Beijing Boyce

Update: I met with Chad Lager of Fubar this week to pick the winners of the 100 bottles of vodka and gin in the Beijing Bar Rescue Contest. All valid comments went into a draw, with Lager overseeing the process and bartender / fashion model (see the August issue of Esquire) Seven Zhang pulling out five winners, each of which gets six bottles of alcohol — three vodka and three gin. Here are his picks:

• Matt: 12 bottles (drawn twice)
• Colin: 6 bottles
• Octopus: 6 bottles
• Richard: 6 bottles

Lager and I (so much for a panel) decided how to split the other 70 bottles. We liked many of the ideas, from the proposed revamp of Eudora in Lido to the creation of a live music venue in Sanlitun, although in some cases the entries were too long or didn’t strike us as quite right. (Re the entry that said Fubar needs to be rescued: Lager says he is quite happy with his profits, thank you very much.)

In the end, we agreed Matt and Blake had the best entries, though not on which one. With Matt, it was Green T. House and Havana Bar, with Blake it was Stone Boat and Miss Saigon. We also liked the unexpected suggestions from Zach for Metro and Pliers, though the latter entry was too long and didn’t make the cut, and the ideas from Octopus for Kura Kura and, as an aside, Tim’s Texas BBQ. (We’re not saying Tim’s needs a rescue, we just want to see which sea shanties he knows).

Here is how we decided to divide the 70 bottles:

Blake: 34 bottles
Matt: 24 bottles
Octopus: 6 bottles
Zach: 6 bottles

The prizes are available at Fubar. Winners should phone Lager ahead of pickup. (I will forward his phone number to the winners.)

Thanks to everyone who participated. I think most of us have been in a so-so bar, or walked by an empty spot, and thought, “You know, this place would be amazing if only someone [fill in the blank].” It was fun see some of those ideas.

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Update: The contest is closed. I’ll post re the winners on Monday afternoon (tomorrow, Wednesday, promise. We went over all the entries last night and I just need to write up the results).

100 bottles of booze on the wall, 100 bottles of booze…

Chad Lager of Fubar is fatigued from figuring out cocktail recipes for his stock of Strait guava gin and Strait vanilla vodka, and is donating 50 bottles of each for a contest. That means 100 bottles of booze. And this coincides with the start of a new U.S.  TV show called Bar Rescue in which an expert tries to give a boost to a bar. And that makes it a natural to hold a Bar Rescue Beijing Contest for 100 Bottles of Booze from Fubar.

The challenge: Tell us what Beijing bar needs rescuing and how, and do so in 100 words or less.

(One of Chad’s picks is to re-launch Powerhouse: he says the great outdoor space and perfect location would make it ideal for a thriving live rock and roll scene. One of my picks is Pavillion: given the layout, both the interior and that lovely patio, and location in the Sanlitun-Workers Stadium zone, this would work well as an upscale restaurant and lounge, with a special focus on the  post-2 AM crowd. Think D Lounge’s chicness with Twilight’s attitude and drinks.)

Winners will be chosen based both on merit and luck.

In terms of luck, we will draw five winners, each of whom will get a six-pack of booze — three bottles of gin, three bottles of vodka.

In terms of merit, several bar scene observers, to be announced shortly, will narrow the entries to a few finalists and decide how many of the remaining 70 bottles each one gets. A finalist might get 1 bottle or 20 bottles or even all 70 bottles.

(It is possible, though unlikely, for someone who enters five times to win all 100 bottles.)

The details, in bullet points…

• To enter the contest, tell us — in no more than 100 words — which Beijing bar should be rescued and how.
• You may post an entry about a bar already mentioned but you need to come up with a different rescue plan.
• You may enter up to five times. Each entry must be submitted as a separate entry to be eligible for the draw.
• All reasonable comments will be entered into the draw.
• The deadline is next Tuesday at 5 PM.
• Winners need to pick up their prizes at Fubar.

Finally, there is still time — about two hours — for those interested in entering the contest for 10 Gung Ho pizzas and 48 bottles of Vedett. Details here.

Reason we thought of this contest is that every bar owner and bar customer loves to walk place a vacant spot and think what if… that’s very subject…. Powerhouse…

Asking for a spot of tea at Fubar on Sunday night meant getting something far more potent as Jamie Terrell, brand head of Hendrick’s Gin for the Asia-Pacific region, led a cocktail tasting. “During Prohibition, teapots helped to disguise the use of alcohol,” he explained, and added that spirits were often mixed with juice to further help hide the evidence. I’m guessing those teapots made it easier for the authorities to sometimes (often?) look the other way.

I tried three Hendrick’s-based cocktails, all from recipes Terrell says were created in the past year or so:

1) Teatime Martini, with gin, fresh lemon juice and rose petal jam. This one seems to be tricky in terms of getting the sour and sweet balanced. The first glass turned out to be mouth-puckering, the second swinging between sweet and sour, and these were my least favorites of the night.

2) Flora Dora, with gin, fresh lime juice and raspberry syrup. This one is sweet, but not cloyingly so, and has nice jammy aromas and flavors. It should be a crowd pleaser.

3) Earl of Negroni, with gin, Campari, Martini Rosso and Ceylon tea with fresh rose buds. The most interesting of the three with a slightly milky and tannic ending.

The night also featured happy hour prices, which meant Fubar’s popular Hendrick’s Gin Tonic at RMB25…

But which one is the *real* Santa?

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He’s jolly by golly so deck the halls with boughs of holly, Wally, because The Man in Red will make an early appearance when he flies to Beijing this Saturday for the second annual Santacon.

(That whole rhyming thing is because this is the day after one of those all-nighters I pull every few months to try and reset my internal clock. Thus, I am giddy. Maybe Santa can bring me a nice new shiny internal clock for Christmas. And an air filter. And some Taco Bell hot sauce. I don’t ask for much.)

What is Santacon? “SantaCon is a non-profit, non-political, non-religious and non-sensical annual Santa Claus convention celebrating cheer, goodwill, and fun.” It happens in Beijing on December 11 this year. You can get info on where to buy a Santa suit, the starting points (to be announced tomorrow), and how to participate in the charity coal drive here.

In the meantime, I asked Santa where he likes to grab a drink while in Beijing. Here are his top five watering holes:

“Bringing happiness to the world’s boys and girls is a huge responsibility—gathering intel to decide whether Bejiingers are naughty or nice, constantly innovating to be on the forefront of toy technology—and being Santa can be stressful! I wouldn’t trade this job for anything in the world. But when I need to take a break from the North Pole, here are five places that keep me jolly:

“Fubar lures me back again and again with its guarantee of merry times. Hidden entrance, solid drinks, friendly staff, ready access to hot dogs, what’s not to like? I’ve never had a bad cocktail in this place. As a post-work hangout for me and my elf friends, it hits the spot. And its mulled wine has a way of mellowing me out even after a tough day in the workshop. Big plus: I can always find a parking space for my sleigh in Workers’ Stadium.

“Pyro Pizza is my go-to pizza place in Haidian. A few rowdy Santas studying at Tsinghua tipped me off to this place. When milk and cookies do not satisfy my appetite, I dash down to this Wudaokou underground bar for thin-crust pizza, laid-back attitude, and value-priced beer.

“Tao Yao Bar is one of those hidden Houhai gems among the blaring music and flashing lights of neighboring bars. Tucked away on a narrow park by the southern end of the lake, this chill Tibetan-style bar sets the tone for a relaxed afternoon over a few Harbin beers. The comfy cushioned second floor begs you to prop up your boots and recline after a night of climbing up and down chimneys.

“Bang! Bang! Pizza & Bar is one of the reasons why my belly jiggles like a bowl full of jelly! This addition to the Shuangjing scene serves tasty pizza and soups (try their potato, bacon and cheese soup –drool-inducing!). Perch on one of their tall chairs and munch on some pizza while gazing at the paintings adorning the walls. This place can be a bit hard to find with scaffolding currently obscuring its signage, so keep a sharp eye out.

“Chocolate: the skimpy outfits those Chocolate dancers wear make my cheeks rosy! Some of their cocktails can be a bit too sweet, so I usually just stick to drinking vodka and smoking hookah when I roll into this Russian club. The over-the-top décor and floor dazzle. I don’t often go there, but when I do, watch out: Santa is on the loose! I hope no one Facebook-ed photos of my swinging around the stripper pole last weekend.”

Renovations finished at Fubar last night and just in time since this Workers Stadium joint will mark its sixth one-kuai drinks special tonight. Held the first day of each month, the special runs from 6 PM to 8 PM and this month will feature pints of Tasmanian Devil Margaritas for RMB1. And because people always ask: Yes, the drinks are full strength, or at least have been at the other one-kuai events I attended.

In terms of renovations, the original bar has been replaced and extended along the far wall to create an L-shape. A balcony area has been added above it.

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Like the gossamer threads of a spider web with a finite space in which it is suspended yet an infinite number of ways in which it might be woven, Fubar is again in its limited confines spinning itself a new design, again adding stitches to the booze-filled tales that emblazon its spiritual tapestry, again knitting itself… um… maybe six coffees in just over two hours today was a bad idea…

Anyway, Fubar will reopen tonight after two days of renovations. Expect to find a new dog-leg bar where the old one stood and along the far wall. And expect changes in about two weeks with an expansion of the upper floor and the removal of that mother ship of all wall lights.

So many bars and restaurants are opening when so many people I know are on vacation, but such is the current state of getting fire safety, business license, etc chops these days that delays are the norm and you open when you can. Anyway, some happenings in the Saniltun area…

The second edition of Stumble Inn opens tomorrow night (Friday) on the third floor of Sanlitun Village. Like the first edition, it has two floors, though this one is above ground and includes a deck. The public launch is at 10 PM and will have drink specials.

Also on floor three, bar and grill Flamme opened last Friday (the very hungry can try the massive steak for two for RMB398). And Queen’s Cafe, with a nod toward Russian food, opened today (the RMB70 lunch special, with soup, salad, main, dessert, and coffee or tea, is good value). Still to come is Modo, which is in the midst of a series of food tastings as it fine-tunes the menu. As far as I know, Modo will have the first enomatic machines in Beijing that allow customers to use a prepaid card to select from among 16 wines.

Speaking of wine, in about a month Enoteca will leave The Place and reopen on two floors of Nali Patio, above Mosto and close to where former Legation Quarter outfit Agua is expected to go in.

DJ Phil, long-time music mixer at Poacher’s on Friday nights and at Tun on Saturday nights, says come to 1F on Wednesdays as he spins American indie music and some eighties tunes from 10 PM. Poacher’s was recently sold, so expect some changes there.

Finally, the moose is loose: Canuck brew Moosehead is now available in Beijing, with Fubar at Workers Stadium and Union Bar & Grille in Sanlitun Village both stocking it.

Plan: To have a few drinks and finally watch the Beijing Olympics opening ceremony. Reality: Had a lot of drinks and missed most of the ceremony again. Such is life and I did have some fun during last weekend’s Olympic Flashback that ended up involving Paddy O’Shea’s, China Doll, Fubar, George’s, and Gung Ho Gourmet Pizza Factory, and raised ~RMB4000 for the charity CAI. (A modest sum but OK given I organized the bulk of the event in 36 hours. If only I had come up with this idea a week earlier, it might have raised RMB4100.) I already posted about the Futathlon and here are five more photos from the weekend.

We started on Saturday night with mixed drinks at Paddy O’Shea’s, which sold the most beverages, under the watchful life of Major Tom.

We then moved to China Doll, which made a special banner for us. The rain meant we couldn’t use the sky deck but also meant more people in the lounge and on the dance floor.

On Sunday night, we started at at Fubar, which held the Futathlon and made Fu Wa cocktails.

Then headed over the George’s, which raised the most money as we sold the donated Gung Ho pizzas here, too, to drink martinis, watch the opening ceremonies, and eat some…

pie!

Thanks to Paddy O’Shea’s, China Doll, Fubar, George’s, and Gung Ho Gourmet Pizza Factory, the team at CAI (especially Will “The Wallet” Hsu), and the contestants in the Futathlon (Gordon, Maggie, Shane, Will, and Kirby). As for the opening ceremonies, I’m going to have to borrow a DVD player, plug in my TV, get a couple of beers, order a large pepperoni pizza, and watch it at home. Don’t tell me how it ends…

The Futathlon

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A full report tomorrow on last weekend’s Olympic Flashback with Paddy O’Shea’s, China Doll, Fubar, George’s, and Gung Ho Pizza, as I want to double-check everything with the folks at CAI, the focus of the fundraiser. But I thought the Futathlon held on Sunday at Fubar deserved its own post.

Five people signed up for the race to consume a hot dog, corn dog, bottle of Tsingtao, frozen drink, and shot. Pictured above, from left to right, the Futathletes were:

• Gordon “Tennessee Titan” Kutil, who knows a few things about eating and drinking given he is manager of Saddle Cantina.
• Maggie “Munchy Mouth” Rauch, who writes the China Sports Today blog.
• Shane “Vegemite Vacuum” C, also known to many as Fubar’s weekend DJ Chunky.
• Will “Trash Can” Hsu, representin’ CAI.
  
• Kirby “Hot Dog Hail Mary” Calder, also known as the Beijing Fantasy Football League Commissioner.

First prize was a bottle of Hendrick’s gin, a half-bottle of Duval-Leroy Champagne (distributed by East Meets West), a Fuwa poster, and a “gold” Fuwa key chain. Second was a Buddha glass, filled with drink of choice, and a “silver” (well, perhaps “bluish silver” is more accurate) key chain, while third was a filled Fu Manchu glass and a “bronze” key chain. (The big glass at left contains the entry fee and drinks money being donated to CAI.)

Besides glory, the Futathlon also meant prizes.

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Contestants could consume the items in any order they wished, but had to drink the Tsingtao and the frozen drink through a straw, and the shot without using their hands. Consumption of the frozen drink seemed crucial, as a brain freeze might cost those few seconds that mean the difference between victory and defeat.

It's all about avoiding brain freeze.

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A draw determined where each contestant sat, with Shane “A DJ Ate My Dingo” C ending up in the middle. He sped off to an early lead as competitors on each side eyed his progress and worked to reel him in.

Crombie's patented "Aussie super sip" move.

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But “The Thunder from Down Under” was not to be denied as he chewed and guzzled his way to a victory that brought honor to the bar where he plays music (except for Prince songs. For some reason, he refuses to play them. Or Major Tom). Kutil took the silver, while Rauch and Hsu tied for the bronze, and Calder, no doubt to his impeccable table manners, came in just after them.

The smell of victory? Corn dogs.

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Tomorrow, I’ll have more details, and more photos, of other venues visited during the weekend…

Note: Winner also gets a half-bottle of Duval-Leroy Champagne. We’re also likely to have all the eating and drinking done at one spot, instead of moving through the bar.

As part of the Olympics flashback weekend, Workers Stadium-based Stadium Dog and Fubar will get into the sporting mood by hosting the Fu Pentathlon aka the Futathlon. Starting in Stadium Dog and finishing on the top floor of Fubar, this event is for the swift of foot and strong of stomach, and includes five stages:

• The Chili Cheese Dog
• Beer Through a Straw
• The Corn Dog on a Stick
• The No-hands Shooter
• The Frozen Fu Wa Cocktail Through a Straw

The entry fee is RMB100, with RMB75 going to CAI, and includes the food and drink listed above. The winner takes home a bottle of Hendrick’s Gin and gets his or her name inscribed on the Fubar blackboard for all time or at least until it gets erased in about two weeks time. The second and third place prizes are a Buddha and a Fu Manchu glass / cocktail respectively.

For those who prefer to be spectators, the Fu Wa cocktail will be available for RMB25, with RMB15 going to CAI, from 6 PM onward on Sunday.

The Futathlon starts at 6:45 PM. To sign up, email Chad at lagerontheroad@hotmail.com or show up at 6 PM on Sunday. We only have space for about 10 people, so it will be first come, first to eat and drink.

Paddy O'Shea's as the opening ceremonies opened...

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This Sunday marks the second anniversary of the opening ceremonies of the Beijing Olympic Games. I missed most of the opening in 2008 due to a seven-hour Beijing bar crawl with Nicolas Carre, so last Saturday I decided to find a bar with a big screen where I could show a repeat this Sunday (August 8 at 8 PM) and get some reasonably priced drinks. That mission changed course slightly as I contacted two other venues and a charity, CAI, that “provides arts and sports programs in migrant schools” (CAI will handle all donations. Thanks to iShaw for the recommendation). Here is the current agenda for anyone interested in a flashback to an event that symbolized change both good and bad for in this city and country.

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Saturday, August 7

China Doll, 11 PM-2 AM

The place: This Sanlitun bar, club, and lounge delivered a winning performance for fun during the Olympics as residents, athletes, and celebrities gathered for nightly shenanigans. Gold-medal moment: Standing beside Michael Phelps at the bar when he said three years had passed since his last cigar. My friend procured a Cuban stogie and Phelps happily puffed away.

The Olympic angle: China Doll will show footage and photos from its Olympics parties and display its flag decorated with the signatures of scores of Olympic and Paralympic athletes, including Usain Bolt.

The deal: Look for “flaming gold medal” shooters for RMB30, with RMB15 going to CAI.

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Sunday, August 8

Fubar, 6-8 PM

The place: The speakeasy present meets the storied past at this bar hidden in the city’s first premium sports venue, circa 1959, and site of football matches during the Beijing Olympics.

The Olympic angle: To honor the Olympic mascots–and because it plays on the bar’s name–the drink de jour will be the Fu Wa. Look for a 500 ml pour that includes pepper berry vodka and other ingredients blended with ice.

The deal: Each Fu Wa is RMB25, with RMB15 going to CAI.

George’s, 8 PM-

The place: A hop, skip, and jump from Fubar, this upscale bar is owned by George Zhou, who has been making cocktails with the precision of a competitive archer for more than five years.

The angle: George’s will screen the opening ceremonies of the Beijing Olympics, starting at 8 PM. Well, most of it. As it is a school night, we will stick to the start and finish and leave out most of the agonizingly long entry of the athletes.

The deal: All martinis are RMB30, with RMB15 going to CAI.

Salud, August 8, 2008

Part-time work for the Jagermeister mascot?

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You can soon add Canada to the growing list of countries* whose brew is available in Beijing. Known for distributing beers such as James Boag’s and Brooklyn Lager, Dxcel is adding Moosehead to its list.

Fubar is the first place I’ve heard of that plans to carry this Canadian icon. Co-owner Chad Lager says he hopes to offer it in 330-millilitre cans and bottles by month’s end.

Speaking of Fubar, it has done more to promote Hendrick’s Gin than any place I know of in Beijing, including in its house GT, which offers good value at RMB50 (happy hour, RMB40). Not surprisingly, this spirit maker and Fubar will team up on some bar redesign. Expect a new look in August.

See also: Moose or reindeer?

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* That list includes China (duh), Australia, Ireland, Japan, Belgium, England, The United States, The Czech Republic, Spain, Cuba, South Korea, Denmark, Russia, Singapore, Italy, Germany, The Philippines, Mexico, France, India, The Netherlands, and no doubt others.

Eight photos from a weird night at Fubar, where Canada Day converged with DJ Man Boobs and a two-hour one-kuai drink special. Before we get to the photos:

• Fubar had not a single patron save yours truly when the two-hour one-kuai mojito martini special started at 6 PM. Less than 90 minutes later, the place seethed with thirsty customers, and I would guess the bartenders now suffer from tendinitis from mashing mint for somewhere between 400 and 500 drinks. Busiest of the four one-kuai drink nights so far. Thus, as a handful of people have noted, not everyone could get a drink within two minutes. But who knew that many Canadians would show up. (Almost everyone was Canadian, right?)
• DJ Man Boobs from Vancouver provided Canuck tunes, from the Bare Naked Ladies to Bif Naked to Burton Cummings to three of my favorite Pursuit of Happiness songs to–and only he knows why he went south–Hall and Oates.
• Fellow Canuck Danni went McGyver and brought clams, tomato juice, and the like so we could make makeshift Caesars. We lacked some items, such as Worschestire sauce and horseradish, but had celery salt, Tabasco sauce, and more. Experiment one, with bartender Seven hand-shaking the clams worked best, with the shreds of meat providing texture. Experiment two, using the blender — not so good. In other words, you gotta shake those clams.

On to the photos…

In this edition of the Top Five Watering Holes Series, gal-about-town Jennifer Ying Lan not only lists her favorite spots to get a drink, but also writes her own introduction. Here it is…

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“Jennifer Ying Lan, a native Texan, just can’t get enough of Beijing in the summertime. After graduating from Harrrrvard, she followed the flock and found herself on Wall Street at an illustrious 100+ year old investment bank that couldn’t stop buying sub-prime mortgages.

“After a couple years of 80+ hour work weeks, she landed in Beijing, where she blogged for the Beijinger, wrote for Agenda magazine, and sent out the notorious ‘7 Days in Beijing‘ newsletter before returning to graduate school (like a good little Chinese-American girl). Currently completing a dual-degree JD/MBA student at Duke University, she is a summer associate at a swanky international law firm in Beijing and is back for the nineteenth time. Find her at these places.

“5. Aperitivo: Open-air wine bar located right behind the Sanlitun strip. With plenty of outdoor seating and a great location, never sit inside or you’ll miss all the action. Watch the line of people at the crazy-busy jianbing cart and the idiotic drivers in way-too-nice cars as they try to make their way down a jam-packed street filled with people, kids selling roses, and knick-knacks of every kind. By far one of the best people-watching places in town…

“4. Fubar: If you’re one of the very few expats in town who hasn’t been yet, all I’m going to say is: secret door, hot dogs, and 1 RMB mojito nights. (Plus, one of the co-owners is the leading international construction lawyer in the world and as a future lawyer who wants to/will own a restaurant/bar in the future… that’s awesome).

“3. The Saddle Cantina: Come here for the ‘Mexican’ food, a rainbow of margaritas, and rooftop seating. If you’re lucky, some poor soul will sit in the saddle and be force-fed tequila like a foie-gras duck. PS: I adore Luga (the little man) so his place and this one are a bit interchangeable for me.

“2. No Name Bar: The first bar back then at Houhai and it’s still holding strong. Sit by the window at night, light a candle, look out over the lake, feel the breeze, and watch the people stroll by. Unless your fellow patrons are from Jersey, you should be able to have a pretty peaceful and perhaps romantic evening.

“1. Maison Boulud: Hands down, the classiest place in town. Located inside the former American embassy at the Legation Quarter, you feel the history as soon as you walk in the door. Rumor has it, this is where Henry Kissinger met with Zhou Enlai on his secret trip to the Middle Kingdom before Richard Nixon came and the West saw China. Ask to see the “Red Room” where the meeting took place. The decor is old school European meets a modern interior designer. Have the gorgeous and ultra-sophisticated Ignace [Lecleir] make you a cocktail before he leaves, sit back and enjoy the live jazz or house music, and just feel good. (Although to be honest, I don’t see myself ever going again after Ignace leaves.)

Florida native Natasha McKenzie has been exploring the bar and restaurant scene since moving to Beijing a decade ago. (And of late, has developed a fondness for Strongbow Cider.) I asked her to list her all-time top-five watering holes. Here they are:

“1. The Big Easy for Blue Mondays, but only when [owner] Doug was still sitting at the end of the bar.

“2. The Hidden Tree, before the expansion and renovations, when you had to go through a labyrinth of cases of Tsingtao just to squat.

“3. Jam House, one of my first and favorite rooftop bars.

“4. Drum & Bell, because of the decent pizza and happy hour on lazy Sunday afternoons.

“5. Fubar, an understated hole in the wall within walking distance of my house.

Paul Mathew at work

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One of my favorite things to discuss is which Beijing bars are best in terms of staff or service or atmosphere or cocktails or whatever. Which is why one of my favorite features on this blog is top five lists by other people. It has been a while since the last top one, but fortunately Paul Matthew–who not only enjoys a cocktail or two, but also is skilled at making them–agreed to share his picks. Mathew is a bar consultant, author of the Blood and Sand site, and co-owner of The Hide Bar in London. His top five…

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“As a new father I’m getting out to bars far less than I used to. When I do, I’m more and more particular about where I go. I’ve always been of the opinion that you should drink better things, not necessarily more of them, it’s just now been focused. In the time available, I want to drink something made with care and attention where there are interesting people to watch and the service is good. Plenty of places have two out of three, but the full Monty can be hard to come by in Beijing. Hotel bars, for example, often have the well-made drinks and great service, but the clientele can be a little on the dull/professional side. Other venues offer a fantastic environment in which to observe the Beijinger in his or her natural environment, but getting a (dodgy) drink is like getting blood from a stone.

“My favourites loosely fall into three categories. First, the ‘academic’ bars. These are places that take their drinks seriously and follow proper protocol. No one does that better than the Japanese, so my first two would be Twilight and Glen. The former for cocktails and the latter for whisky. Twilight manages to be particular about its recipes and ingredients, hand ‘sourcing’ some of the world’s best spirits, and making things they can’t get hold of. As well as being particular, the drinks list is accessible, with a selection that non-cocktail-drinking friends have applauded. Glen, on the other hand, feels like a professional’s drinking den. Sitting at the bar appeals to my inner spirit geek, and the space is so small that you feel like you’re part of everyone’s conversation, even if it is in Japanese. Falling into this category but just not making the cut would be Apothecary and Ichikura. It does make me wonder why all the best cocktail bars are Japanese though, given Europe and North America’s history and current fascination with the cocktail (and manufacture of most of the ingredients). Maybe that’s to come in Beijing Version 2010.2.

“My second category would be the more laid-back venues that I would consider letting my hair down in (if I had enough with which to do so that is). Fubar and Mao Mao Chong both get this spot on but in different ways I think. I don’t often head to Fubar until later in the evening (and compared to Mr Boyce, I could hardly be described as a regular), but whenever I’ve been there, the service has been great, the drinks good and, most of all, the atmosphere welcoming. This is helped in no small way by the staff apparently enjoying their jobs – a seemingly difficult thing to achieve in most of Beijing’s service industry. Mao Mao Chong on the other hand, I would consider going to at any point of the evening, or day if it were open. OK, the cocktails aren’t the carefully recreated classics, but they’re accessible, interesting, and served alongside great beers and pizza. The space is just great, too, and feels as friendly as anywhere I’ve been, with the added bonus of an artistic edge.

“Finally, I’ve gone work-related at the Bookworm. For that deadline that just has to be hit, even if it’s eating into drinking time, the Bookworm offers a great atmosphere that’s conducive to thinking. Service is great, beer good and patrons interesting enough to distract you from time to time. When the deadline’s hit, there’s a good and reasonably priced selection of wine available with which to celebrate.”

The Grouch says The Grouch likes snipers making Sazeracs.

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A special report by regular contributor The Village Grouch, who not only went on a Saturday night pub crawl, but also – in the spirit of wrestler The Rock, NBA star Karl Malone, and actor Kurt Russell as Jack Burton* in Big Trouble in Little China – refers to himself in the third person.

“The Village Grouch was out Saturday night in the company of intrepid combat photographer Slim, who just recently returned from the front.

“First stop was Apothecary (map) to see if the Boyce taste was still intact, and indeed it is. Apothecary is a class act – clean floor, good lighting, and bartenders that are snipers rather than machine gunners. Even in cold November, the mint julep was refreshing, striking a fine balance between taste and punch. TVG then ordered a house special, the Sazerac, which was a fine drink that sipped and sipped and sipped. Drinks aren’t cheap and pours aren’t generous, but TVG didn’t go to Apothecary for that and is looking forward to his next visit.

“A quick stop at Luga’s (map) found the place about half full, the beers cold and reasonably priced, and the nachos serviceable.

“Walking across the vast Sanlitun plateau through the Village and across to the stadium, we found Fubar (map) was wall-to-wall, with a pleasantly higher proportion of female patrons than in its earlier days. Chad kindly bought TVG and Slim their first round — a Hendrick’s Gin and tonic, served the way the maker wants it, with cucumber, not lime or lemon. TVG, a staunch Tanqueray 10 fan, became an immediate convert. Away, wretched lime!

“Two of those later, the place was still full, but our duo moved on to Beijing’s only venue regularly referred to as a bar, church and embassy — Maggie’s (map). Reports of a return to the old days of larger crowds proved true upon our 1:30 AM arrival — the place was heaving, even without hearing Lady Gaga on the sound system. A good mix of people, fast, efficient bar service, and lots to look at maintain the venue’s status as a top after-hours place.

“On an F&B note — the improvement in service at Union Bar & Grille (map) since the recent arrival of Everton-supporting manager Andy is pronounced. Aside from being an all-around nice guy, he is clearly applying the constant pressure and support the wait staff has needed but was sorely lacking prior. The Zack-Andy kitchen-front of house combo is a solid one and TVG hopes both will remain in place for some time to come.

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* An example of Jack Burton in third-person action:

When some wild-eyed, eight-foot-tall maniac grabs your neck, taps the back of your favorite head up against the barroom wall, looks you crooked in the eye and asks you if you paid your dues, you just stare that big sucker right back in the eye, and you remember what ol’ Jack Burton always says at a time like that: “Have you paid your dues, Jack? Yessir, the check is in the mail.”

After a hard week spent working on my computer screen tan, I met The Village Grouch for a drink last weekend and ended up on a bit of a pub crawl.

D Lounge (map): This spot is on the street linking Salsa Caribe and Tun. The gist of the conversation with a guy at the door at 9:30 PM:

Him: [Moving to block door] “Can I help you?”

Me: “Yeah, we’d like to get a drink.”

Him: “Are you on the guest list?”

Me: “Um, no. But I can understand why having one is important, you know, to keep out the riffraff. You wouldn’t want them to bother the… oh, wait, there isn’t anyone here on a Friday night.

I had the impression D Lounge is a private club, but it appears there was a special event on this night, so I will attempt a second visit. Interesting that a place going for the high-end enters off the migration route of drunk students, wasted expatriates, drug dealers, and grouchy bloggers, among others. Then again, maybe that is part of its appeal…

1949: The former bar 1/5 (map) will reopen as two separate venues, according to an assistant manager that gave us an impromptu tour. Downstairs will continue to be dominated by a long narrow bar, have an extensive Champagne list, and sport a much lighter décor – think whites, creams, and floral patterns. Upstairs will feature a private club – this time think whiskey and cigars – and a décor heavy on flat gray. (By the way, good turnouts at 1949′s Sugar Bar, Duck de Chine, and the outdoor bar that looks like a giant illuminated toilet puck. Even Taverna was almost half full.)

Still seeking our first drink, we walked to Q Bar (map), first passing Tun (map), which was gearing up for another packed ladies night. Success. The Village Grouch had a Gin Tonic and tried to figure out why it tasted so good compared to his homemade concoctions using the same gin and tonic water. (It’s the ice, baby.) I went for my old standby, the Alfonso Special, which offers good bang for the buck.

Next stop, The Saddle Cantina (map), where four-fifths of Black Cat Bone were enjoying drinks on the deck. I often wonder why the owners didn’t put sibling establishment Side Saddle downstairs, which is usually empty, instead of on Nali’s south side, and thus save on rent and staff expenses. More foot traffic and exposure, I guess, but at least in my case, I used to go to Saddle Cantina for food and drinks, but now almost always go to Side Saddle, grab a burrito, and skip the beverages. Anyway, the deck remains pleasant and provides a view of the courtyard, where the tables opposite Saddle, Let’s Burger, soon-to-open Let’s Seafood, and Ciro’s Pomodoro were once again pretty much full.

Salud (map): We met Mr. Hao and Ms. Hao here and dipped into the homemade rum. I had the “Salud special“, though given it has 11 spices, I am renaming it the KFC shooter. These are dangerous drinks, given how big they are and how fast they go down.

Fubar (map): Where else can I get a honey vodka and ginger ale for RMB20? While the decor feels unfinished and the light above the bar reminds me of a combination of giant tanning booth and taillight, it is hard to beat this place for value. (Note: Fubar will close from September 15 to October 2.)

Maggie’s (map): This tends to be a love-it-or-hate-it place, but if Beijing bars were judged on lighting, staff efficiency, general design,and clean toilets, it would rank among the top five in Beijing. For example, the focused lights on the shelves of bottles that run above the circumference of the bar, the softer lights that expose the ceiling beams painted with traditional Chinese scenes, and the sparing use of neon and motion lighting all combine to provide a soft texture. I’m curious as to who put this all together…

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In the latest installment of the top five watering holes series, local know-it-all Charlie Flint of the Chinese version of How Stuff Works tells us where he grabs a drink after a long day of telling residents how to use an elevator (let the people inside get out first), how to refurbish a sidecar motorcycle so it looks wicked cool, and how to survive a baijiu dinner by surreptitiously slipping your shots into the soup. (Actually, I made those examples up. Just a few free ideas for How Stuff Works.)

Here are his picks…

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Fubar (map): Currently my default watering-hole, Fubar is an excellent combination of quality, value, service, and vibe. There aren’t many places in this town where you can score mixed drinks made with top-shelf liquor for 30 kuai. Add in a great atmosphere – this place feels like home with its gregarious management and staff and a crew of steady regulars – and you have the perfect place to unwind after a long day of work.

Chocolate (map): The most ridiculously sublime bar I’ve been to in ages. From the pole-dancers to the 300-pound burlesque queens to the uber-cheesy band playing eighties-era Russian dance music, it has to be seen to be believed. Sure, its a LAN knockoff, but LAN (mistakenly) takes itself seriously, whereas Chocolate feels like it is in on the joke. I mean, come on – gold-plated urinals. Anyhow, I may have a soft spot for the place because of a wild night there that saw a certain Beijing bar-scene blogger drinking from ladies’ shoes and starting fights with Russian mob-types (and saw me waking up on my bathroom floor the next day), but it is one of Beijing’s must-visit bars.

Q Bar (map): I’ll have to agree with the others who’ve pegged this as a Top 5′er. Q Bar’s bartenders know how to mix a solid cocktail, and the rooftop deck is a fantastic place to hang out with friends, business associates, or out-of-town guests. And I love to take first-timers through the decidedly bland Chinese hotel below it. There’s such a weird transition that takes place en route to t he terrace as you pass the pensioners from Wuhan on holiday .

G-Zou (map): Discretely tucked away on the bottom floor of one of the towers of Sunshine 100, this Japanese shoju bar has an impressive selection of this distinctive (and amazingly diverse) drink. With a clientele that’s 95 percent Japanese and staff that only speak Japanese and some broken Chinese, it can be a little difficult to communicate… but that becomes part of the fun. The bartenders are great sports, know their spirits, and seem all too happy to drink along with you. Added bonus: It’s directly across the street from Oriental Taipan, making for the perfect 1-2 punch when combining a shoju bender and a foot massage.

Scarlett (map): I’m cheating a little bit here, as I’ve admittedly never gone drinking at Scarlett without eating, but I can safely state I’ve never eaten there without drinking, too. A great place to start the night with a bottle of wine and some charcuterie, Scarlett’s got a relaxed feel that keeps me coming back. Plus it sports one of Beijing’s better pool tables (where I usually get hustled by French pool sharks), and a Long Island Iced Tea that leaves me seeing spots.

Bartender Li Shan of Fubar (map) edged eight contestants from Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Guangzhou, and Chengdu to win the China leg of the Stella Artois World Draught Master contest yesterday at 3.3 in Sanlitun. She will represent China at the world finals in New York. The judges graded contestants on everything from behind-the-bar performance to serving skill to style and English ability. This included details such as placement of beers mats, drawing two Stella drafts with equal levels of foam, and properly pouring a bottle of Leffe dark.

Last year, Claire Dong of Pyro Pizza (map) in Beijing won the China competition and placed second in the world finals in Belgium. She was a judge this year.

On Monday Tuesday, I will have the full results of the competition, including the consumer portion. I will also include photos courtesy of the organizers, since someone stole my camera yesterday. That’s enough to drive a person to drink… a nice cold Stella draft.

Maison Boulud: Drink or meal?

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I stopped by Legation Quarter (map), now known as Chi’enmen 23, for a few cocktails on my way to Sanlitun last night. At Maison Boulud, I skipped my usual spicy Project 23 and refreshing Bourbon Iced Tea – the latter is not listed on the menu, which I find odd given this is a perfect summer drink – and tried a cocktail that includes “five spices“. I found it too heavy and the flavors too muddied, though the humid weather might have been a factor. After I noted this to the affable guy behind the bar – Jackie – he made me a Frescoe Martini. Kumquat-infused rum with lime, litchi, and strawberry – this was refreshment.

These cocktails are not cheap. The two I tried are listed at RMB72, though they come to RMB75.6 after the annoying 5 percent service charge (seriously, just make it RMB75 or RMB76, give the staff its cut, and save us all the hassle). But they are good value, given the surroundings and that the drink came with a bowl of cashews and some other snacks.

I then went to Agua, via Hex – I still think this place looks like a cross between a futuristic beehive and a high-end hostess bar – where I parked myself at the bar. I tried the Purple Love – muddled red grapes with gin, lemon juice, and lemon peel. I found it well-blended and smooth, in contrast to the cloying descriptions of the drinks on the menu.

I prefer the glassware here to Maison Boulod, where it is elegant but lacks proper weight. As for vibe, while Maison Boulud is staid – think of a private club where Mr. Burns of The Simpsons might feel comfy – Agua has the rattle and hum of the kitchen and crowd to provide background noise. Which one is best? It depends on your mood.

And what is the price of Purple Love? RMB82 – RMB16 discount + 10% service charge = RMB73. Well, at least they round things off to the nearest kuai. I didn’t make it to Fez, upstairs from Agua, this time around, but will soon…

Two other places I have grabbed drinks lately:

Q Bar (map): The new deck, despite being bigger, is much more intimate and the soundproofing means it is open later. There is also a bar outside as well as a kiosk where the staff can punch in drink orders and thus allow the bartenders inside to get a head start. A strong point of Q Bar is consistency, no easy feat, though at RMB60 per martini the prices approach that of The Legation Quarter.

Fubar (map): For mixed drinks, this place is hard to beat. A 50 ml pour of 42 Below vodka (five flavours available), Bombay Sapphire gin, or Havana 3 is RMB30 with mixer. The cocktails are decent, which is a pleasant surprise given how long the place has been open, and tend to be RMB50. The vibe? With Fubar only open 10 days, that is still to be determined. On my visits, I have found a diverse crowd of three dozen men and women, a handful of guys giving public descriptions of the adventures of their privates, and a soccer-fan heavy crowd. Still, for those seeking solid mixed drinks at low prices, this is a place to be.