Sweet Salvation: Best Drinks to Escape the Winter Cold

Beijing winters are a mess of bad choices. If the Siberian winds are not howling around your head, you choke on smog. If your heating is actually working, then you’re probably sweating up a storm reading this. Whether you need to cool down or heat up, Beijing’s got some sweet options to see you through the rest of the winter.

Want to Warm Up?

2/F
Grand Marnier orange and cloves are heated up in a flask, placed in boiling water, and then lit and poured as a stream of flame into a glass, magically transforming into the Hot French. Mon-Fri 6pm-2am, Sat-Sun 6pm-4am. Sanlitun Houjie (south of 3.3 Shopping Center), Chaoyang District (6416 4549) 朝阳区三里屯北街3.3服装大厦南侧

Alba
Need to warm up and perk up? Try there classic mojito mixed with hot green tea. Daily 10am-2am. 70 Gulou Dongdajie (east of Nanluogu Xiang), Dongcheng District (6709 1383) 东城区鼓楼东大街70号

Fu Bar 福吧
From authentic Austrian Glühwein to the hot buttered rum and hot toddies, FuBar offers a steady stream of creative and delicious drinks. Sun-Thu 6pm-2am, Fri-Sat 6pm-4am. Behind Stadium Dog, Gate 10, Workers’ Stadium, Chaoyang District (6593 8227) 福吧, 朝阳区工体东路工人体育场东门内10号进口

Mao Mao Chong 毛毛虫
The winter cocktail menu features decadent drinks such as the Adult Chai (black cardamom, fresh ginger and cinnamon-infused vodka), French Toast (Advocaat, Rum, warm milk, cinnamon and honey), or the lighter but equally sensuous Golden Lady (warm Amaretto with orange juice and cinnamon) and mulled wine. Daily 5.30pm-late (closed Tuesday). 12 Banchang Hutong (east off Nanluogu Xiang), Dongcheng District (15992646024) 12号（南锣鼓巷往东走）

Scarlett
Tired of alcohol? Then gulp down hot shots of espresso (RMB 40) at Scarlett, with additional options such as French Coffee and Hot White Russians. Daily 6pm-3pm. Hotel G, 7A Gongti Xilu (in the alley leading to Julong Garden), Chaoyang District (6552 2880) 朝阳区工体西路甲7号北京极栈内

Need to cool down?

Apothecary 酒术
Like the pharmacists of centuries past, Apothecary trades in potions to soothe your troubles. For something sweet and sour try out their Pisco Sour. Pisco Sour is imbued with the aroma of muscatels, a hint of lemon juice, and house-made bitters, rounded out with an egg white which lends the drink its signature creaminess. (RMB 70). Tue-Sun 6pm-late. 3/F, Nali Patio, 81 Sanlitun Lu, Chaoyang District (5208 6040) 朝阳区三里屯路81号那里花园3层

Centro 炫酷
Centro is a comfortable spot to down drinks from bottled beer to blue cheese martinis, and its famous cosmopolitans. Daily 24 hours. 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

Q Bar
For a sweet drink that will warm you up try their raspberry sky cocktail, which consist of raspberry vodka, fresh Thai lime, cranberry juice and white sugar, Q’s candy-colored cocktail is fun and brimming with flavor (RMB 50). Daily 5pm- 2am. Top floor of Eastern Inn Hotel, 6 Baijiazhuang Lu (the south end of Sanlitun Nanlu), Chaoyang District (6595 9239) 朝阳区百家庄6号（朝阳门医院北门东100米）

Twilight 暮光
Although Twilight lacks the favorable Sanlitun address, it is wrought from the same creativity and craftsmanship. Spirits are infused with fruit, ginger and chillis. Mon-Sat 1130am-230pm, 6pm-2am. (Behind Starbucks) 3/F, 0102, Bldg 5, Jianwai Soho, 39 Dongsanhuan Zhonglu, Chaoyang District (5900 5376) 朝阳区东三环中路39号建外Soho5号0102单元3层

Article from Agenda, issue 72, Jan 27-Feb 23. To read more from the most recent issue of Agenda, download the PDF here. To find a copy, contact our distribution department at distribution@agendabeijing.com with an idea of where you work, live or play and we'll tell you where you can find one near you.