Ginger Doles Out Flavorful Cocktails and Jazzy Vibes in Sanlitun North

Ginger and jazz. Those are the deliciously suave terms that echo in your mind long after you've left Sanlitun north's newest cocktail bar.

Fittingly named Ginger, and situated next to (the less than wild) Wilderness Brew on Xindong Lu, the bar aims for a late 1960s or early 1970s atmosphere with paintings that resemble vintage album covers and curvy, cushy chairs.

The bartenders sport equally eloquent bow ties and jackets that have become standard at most other top tier cocktail bars like Rong and Infusion Room. They further that fancy aesthetic in the drinks mix up, like the Earl Grey Martini and the Part and Parcel (both RMB 90), or the Caramel Butter Old Fashioned (RMB 95), and the Bloomsbury Fizz (RMB 90).

Aside from the aforementioned creative varieties, the menu also has a subsection dedicated to ginger cocktails like the Diablo (RMB 90), Dark and Stormy (RMB 85), and Moscow Mule (RMB 80), all of which can be found at most bars across town, but which had more prominently (and fitting, given the establishment's name) gingery flavors here.

The Earl Grey Martini was especially tasty, thanks to its wholesomely bitter tea bag strained key ingredient, which is balanced with the inclusion of a frothy egg additive that the bartender whipped up with a nifty pen-sized beater.

Though this Earl Grey cocktail was delicious and featured some interesting prep on the part of the bartenders, their mixing wasn't nearly as flashy or entertaining as that of the bartenders at more established joints like Mao Mao Chong, The Black Moth or Rong. What's more: tea and egg white cocktails can be found at plenty of other cocktail bars in Beijing, and the jazzy, upscale atmosphere is charming, but no different than half a dozen other spots. 

Perhaps a few more unique ginger infused concoctions (aside from the Moscow Mule and other such fare on the ginger section of their menu) might make this bar stand out a bit more prominently in Beijing's ever competitive cocktail arena. For now, its a sturdy, conveniently located drink destination that will help you unwind and satisfy your taste buds and leave you feeling buzzed long after you leave.

Sadly, Ginger isn't quite yet on par with The Black Moth, Infusion Room, Rong, Mao Mao Chong, Janes and Hooch, or other cocktail joints whose themes are more distinct and more confidently defined. If they're not careful, these drink makers will get lost in the strong mix and endless shakeup that is Beijing's cocktail scene.

Ginger
Daily 7pm-late. Rm 110, 1/F, Bldg 10, Xindong Lu, Chaoyang District (8442 5218)
朝阳区新东路10号楼一层110室(逸盛阁)

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Images: Kyle Mullin