Chandler Jurinka: A Slow Boat to Beijing

Chandler Jurinka is one half of the Slow Boat Brewery team, Beijing’s latest craft brewing outfit.

On favorite beers
"Except for Brew Dog’s Hardcore IPA, almost all of my favorite beers come from the United States. There, the lack of tradition almost creates an expectation that the brewer will break barriers. Brew Dog’s Hardcore IPA follows in those footsteps with a powerful hop taste, lots of citrus and a sweet toasty caramel finish. I also like Brooklyn Lager because of its flavor and drinkability.”

On China and change
“I came to China in 1994 to study at the University of Nanjing. I did my thesis on Beijing’s cultural icons, so spent a lot of time walking the hutongs. Almost 20 years later, very little has changed.”

“The biggest change has been the shift in wealth. It wasn’t too long ago that expats were the moneyed few, but these days it’s the Chinese that are driving around fancy sports cars. Most of the expats I know don’t even own a car”

On Slow Boat’s Origins
"I did my undergrad at the University of Colorado, Boulder. It was there that I was first exposed to craft beer. When I met Dan Hebert, Slow Boat’s master brewer, it sparked a renewed interest in those flavorful beers I had back in college.”

“We’d been brewing in small batches, but didn’t have our business plan or location nailed down. When Carl Setzer opened up Great Leap, we ran over to introduce ourselves and try his beer. On our second visit we told Carl about our plan to open a brewery as well. It wasn’t about anything more than paying respect to someone that had done what we ourselves hoped to accomplish.”

On Slow Boat’s Beer
"Not counting seasonal beers and other creative brewing madness, we now produce six beers: American Pale Ale, Pacific Northwest Red, Coffee Porter, Brown Ale and an Oatmeal Stout. Our American Pale Ale is my favorite, but the Pacific Northwest Red is a close second.”

“I’m really excited about the beers we’re going to release over the next six months. For lager drinkers, we have a Steam Lager, Christmas Ale for the holidays, Maibock for the spring, Amber Ale for St. Patrick’s Day, and just in time for the warm weather a Summer Pilsne.”

“At this point we’re having fun hosting different happy hours around town. It gives us a chance to make friends and hang out with the people that drink our beer – two of our favorite hobbies.”

On next steps
"With the brewery up and running, we’re now searching for the perfect location for a Slow Boat bar. Help us find the perfect space and Slow Boat Brewery will reward you and up to ten of your friends with a private pre-opening party on us!”

Slow Boat serves up their brews tonight at Home Plate BBQ, 7pm-10pm.

Click here to see the November issue of the Beijinger in full.