next morning. The pulled pork sandwich (rmb35) was tasty, too.
• The Brooklyn Lager (rmb40) and Fighting Cock Bourbon (rmb40). The first is a flavorsome brew that ranks among my favorites in Beijing, the second provides a high-octane kick at 51 percent alcohol. Both help wash down the food.
• The patience of emcee Anny “Tex” An when dealing requests to double-ride the bull or to ride it backwards.

Overall, a fun night, and I hope the Hilton makes this a regular event.

-

I wrote a few months ago that alcohol distributor Dxcel planned to import High West whiskeys from Utah — and now they are here. Brandon Hess of Dxcel says the company has both a “silver” clear whiskey and a far more interesting sounding rye that is a blend of two-year-old and sixteen-year-old whiskeys. He adds that The Bookworm, Amilal, 2F and Home Plate should have both of them in stock  tomorrow.

Kro’s Nest will team up with beer distributor provider allocator guys Duvel Moortgat and delivery service Jinshisong to hold a party at the Sanlitun branch on Saturday night. The doors open at 7 PM, with the first four kegs of beer, including two Vedett White and two Tsing-Tao, and 180 slices of pizza handed out free. Look for a Rumble in the Jungle Slug Fest in the Nest between the mascots from Kro’s (a crow, naturally) and Duvel Moortgat (a polar beer, unnaturally, given the beer hails from Belgium).

In other free beer news, Fubar will give away 200 pints of Carlsberg from 8 PM, also on Saturday night, as it (roughly) mark its second birthday. For those who prefer other tipples during the Fu Turns Two party, co-owner Chad Lager says happy hour will go to 11 PM. These events can get sloppy and I’ll be doing my best to keep a safe distance from co-owner Kevin “Sambuca” Zhang.

Also Saturday, Nobu Beijing is celebrating the national holiday with drinks from rmb32 and snacks from mrb32, says chef Oyvind Naesheim. The specials are available at the bar on a first-come, first-served basis.

Finally, Modo turned one yesterday. This is the second venture by Alex Molina and Daniel Urdaneta of Mosto and I have visited quite a bit to try samples from those wine preservation machines on the second level. And for some tasty lunches — try the sea bass with lentil salad and passion fruit sauce.

-

K

Among the better things I have tasted this year is the schnapps that the guys at Drei Kronen 1308 distilled from their Oktoberfest beer. (That Oktoberfest beer is good, too.) The schnapps has a nice malty and yeasty aroma, apparently is 35 percent alcohol (but doesn’t taste like it), and is as smooth as pre-2008 Edison Chen.

DK1308 doesn’t sell the schnapps but if you are drinking there, and ask about it, you’re more than likely to find yourself with a shot. By the way, there are two days left with the current promotion, which includes a live band from Germany (7 PM to around midnight) as well as a rmb198 drink deal with a free flow of all four house brews.

A posse of The Beijing Hilton, nearby restaurant Home Plate BBQ and alcohol distributor Dxcel are saddling up for the “Zeta Rodeo” this Saturday. The Hilton will provide the venue (Zeta Bar), country music and — get your chaps out — a mechanical bull, says Simon Amos. As for food, Seth Grossman of Home Plate says he and chef Adam Murray will be slapping together sandwiches and sides, including pulled pork, brisket, and baked beans. And Simon Pendergast of Dxcel says the drink lineup includes Fighting Cock Bourbon and beers from American outfits Dead Guy, Saranac, and Brooklyn.Brisket and Bourbon sound good but I think I’ll leave the bull-riding to others…

Entry is rmb50, with the rodeo from 8 PM to 10 PM, and the party moseying on to the wee hours of the morning. More details below…

There will be plenty of popping and pouring on Saturday afternoon as two major wine tastings are on the schedule.

Torres China will hold its fifth annual Taste of the Nations from 2 PM to 5 PM at Xu Xian Restaurant on Workers Stadium grounds. Tickets are rmb228 and get you a free flow of 150 wines from a dozen countries, including some of the best in China — Grace Vineyard and Silver Heights.  This is one of my favorite annual events both because Torres cracks open some of its better stuff (I tend toward the Australian table with its dozen-plus brands, including Henschke, Bass Philip and Grosset) and because it is well organized and includes handouts with plenty of info on the wines. Tickets are rmb208 in advance. Contact Maggie Wang at 5165-5519, extension 284 / maggie.wang (at) everwines.com.

Also on Saturday is the second annual Tri-Nations Wine Expo from 1 PM to 5 PM at Scarlett Blue in Solana. Tickets are rmb250 and get you access to 100 wines from Australia, South Africa and New Zealand, distributed by Gelipu. Tickets are rmb150 if you email Garry Anderson at AustralianWineClub (at) gmail.com by close of business tomorrow.

The first drink for every customer 0n opening night last Friday was free. (I had a pint of Kilkenny.) The bartender was friendly and spoke English. (She said she once worked at The Hidden Tree on old Sanlitun South Street.) And the long and narrow layout was put to good use. (It is easy to grab a seat at the bar or the tables opposite and to maneuver between them.) I had low expectations going into The James Joyce, a new Irish bar in the former Swensen’s on Jindong Street, but these three things showed a pub with promise.

Not that the place doesn’t have issues. There was a single drinks menu consisting of several sheets stapled together and no food is yet available. Aside from the bartender, the employees seemed shy and unsure. (Also, I’m not sure where the employees ended and other observers — owners? relatives of owners? relatives of employees? — began. Quite a few people didn’t fit the category of ”employee” or “customer”. And one of them decided to test the sound system a few dozen times during operating hours.) And the place still isn’t fully decorated and thus feels unfinished.

People make a place like this and if The James Joyce can get its staff up to speed, provide good drinks specials (regular prices include draft Guinness at rmb50 and Yanjing at rmb25) and draw even a modestly sized crowd, it will be cozy enough. Its proximity to International Wonderland and other residential areas, and to Sanlitun, give it a fighting chance, not to mention that it is beside…

Hua Zai’s Chuanr Bar, which also opened last week.  Light fixtures in place of long exposed fluorescent tubes, a polished cement floor, and so on help make this more than the typical garish feeding station. There is an extensive menu, with more than 50 items, from BBQ to oysters to Sichuan dishes. Don’t expect the place to win any restaurant of the year awards — the food is OK: the best dish I had was stringy tofu with greens — though it will be a good retreat for those full of beer but famished in the wee hours since since Chuanr Bar is open 24 hours. Prices include rmb25 for fried chicken nuggets, rmb12 for the tofu salad, rmb6 for a pair of chicken wings and rmb3 for lamb chuanr. A bottle of Vedett is rmb30 and Duvel is rmb35, with big bottles of local beer also available. Those who want it cheaper, and more options, can always go to Chuanr Bar’s sibling establishment around the corner — Heaven Supermarket.

-

Someone with the code name “Betty” gives you a tip about a Japanese-style bar about to open in the Gulou area. Hmm. An hour later you find yourself on an unfamiliar street, staring at a darkened second floor window, and wondering, “Is that it?” Hmm. You stare some more and think, “Am I crazy or is there a faint light coming from inside?” Hmm.

You climb a staircase, find the glass door locked, and see there are lights on. You knock. No response. You knock again. No response. Then you see a guy walking around. You knock louder. He walks to the door with a “Who the hell are you?” look on his face. Is he the owner? Yes. You explain who you are and, after a pause, he opens the door.  Twenty minutes later you are sitting at the bar, drinking Yunnan fruit wine, and being told you are lucky because the glasses for the place arrived less than an hour ago. I’m not sure what my point is except I’m glad I went upstairs and knocked.

Jam is both bar and restaurant, slated to open next week, and close to Temple. It has a high bar that can seat 15, a low L-shaped counter with a similar capacity, and enough space for 50 or more at tables. Pop your head out of the windows for views of The Drum Tower and the hutongs below. Owner Ryu hails from Shanghai but says his resume includes a stint in the bar business outside Tokyo.

Jam will serve Japanese and Italian food, Ryu says, with the beverage list covering spirits, cocktails, beer (including Asahi draft) and that Yunnan fruit wine. He had two unopened plastic containers of the stuff, made by a small group of farmers down south, he says, and added that it costs less to buy it than ship it to Beijing. Then he cracked the seals.

First we tried the plum wine, the equivalent of umeshu, he says. It smells like, well, plums, with a touch of honey. It is viscous, both sour and sweet, and goes down far too easily. (I think we both used the word “dangerous”.) The papaya wine had a slight wood shaving smell that shifted to dried grass and fruit. It is drier, and balanced, with a slightly grainy after-taste. If I had to choose a second glass of either, I’d probably go papaya. In any case, interesting stuff, and I hope to try them again — and other fruit wines — when Jam opens.

(Hat tip: Betty, C-Burger)

-

The deadline for The Low-Carb Contest — which includes two 750-gram rib-eye steaks, two gin martinis and an avocado salad from Flamme as the prize –  finished over two weeks ago. Like I was growing the avocado for the salad in my apartment and waiting for it to ripen. Or I was  in a coma after eating “The Tomahawk“, a 1.6 kilogram steak  Flamme occasionally stocks. Instead, I’ll blame it on someone taking my computer. Specifically, this guy. Blame him.

Anyway, the idea was to finish this sentence: “This steak is so big _______.” Lots of clever stuff among the more than 40 ideas submitted. Here are three of my favorites:

• That steak is so big that when you climb to the top of it your ears pop. – Charlie
• That steak is so big, if it was in the South China Sea, Beijing would be registering a claim for historical sovereignty. – Mark
• [That steak is so big] you need a shovel to flip it. – JK

Steven Schwankert of SinoScuba helped with the draw. As usual, I wrote the names of the entrants of small pieces of paper, crumpled them, and stuck them in a cup. Schwankert then scrambled them and picked one. And the winner is joed.

Enjoy the prize and thanks to Flamme and to everyone who entered.

-

Here we go again.

Instead of one of those types on an all expenses paid ego trip (the type that gets a two-second spot in a TV commercial and adds “professional actor” to the CV) and/or dedicated to doing pretty much anything to get ahead as fast as possible (the type that would literally kiss someone’s ass and even ask if the kissee wanted it close-mouthed or French) and/or on a mission to be seen as ultra-hip (the type that raises the useless info ante by patronizingly saying the tea you like is nothing compared to such-and-such a blend harvested during the third phase of the moon cycle by the eight vegan virgin daughters of the owner and scented with the tears of a unicorn that lives only on that plantation) and/or, well, this could go on for a long time.

Instead of one of those types, yet again I know someone who is devoid of BS – in this case, The Rauch Potato (TRP) – preparing to make The Grand Exit. Anyway, we recently visited about a dozen spots over two nights in what could be considered a warm up for an official going away party. Here are some notes from a tour that saw me ask everyone “What up?”, instead of “What’s up?”, because grammar is so mainstream.

Night Two

Yugong Yishan: Only a handful of acts inspire me to get me off my ass and catch a show. Two of them – Black Cat Bone and DH and the Hellcats – were playing. (Note: TRP and I had no problem getting here from Workers Stadium after the Guoan game. There were quite a few empty cabs.). About Yuong Yishan:

• The toilets reek. You don’t need to ask where they are because you can smell them from twenty-five feet away. Please save the “this is China” comments because they didn’t stink this bad when the place was Rui Fu, air fresheners are not expensive, and it’s not like this is some hole in the wall where beer is rmb10. In fact…
• A bottle of Tsingtao, the cheapest brew, is rmb25. (A friend says water is the same price.) Three beers and entry to the show (rmb80) top rmb150. How about a tiny percentage of the revenue going to a Fragrant Toilet Fund?
• I stood at the top of the first level. DH sounded muddy but Black Cat Bone sounded clean. What gives? A guy who plays in No Name Trio told me it is harder to mix sound for swing than blues. There you go. Anyway, good show(s), though Black Cat Bone dominated DH when the  bands played together and the DH guitarist’s instrument is ridiculously big.
• I saw a guy that looked like Jean-Claude Van Damme. (“Wham, bam, thank you, van Damme!”) (And no, it wasn’t Black Cat Bone’s Jaime Welton.)

Mao Mao Chong: This place was winding down but we managed to get some Bloody Maos – get extra spicy ones for extra sinus clearing. TRP also gobbled down a sausage roll and praised the accompanying relish. Sounds like a perfect permanent item for the menu!

12SQM: We got the last two bottles of Coopers Pale Ale in the fridge. We also met new managers Mike and Lauren, who is also the nightlife editor at City Weekend — I wonder how that will be handled. So, after four years, Joseph Kornides and Li Mei have shifted their focus to other projects. (By the way, I dropped in a second time and Mike told me no major changes are planned for 12SQM for the time being.)

Salud: As busy as usual so we moved on to find something more relaxed.

Reef Bar: The rock music drifting down the street drew us in on a relatively quiet street (I believe it was before 2 AM at this point). The staff might want to check with their alcohol distributor because our whiskey shots were lightweights even though we witnessed them being poured from the bottle. Or maybe there is a new Jameson’s Light we don’t know about.

Amilal: Closed. (Where have all the hipsters gone?)

The Box: Closed. (Long time passing)

Jianghu: Just closed. (Long time ago)

That meant a triple closure whammy, just when we required one last beverage to wash away the taste of those Reef Bar shots, but TRP saved the situation by suggesting El Nido. Superb call.

We had a few good beers (TRP gave the BrewDog Punk IPA a thumb up while I went with current favorite Red Seal Pale Ale.) Even better, we shared the bar with owner Xiao Shuai and two members of bluegrass band Randy Andy Stable, Randy and Parker, the latter getting out his mandolin and all us singing along to “Marianne.” Parker also played “Sunday Morning Coming Down“, appropriate given the time, and Randy, with an incredible feat of recollection, dug deep and – sometimes word for word, sometimes syllable by syllable – pieced the lyrics together. Finally, Parker told us about a food court in Flushing, New York, that has “awesome” Chinese food and “even fish balls“. Sounded like time to go. Owner Xiao Shuai kindly comped us beer so we reinvested the money in a Bourbon shot, then said goodbye and stumbled out “to meet the day”.

Night One

1F: One of my favorite bar managers is Jack Zhou because he keeps his cool, remains polite, and listens to what customers have to say. This is an important part of why 1F has been a success since opening some 15 months ago. So it is shocking to hear a group of customers got out of control last week and one clubbed Zhou from behind. He is OK but it just goes to show that even in a place such has 1F, which I rank among the safest in Sanlitun, things can get out of hand.

Bar Blu: Does anyone consider bottled Tsingtao at rmb25 — regular price rmb30 — as a “special”. And a glass filled with ice and topped from an already-open two-liter bottle of Coke is rmb20 is, well, words fail me. We went for the We Live in Beijing “Feel Good Party” and to catch house band Solidaz one last time. I had fun but I would be more inclined to return if the prices better reflected the product. Then again, the event featured a buffet at rmb50 — regular price: rmb68 — and was great value for those who enjoy quantity. The best parts: the baked potato and the pumpkin pie.

Revolution: This bar is tightly arranged, can seat 30 to 40, and was pretty much full by the time we left. TRP described it as “cute”. We tried the Revolution cocktail (rmb40), available with gin or vodka, and found it refreshing. I see myself going here more often — and grabbing some bibimbap — when the weather gets colder.

Heaven Supermarket: A big plain rectangular room with fluorescent lighting, short tables and a few dozen stools might not sound like much but this place continues to impress for having more than 100 beers (both chilled and room temperature), low prices (example: Brooklyn Lager at rmb20), an eclectic clientele (from chefs to teachers to journalists to IT types, covering dozens of nationalities, spanning five decades) and – an item some restaurants in nearby Sanlitun Village lack – a toilet. We had long conversations with a group of people about televised dating shows, catering companies, and Middle Eastern food, and shorter ones on whether or not to have another beer.

-

Someone from our sister city to the south contacted me here in the north to see if I know of anyone who has experience making cider and would be interested in working on a small project in the west. (In terms of directions, that only leaves out the east, say Shandong, which has tons of good apples and should make more cider and less wine.) Interested parties, contact Jon at jonathantomlin (at) hotmail.com for more details.

-

The former W Dine and Wine space will soon return to the scene as seafood restaurant Starfish. The décor, meant to invoke an inverted galleon hull, is near completion and much of the furniture was in place when I dropped by Friday. Starfish is headed by Chris Hebert and Alisha Bailey. Customers can expect plenty of seafood, including imported oysters, along with a wine-by-the-glass menu that will have about two dozen options and a good number of white wines.

I went by Chuanr Bar last Friday to see if it had indeed opened and instead found what looked like an inspection in the works. The owner told me the place, and possibly The James Joyce pub beside  it, would open sometime this week. I will provide minute-by-minute hourly updates on the situation.

Fubar will add a Fighting Cock Bourbon Old-Fashioned to its menu this week. The drink includes 50 ml of whiskey, which packs a punch at over 50 percent alcohol, and will be rmb50. Fubar has been a bit quiet this summer, and it seems some regulars have migrated to Grinders and Revolution, but co-owner Chad Lager says things are picking up. New manager William Zhang, with Kenn Bermel also on hand, should see more traffic as winter nears. Finally, a heads up to fans of bartender Seven Zhang: he has left the bar.

The ceiling of Paddy O’Shea’s will soon be adorned with a large Ghana flag, donated from my large collection of that country’s banners, all of which were purchased at SLS Flags. Go B lack Stars! If you are looking for flags for the World Rugby Cup, check out SLS.

Nick Papa of Duvel Moortgat says he is teaming up with Korean restaurant IKI for a “prettiest girl in the whole wide room” special that involves  Liefmans beer. Details (possibly) to follow. I hope one of them isn’t that the place will repeatedly play that “Nobody But You” song by Wonder Girls.

Lots of posts in the queue about local bars this week…

Less than a year ago, word was a New Zealand band called Solidaz would team with longstanding Workers Stadium West bar The Pavillion and rock the city. Unfortunately, things didn’t work out and Solidaz left the place months ago to make its base in Bar Blu. Meanwhile, the Pavillion, even after an ownership change, remains a spot that should perform much better: I went earlier this week and despite the nice weather found only a handful of people on that excellent patio.

I bring this up because several Solidaz members live in the same complex as me but will soon be leaving our fair city — for Chengdu. They are a fun crew and you can catch them either tomorrow, for their farewell, or tonight, as We Live in Beijing holds a Feel Good Party. Some details on the party:

- A buffet for rmb50 from 6 PM to 9 PM

- Drink specials, including cocktails at rmb35 from 6 PM to midnight, plus “yellow light” specials each hour from 10 PM to 2 AM, when some drinks are rmb25.

- Brazilian dancers, a samba band, DJs and — playing their second-last show — Solidaz.

- There are also some drinking contests, draws and something called a “poker face tournament” in which I’m supposed to be involved.

More details here.

“I’m a man of the world*,” said Paddy O’Shea’s manager Karl Long as he showed off a pair of Great Leap Brewery taps, installed earlier this afternoon. “American-style pale ale, Indian food from Ganges restaurant upstairs, a Protestant manager – all in an Irish bar.”

The pale ale comes from Carl Setzer at Great Leap Brewery, which has its original Nanluoguxiang operation and a new one at the Great Wall. Those who find Great Leap’s brews exceedingly warm at the hutong operation will be happy to know that it pours at ~10 degrees Celcius at Paddy O’Shea’s. It comes cloudy, has a slight tang, and costs rmb35 for a 400ml glass.) Setzer, affectionately known in my circles as The Unabrewer due to his demure demeanor, says his beers will soon be available at The Brick, Black Sun Bar and Vineyard, among other locations. Gulou-area hotel The Orchid has had two Great Leap brews on tap for several months.

Meanwhile, although Ganges is not open as a restaurant, the kitchen is operating and everything from chicken tikka masala to lamb biryani to curry chips is available for delivery to Paddy O’Shea’s. This comes on top of a revised pub grub menu of burgers, sandwiches, pizzas and the like.

-

* I’m pretty sure he was joking.

Bling returns to the club scene just as the price of gold reaches record highs. Coincidence? Anyway, this spot opened in Solana during the Olympics, complete with a Phantom DJ booth – I guess that’s how they Rolls (Phantom, roll, Rolls-Royce, get it?), and will hold a “Bling is back” party this Friday from 10 PM. Lots of new club options in Beijing these days, including Lantern 2.0, Haze and Spark. I now await the coming of Lamp, Smog and Glint. And China Doll 4.7 or whatever number we are at… that place is surely overdue for a comeback, no?

Palatte Vino is now open for lunch with a rmb48 set menu that includes soup and salad and ~10 mains options, ranging from a club sandwich with fries to rabbit leg with vegetables to lamb chops with green beans and couscous. Chow down indoors or in the courtyard and, if your boss is of a more liberal bent, wash your meal down with a bottle or two of wine given that Palette Vino offers one of the city’s more interesting menus.

Weiley Lu at The Loop says he is working on a fall menu. Love the space, like the food and drink (try the Pikes Riesling), wish it hhad more customers and better music. Anyway, The Loop has added sandwiches since my last visit, ranging from bacon, egg and mustard mayo at rmb42 to the “ultimate” beef with foie gras and truffle at rmb78. Diners can add fries and a soft drink or Tiger for rmb20. The Loop also has a daily happy hour, 5 PM to 7 PM daily, with buy one, get one free beer. The spirits are reasonably priced and include a small but nice range of rums and cachacas.

Bang Bang Pizza in Shuangjing is upgrading its kitchen and should have a new menu available in about a week, say Robin Howlett and Steve Williams. Expect pizza to remain an option but to be joined by new and fancier fare — did someone say baked Camembert? This place remains this year’s runaway leader as the bar I am most likely to go for a drink at 9 PM and still be there when the sun comes up.

12SQM, run by couple Joseph “Licky Boom-Boom” Kornides and Li Mei and measuring ~44 square meters since last year’s expansion, celebrated its fourth birthday last Saturday. The bar featured rmb20 beers and mixed drinks, saw dozens of punters spilling into the street, and, as a result, had a record day, says Kornides, who later took umbrage with a certain group of patrons that requested “Informer” via iPhone then left before the song reached the front of the queue. Understood. It’s not fun to sing alone..

-

“Anyone who complains we don’t get enough international rugby games to watch in Beijing can shut their mouth until November.”

- Chris Edwards, social secretary, Beijing Devils

That means you!

Got an email from Chris Edwards of The Beijing Devils today and figured I would put together a working list of places in Beijing that will show the Rugby World Cup that starts Friday. For those who know little about rugby, imagine it as hockey but without the skates, sticks and fights that have led that sport to be described as “ballet on ice“.

Venues showing games include The Stumble Inn (in HD, plus The Beijing Beatles will play on opening night, which I guess proves Helter Skelter was actually about rugby), Frank’s Place (which now operates a bakery, so expect fresh bread), Union (this place recently added Philly cheese steak sandwiches to the menu), Paddy O’Shea’s (look for Indian restaurant Ganges to open upstairs sometime during the tournament) and Grinders (there will be plenty of Tiger and Heineken deals, plus word has it the two house dogs will be renamed Old Grubber and Sir Scrum-a-Lot.) Even Danger Doyle’s is back in the game and says it will show all 48 games and feature buckets of five Heineken for rmb100.

Last, but certainly not least, The Beijing Devils and The Den will team up for a promotion. The basic idea is to get a Devil’s passport and have it stamped every time you watch a game and order a beverage at The Den. Get three stamps, get a free beer. Be among those with the most stamps and win prizes, including cases of brew from 88 Beers, sidecar motorcycle trips from Beijing Sideways, vouchers from The Den, and a Devils scooter. The Devils will have a party on Saturday for the Argentina vs England game at 4:30 PM.

I’ll add more places to this list as I found out about them..

-

UDPATES

Tim’s Texas BBQ: Showing games on all screens and, according to a comment left, will ” broadcast the sound thru the “surround sound” audio system.” Happy hour starts 30 minutes before game time. See comments for more details.

The Irish Volunteer: “Free Qingdao from the whistle to the first score at every game at The Irish Volunteer.”

The Stumble Inn: Heineken draft rmb30 during all matches. Also, rmb20 Toohey’s, Castlemain XXXX, Sagres, Moosehead and Lucky beers. Games also shown on terrace and on a new 60-inch screen.

-

The team behind Heaven Supermarket is slated to open its chuanr bar this Friday and its Irish bar one week later in the old Prima Taste / Swensen’s space (before that it was Mare). Word is the Irish bar will be called The James BJoyce.

(I expect the guys at Paddy O’s Empire to come back with a new place called The C.S. Lewis and include a donkey burger called The Bree on the menu. And for Karl Long to do readings from the Chronicles of Narnia during open mic night. On a related note, this is a hilarious oldie but goodie.)

These two spots offer more seating than might be imagined from the outside and the round-the-clock hours make this another option for late night / early morning eats for the bar crowd.

Welcome to part twenty-nine of the Must Tries Series, where I ask people working in the Beijing bar and restaurant business for the top picks from their menus. This time up: Xiao Shuai of Andingmen bar El Nido — known for its beer, absinthe and infused spirits.

-

-

What is the “must try” beer at El Nido?

BrewDog, with its unmistakeable “we don’t care if you drink this beer, we’re still fucking niubi” attitude. It’s a very interesting beer with an in-your-face attitude that will suit any old punk. Also, it tastes damn good. Price: rmb45 to rmb55.

What is the “must try” absinthe?

King of Spirits Absinthe — at 70 percent alcohol it is powerful. Not only is it a very rare absinthe in China but it is also rumored to be the absinthe with the highest ear-cutting potential. We like it. Price: rmb120 per glass.

What are three “must tries” at other places in Beijing?

I consider myself a quite simple man who likes simple things done well. Great Leap Brewery ales are a must try for anyone who fancies an authentic pint of ale. Afterwards I like to go for a late-night hamburger at diner The Box. If I am tired of the hustle and bustle of weekend life in Beijing, I like to go for a well-made cup of Lavazza at Waiting for Godot.

 (to be read with the deep voice of a movie announcer)

-

 From the producers of

Titanic II

and

Buffalo Wing Martini

comes a tale of East meets West,

of enemies turned allies,

of two spirits gone rogue.

One is a high-octane Kentucky firewater that will knock 40 points off your IQ,

the other an earthy North Korean hooch that will go taekwondo on your liver.

Together they will decide the fate of your world.

Critics have called it “a sea of fire”, “60 ml of booze that will shake the planet”,

“the best thing since Titanic II” and “a little dirty.”

One part Bourbon, one part Ginseng liquor,

one part Campari, one part Vermouth.

This is:

Licensed to Kim Jong-Ill

 -

-

Note: This drink was made by Paul Mathew at Mao Mao Chong last night. It came about after I asked him to replace half the Bourbon in the previous drink with North Korean liquor in the hope of getting a candied ginseng effect. That didn’t really happen but the drink tasted pretty good and much better than the next experiment, the Kim Gin-Il Tonic.