Level One: Crowne Plaza Beijing Sports New Cocktails

Just in time for the World Cup, the people behind Crowne Plaza Beijing Sun Palace have gutted their Yunnan-style tea room and replaced it with a sports bar. We were surprised as the hotel is more known for its nod to China’s rice fields than greasy snacks and cheap Tsingtao deals. Then again, the bar is ideal for a postbusiness meeting wind down as the multi-purpose space has an abundance of flat screen TVs and tables for groups of up to 20.

“Whatever others do, we like to do the opposite” is their motto, and we like it. After all, if “opposite” means taking basic stadium food cart offerings like nachos, chicken wings, and mini burgers, and perfecting them without making the recipes too complicated, then they’ve scored.

If it means supplying the bar with German, family-owned beers instead of the common brands, then that in itself is a hole in one. Plus, it looks like they went into overtime and spiced up the drinks menu by christening it with cheesy, but
charming names and slapping it on a ping-pong paddle.

I ordered the Home Run (RMB 58), a swirl of lychee liqueur, vodka, dry martini and orange juice. What lychee had to do with baseball was beyond us, but it was out of the park. The Derby Day (RMB 58) would be more appropriately named if it had bourbon, but the Jules Rimet Cup is the one to come back for. Malibu and banana liqueur splashed over crushed ice and pulpy orange juice.

Also try: Take 5, Java Terrace

Level One
Daily 11am-midnight. Lobby level, Crowne Plaza Beijing Sun Palace, Yunnan Dasha, North-East Corner of Taiyanggong Bridge, Chaoyang District (6429 8888)
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Photos: Mitchell Masliun