Let Will and Lake's Mini Bar Steal Your Heart During Your Next Night Out in Dongzhimen

UPDATE: Will and Lake's Mini Bar has since closed.

If you think Beijing can’t handle yet another offbeat, hidden cocktail joint, then get a load of this: a pair of lao Beijing newlyweds named Will (耿威) and Lake (吴磊耶) have opened their cheekily titled Mini Bar on, aptly enough, the 12th floor of the AC Art Museum Hotel (neighboring Paddy O’Sheas, east of Dongzhimen). The pair are among the weird new wave of aspiring Beijing mixologists opening hole-in-the-wall joints in random apartment complexes and other tough-to-find spots all across town.

And while many such venues amount to little more than glorified hangouts for their pals, even as they shamelessly pine for greater legitimacy, Will and Lake are unique in that they own up to that vibe, rather than trying to pass their joint off as something grander than it is. While their bar is open to the public, they primarily use it as a cozy joint to host friends, watch football matches, and become better versed in the craft of mixing cocktails. They’re open during the evenings like most other bars, but new patrons need to call ahead so that Will can come and greet them in the lobby, otherwise they won’t be able to use elevator which requires a key card swipe.

Such quirks would otherwise make this type of bar completely off putting, and lead skeptics to complain about Beijing hitting its hipster bartender peak, however Will and Lake’s drinks are already better than many of their competitors'. Chalk some of that skill up to their friendship with Janes and Hooch owner Warren Pang, from whom they learned a few tricks of the trade. But on top of that, Will and Lake have a creative outlook and a warm and inviting demeanor that make visiting their bar fun and unique.

Case in point: the first cocktail they craft is a mix of plum wine, homemade chrysanthemum sauce, and fragrans, a mainstay of Africa’s tropical regions, which gives the drink a deep floral, and somewhat citrusy scent and flavor that’s distinctly alluring. Next up, the oolong tea fizz cocktail is an even sweeter and lighter concoction that’s similarly fragrant and ideal for the forthcoming warmer weather. The final homely touch is a sprig of garnishing leaves that Will's mother grows in her sprawling Fujian garden.

Both of these cocktails were tasty but a bit of the same ilk, leaving us keen to come back and try something more bitter or whiskey-based. So far they have eight such specialty cocktails on their menu for RMB 70 each, while standard cocktails are RMB 60.

None of these aspects make Will and Lake’s a prime contender for Bar and Club Awards by any stretch, but the quality and character of the drinks far exceeded our expectations and puts this quirky joint in the upper tier of Beijing’s strange hidden cocktail newbies.

Will and Lake's Mini Bar
Daily 6pm-late (but call ahead, sometimes hours can be irregular). 1211, AC Art Hotel, 26 Dongzhimenwai Dajie, Chaoyang District (facing the Canadian Embassy, neighboring Paddy O'Shea's) (152 1010 1591)
朝阳区东直门外大街26号奥加国际公寓1211

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Photos: Kyle Mullin