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Contact
Email – beijingboyce (at) yahoo.com
Twitter – beijingboyce
Facebook – Beijing Boyce
Sibling site – Grape Wall of China
Free e-newsletter – Email beijingboyce (at) yahoo.com with “sign me up” in the subject line.
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About
In October 2005, I started a biweekly e-newsletter about the Beijing nightlife scene that covered everything from bar news and reviews to wine tastings to the drinking adventures of my friends. In October 2006, I uploaded 70,000 words worth of newsletters and formally kicked off this blog.
I write the blog from a consumer perspective. I have not owned or managed a bar, nor am I an expert on wine, vodka, whiskey, cocktails, or any other beverages. My main goal is to pass bar information to fellow consumers.
The blog is nonprofit. I pay for my drinks, for wine tastings, and so on. There are times when I accept freebies, such as at media events (at which no one pays), at bars I regularly patronize (an occasional drink is standard customer service), and when I play “guinea pig” for a bartender who wants me to test new cocktails (the bill is waived in lieu of danger pay). I would make explicit any exception, such as if I accepted a free seat to a wine tasting I could not afford, say, an RMB88,888 Bordeaux extravaganza (it hasn’t happened yet).
I started the blog because I like writing and have penned three columns, two newsletters, and many freelance articles over the years. Since Beijing has a rapidly changing nightlife scene and because I have a notebook, writing about the city’s bars was a natural, especially as my work has involved me meeting many business acquaintances for drinks. The drinking scene is also a popular topic since almost everyone has a favorite bar, knows a good spot to take visitors to Beijing, or can opine on the pros and cons of baijiu. My newsletter and blog aim to be part of this by providing useful information – hopefully in an entertaining way – to help people make the most of their nights out on the town.
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J.B., truly impressive, and quite brilliant all around. You have provided us with a bar bible to navigate the dynamic Beijing night-scene. I wonder how you can maintain this secretive double life-style of serious worker by day, party animal by night. Well done!
-Gabe
great blog, I have been aaway from BJ after living here for 10 years so I needed an update big-time!
I will be having my birthday soon and want to find a bar with a darts board that we can use. Where are the best ones now? All i know have gone mainly SLT Sth Street, Minders and the rest. I know the Goose and Duck but would rather perish on a frozen mountain side than drink there. Any other recomedations? An otherwise quiet bar that I can bring about 20 people to?
Your advise, oh great sage, is much appreciated.
Rob.
Comment it is not; but I couldn’t find an email add….
Sage? Wow!
That comment makes me wonder two things: 1) how much did you drink before writing this email and, 2) what would a sage martini taste like?
In any case, I’m going to give a shout out to The 5:19 Bar & Grill, which hosts the Beijing International Darts League. This place can comfortably fit 20 people and the owner, Dave, has a good selection of drinks. The 5:19 is on “Super Bar Street”: 28 Xingba Lu, Nuren Jie, Chaoyang District; 8448-0896.
Cheers and happy birthday, BB
it is a great blog, while would be greater if you chage the backgroud color.^^
Definitely a must-see blog for bar-goers in BJ
Thanks Samantha (belatedly) and Rednaxela (right on time). Much appreciated, BB
Glad that you changed the background color of this blog. I could spend more time reading it w/o worrying about my eyes now. ^^
ps,just an interesting thought popping up in my mind-you leave a trace in your newsletter by showing ur preferrence to certain bars… is anyone find you by follow your hints?
pps, I am kidding.;P
Samantha, I have several body doubles and bodyguard to ensure my safety, and that of my liver, at all times.
Cheers, Boyce
hmm, it is very creative to protect the ” liver of fish”.^^
Bravo as we said in France !!!!!
So sad you are just in BJS eh eh ;)
Impressive and very weel done that’s why I love this blog so much.
I will be in BJ soon and I wonder to find a 5 nice place
I only staying 5 days in BJ 23-29 Avril
I like good music and hip place where I could go alone and easily chat to a lovely chinese (not professionnal eh eh )
Your advise, dear master, is much appreciated
Dear Master,
Do you have planning to make such wedsite about restaurant in beijing in coming future?I beleive its unfair for the people who wants to know about beijing restaurant’s events and information.
cheers,boyce.
Hi Daya,
Yikes, I’ve already gained enough weight in this city, a restaurant blog would be even worse! Plus, my tastes are simple – some Rickshaw wings, a Buona pizza, things like that keep me full and happy. There must be some aspiring food writer out there…
Cheers, BB
Great site, I’m thinking of moving to Beijing from Hong Kong and this is just the sort of thing I need to know
sooooooooooooo cute! love ur site!
So, you do get free drinks! Well deserved!
“those rare days when the mountains east of the city are visible from my apartment.”
You meant “west of the city”, right? There were some even better days last year during the Olympic Games when one could see the mountains north of the city.
Yep, I mean West!
[...] Beijing Boyce. Because everybody needs to have some fun sometime and Beijing Boyce is the best place I know to go to find out how to do that, at least in Beijing. Its subtitles(!) are “A consumer’s view of Beijing’s bar and wine scenes” and “A Somewhat Young China Hand on the Local Drinking Scene>.” It has been headed up since 2005 by the perennially gracious Jim Boyce. [...]