2010 Mar 14 Take 5: Literary Boozing
Many a writer finds his muse at the bottom of an empty bottle. Sometimes the third bottle. With so many scribes in town for the Bookworm's Literary Festival, we consider where some of history’s famously tipsy scribblers might get inspired in Beijing?
Ernest Hemingway
Mojito
Very macho, that Hemingway. Shooting, fishing, bullfighting, womanizing … but drinking a minty highball? Centro is a long way from Papa’s more adventurous moments, but it’s unlikely the bearded one would object to their quality mojitos.
Centro. Daily 24hrs. 1/F, Shangri-La’s Kerry Centre Hotel, 1 Guanghua Lu, Chaoyang District (6561 8833)
朝阳区光华路1号嘉里中心饭店1层
Anthony Burgess
Hangman’s Blood
Imagine a pint glass filled with double shots of gin, whiskey, rum, port and brandy, a small bottle of stout, and then topped up with champagne. This could easily happen at 4am in The Den, where life is often reminiscent of A Clockwork Orange. Horrorshow.
The Den. Daily 24hrs. 4 Gongti Donglu (next to City Hotel’s main entrance), Chaoyang District (6592 6290)
朝阳区工体东路4号城市宾馆正门旁边
Dorothy Parker
Champagne cocktails
Parker could have drunk the men on this list under the table. Not that the chaps would be allowed into Club Decollete without a date. Ms. Parker would slip effortlessly into the glitz, aided by Decollete’s bubbly cocktails.
Club Decollete. Daily 5pm-2.30am. 1949 – The Hidden City, Courtyard 4, Gongti Beilu (behind Pacific Century Place), Chaoyang District (133 1126 1949)
朝阳区工体北路4号院(盈科中心背面)
William Faulkner
Mint Julep
Faulkner loved his whiskey, and was particularly fond of a good mint julep (albeit one made with Jack Daniels). The writer of The Sound and the Fury would surely approve of Apothecary, where his drink of choice is virtually a trademark.
Apothecary. Tue-Sun 7pm-late. 3/F, Nali Patio, 81 Sanlitun Beilu, Chaoyang District (5208 6040)
朝阳区三里屯北路81号那里花园3层
Arthur Rimbaud
Absinthe
By the age of 16, young Arthur had developed tastes for both anarchism and drink. In absinthe, Rimbaud found a perfect harmony of both his passions. He also enjoyed a glass or two of the Green Fairy of an evening with his lover (and fellow writer) Paul Verlaine. The pair would surely have enjoyed sipping Obiwan’s new absinthe cocktails while looking out over Xihai.
Obiwan. Weekdays 1pm-2am, weekends 1pm-late. 4 Xihai Xiyan (300m from Jishuitan subway station), Dongcheng District (6617 3231)
西城区西海西沿4号
You might also be interested in :
Is This Beijing's Brainiest Bartender? Mike Bromley
“Mastermind” is a regular magazine column in which we quiz Beijing’s barkeeps on general knowledge as well as on a subject in which they consider themselves to be a specialist.
CONTESTANT: Mike Bromley, 12SQM
SPECIALIST SUBJECT: A Song of Ice and Fire by George R. R. MartinBar of the Month: Union
Although we’re big fans of the “and Grille” part of Union Bar and Grille, there’s nothing we like more than a seat at the bar, a happy hour pint and a handful of their complimentary salty chips. Led by the ever-affable Andy Bright, Union’s staff is also top-notch.
Twilo: Hidden Drinks and Dancing at Guanghua Lu
If Twilo existed in a cartoon, it would probably be hidden inside a seemingly innocuous tree trunk. As with Haze, a few meters away, an extremely steep staircase leads you to the basement dance floor – although at Twilo you emerge awkwardly behind the DJ booth. At least it looks good, thanks to a futuristic, contoured design.
Doron: Suntory Time on Dongzhimen
Accessed via struggling Italian restaurant Abella, Doron falls short of the impressive standards set by other Japanese bars. The shabby, threadbare carpeted stairs up to the bar inspire little confidence, and the decor does nothing to alleviate those doubts. The space is split between a lounge with deep couches, and a fully stocked but uninspiring bar area whose design appears inspired by a back-alley pool hall.
Wu: Wudaokou's Latest Club
When I go out with friends on a Friday night, I want a good bar with cheap drinks and plenty of space to dance. This new club answers on both counts. Inheriting the space most recently used by the short-lived Mango Club, Wu is all black and red decor, with raw, unplastered walls. (Designer Paul Gelinas also worked on The Bridge Cafe and owns Guozijian store Lost & Found.)
