What’s Up in Beer: Rolling Rolling and Jing-A’s New Brews, Arrow Factory Guest Beer, NBeer Wukesong Opening Party
There is only one thing that perfectly accompanies a breezy, warm weekend: lots of parties and a nice, cold beer. If you're tired of the usual downtown happenings, there are even reasons to head over to Yizhuang or Wukesong. Read on to find out how to best spend your hard-earned two days off.
Rolling Rolling Craft Brewing in Yizhuang has been absent from this beer column for a while, but is now making another appearance with a freshly brewed beer: Hi-Fun Session IPA, with 3.8 percent ABV and 25 IBU. During the brewing they put in tons of hops, and this easy-to-drink beer with a light body but hazy and heavy hoppy flavor will make hop aficionados shut up and drink. Man, it’s time to visit Yizhuang!
Jing-A also greets the weekend with a new beer, the Laobaixing, which “originated during the Gold Rush of the late 1800's, that the California Common was brewed in shallow open vessels to control fermentation temperatures in the era before refrigeration.” This amber brew has a grassy and earthy hop bitterness, and a toasty, malt-forward palate with 4.5 percent ABV and a full body.
Two beers are back on tap at Jing-A, too. Ber Bang Bitter is a sessionable English Bitter with 4 percent ABV, and biscuit malt notes and mild hoppy aromas; and Suan Ge Pi (5.6 percent ABV), a sour beer with Belgian yeast and Motueka and Nelson Sauvin hops for floral, fruity, and hoppy notes, as well as a puckering finish.
Arrow Factory gets a Berliner Weiss from Fat Fat Beer Horse all the way from Xiamen, which is a 3 percent light and tart wheat beer, available at both locations. Also on March 11 at 4pm, they will put Ginger Beer and three kinds of ciders (dry-hopped, berry, spiced) from Shenzhen's Craft Head on tap, priced at RMB 120 for all four offerings (up to 25 sets).
As we mentioned back in January, NBeer Pub has expanded their business and opened up a third location in Wukesong (Unit 132, 69 Fuxing Road, Haidian District (6815 1986)), and they will hold an opening party on March 11 at 6pm. Entrance is set at RMB 100, which will get you three draft beers with a choice from their 40 taps. There will be free snacks and finger food, too. If you're wondering whether there's anything different about this location, well, they will have a beer museum too, displaying 7,000 beer bottles that owner Xiaobianr has been collecting for years.
Over in Gulou, Goose Island will hold a party at Ramo and Mimi e Coco on Sunday (Mar 12, 12pm-late) tapping kegs of their 312 Urban Wheat Ale in celebration of 312 Day (312 is the area code of Chicago, the home of Goose Island). This crisp summer ale will be permanent on Romo’s menu from Sunday. Details of the Chicago-themed party are as follows:
- Two-for-one deal on 312 Urban Wheat Ale starting from 12pm to 7pm
- Free pints for those who partake in a special game on their official WeChat account
- Live making of artwork starting at 12pm
- DJ Nassdak and DJ Cad73 at 2pm
- Goose Island giveaway at 3.12pm
- Chicago-style hotdogs all day long
And finally, I know many of you will go to Great Leap’s Beijing Invitational Craft Beer Festival (running from tonight, Mar 10, through to Sunday, Mar 12), to enjoy a boozy weekend with more than 100 beers from all over the world. Check our entire boozing guide to the festival here for more information and to get tickets.
More stories by this author here.
Email: tracywang@thebeijinger.com
Twitter: @flyingfigure
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Photos courtesy of venues
