Mona Brings Bonafide Craft Cocktails to Dongsiertiao

Just when you thought there couldn’t be another craft cocktail bar, or that it wasn’t possible for someone to bring anything new to the table in Beijing's increasingly crowded scene, in strolls in Mona, a new cocktail hole in Dongsi that’s dishing out some uniquely tasty drinks. Located just a little further east than Nice Rice, the awesome Hunan restaurant in Dongsiertiao, this duo could make for a knockout combo for dinner and disgestifs.

While providing those classic drinks you know and love – mojitos, Sidecars, and Negronis, just to name a few – they can also whip up drinks with Asian ingredients, sure to make the mouths of every creed, nationality, and race, water. We’d like to add that they don’t use baijiu. Though using this fire water has its benefits, such as it’s cheap, available, and well, cheap, an easier and tastier way to spread the gospel of Asian-accented cocktails involves the inclusion of elements available to anyone who knows where to look.

One such drink at Mona is called The Red Book (RMB 50). This aptly named little beauty, uses a hawthorne-infused whiskey to create a deliciously tart bed of flavor, making for an easy-to-drink variation of a whiskey sour.

Another example is the Ukiyoe (RMB 75), made with matcha green tea powder, sake, and gold leaf – another a real stunner on the menu. We know what you are thinking. We’ve tried green tea ice cream, lattes, and the list goes on, and we don’t care much for matcha. Well, this little matcha lady, when mixed with her sake brethren, has a unique taste, and the elegant gold-flaked presentation brings it straight out of a fairytale.

Finally, we also tried their After Autumn (RMB 60), which quickly became our favorite. Once you suckle on the lovely combo of pear puree, pisco brandy, and cinnamon, you too shall understand why.

You may have experienced some of the specialty drinks that head bartender Charlie Guo made during his time at 8-Bit or Ace Bar on Beiluogu Xiang, some of his first forays into menu consulting. It was at this time that Guo dropped onto our radar with his ambitious cocktails and we're happy to see him go into business on his own, as he certainly has the skills necessary to offer something unique to Beijing’s cocktail scene.

If you're wanting to the perfect excuse to try the delicious creations at Mona, head over this Friday (Apr 29, 6pm-1.30am) to drink the bar dry as part of their opening party, during which you can sample the menu or choose from one of their specials, including sangria or their Aperol spritz, on the cheap (RMB 25). With decent prices and a fairly quiet drinking location, they should quickly secure a monopoly on the area's cocktail scene.

Mona
Daily, 6pm-1.30am. 20 Dongsiertiao, Dongcheng District (158 0135 6628)
东城区东四二条20号

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Email: danielkippwhittaker@thebeijinger.com

Photos: Kipp Whittaker, Courtesy of Mona