What’s Up in Beer: Pizza Buona Serves Microbrews, GLB Launches New Sandwich and Beer, Midtfyns Bryghus Tastings

One of the most dog-friendly restaurants in town, Pizza Buona, celebrated their grand opening at the beginning of this month after moving to a fabulous courtyard in Dongsi. Aside from their popular pizzas and pastas, the team has also begun to serve three microbrews made specifically for them and served under their house brand: a wheat beer, an IPA, and a stout under their name (pictured above).

In pub grub news, Great Leap Brewing have added something new to their menu – the King Wilson Sandwich, made from crispy fried haddock, tartar sauce, lettuce, tomato, and pickles. It pairs well with sunshine and a pint of Pale Ale #6, Chesty Puller, or Explorer General.

GLB have also release their Imperial Honey Ma, an imperial version of their Honey Ma Gold. The Imperial is made with Sichuan peppercorns, a longer infusion time, and a double dose of honey, as well as Qingdao hops, which together create a mild but higher alcohol (8.5 percent ABV) brew with a complex and intense aroma. It'll be on special for RMB 25 at the #12 location on Sunday, Apr 24. 

This Saturday, Apr 23, follow the Jing-A Keg Egg on a slow ride from Sanyuanqiao to Gulou in the Tour De Jing. The tour is a 12-kilometer pub crawl, stopping at eight Jing-A distribution locations (beers at each are all priced at RMB 30), paired with eight beer bites (RMB 25 or less).

The journey begins at Palms LA Kitchen (Sanyuanqiao) at 1pm, and will move to a new stop every hour, from Hatchery, The Local, The Big Smoke, Cu Ju, White Tiger, Ramo, and finally crossing the finish line at 4corners. You can join in at any stop along the way, and those who mange to hit all eight stops will be offered a special reward (Shhh ... it's a T-shirt).

In other Jing-A news, their craft beer garden will be open at Xian Bar at East Hotel Beijing on May 14, with a daily happy hour set for 5-9pm.

In case you didn't hear this week's big beer news, Slow Boat Brewery announced earlier in the week that they will open a new flagship brewpub on Nan Sanlitun Lu this July. Comprised of three floors (each with 20 beers on tap) and a rooftop, the space can seat 150 people and have its own on-site brewing facilities. This we can't wait to see.

Fangjia Hutong is also embraceing a new brewpub – Peiping Machine Brewing, which during Mao's time was the Peiping Machine Factory. The space has two floors and 32 taps. One of the owners is Li Wei, aCCTV-7 anchor and the president of the Beijing Homebrew Society, a combo that is likely to garner a number of patrons right off the bat. At the moment, there are 10 beers available, all from Chinese homebrewers and breweries from across China.

Eddie Swezda, the owner of Denmark's Midtfyns Bryghus visits China later this month to host eight tastings in five cities. Three tastings will be held in Beijing: Drunk Begining (8pm, April 26), Flow Brew (8pm, April 27), and Beer Lab (8pm, April 28). At the events, guests will be able to enjoy 10 of his best beers, including three that made an appearance at the Beijing Invitational Craft Beer Festival this past February; his award-winning Chili Triple (2009 World Beer Award for Best Spiced Beer); Russian Imperial Stout (Best New Beer in Denmark 2015); and two new exclusive versions of his Barley Wine. Contact ryan.twyman@haobeer.com for more information about the tastings.

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Email: tracywang@thebeijinger.com
Twitter: @flyingfigure
Instagram: @flyingfigure

Photos: Great Leap Brewing, Slow Boat Brewery, Jing-A, Peiping Machine Brewing, Midtfyns Bryghus, Tracy Wang