What’s Up in Beer: Slow Boat’s Second Round Preview, Hutong Clan is Back, and Coffee Beers

It's with sadness that I write this week's What's Up in Beer, following the news that Samuel Cornthwaite, who I had the pleasure of meeting a couple of times while we were at our favorite watering holes, passed away this Tuesday. For that reason, I'd like to dedicate this to him.

The new Slow Boat Brewpub in Sanlitun starts a second round of soft opening on September 9 and 10, for beer lovers who missed last week’s preview to join, with only 150 people allowed to enter each night. During our last preview, we enjoyed the fried chicken, Beijing burger, Lao Thai Thai burger, aztec chocolate layered cake, and watermelon and raspberry popsicle. This time, there will be eight-10 beers on tap, and three bottled ones. Make the reservation here.

In other beer news, the Hutong Clan CDA – a collaboration brew between Jing-A and Boneyard Beer – is back on tap! This rich, dark Imperial Cascadian Dark Ale has 9 percent ABV, a big dose of Pacific Northwest hops, and a wallop of fiery Chinese ginger. You might know we’ve been moaning about missing this for weeks, and we can’t wait to show up to the taproom to erase our growing thirst. 

And here, to memorialize Samuel Cornthwaite, thanks to his work as the man between GoodWorks Coffee as well as collaborations with Ahava Bistro and Cafe, Palms L.A. Kitchen and Bar, Two Guys and A Pie, Great Leap Brewing, and Napa Artisan Cooking, we’d like to recommend some of the best coffee beers around town:

• Ballast Point Victory at Sea (10 percent ABV) is a sweet caramel beer with robust vanilla notes and coffee aromas, which can be found at North Capital;
• Founders Breakfast Stout (8.3 percent ABV) is made using an abundance of flaked oats, delicious coffee, and chocolate punch, and can be found at Nbeer Pub;
• Mikkeller Beer Geek Breakfast (7.5 percent ABV) is an oatmeal stout with 25 percent oat-based ingredients and a touch of coffee;
• Rogue Cold Brew IPA (7.5 percent ABV) is brewed using farm hops and has a rich coffee blend, balanced with hoppy punch at Drunk Begining;
• And finally, Slow Boat's Main Sail Macchiato Porter features a creamy and strong coffee flavor with a full body. 

More stories by this author here.

Email: tracywang@thebeijinger.com
Twitter: @flyingfigure
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Photos courtesy of the venues, Tracy Wang