Five New Beer Bars and Brewpubs Not to Miss in 2018

2017 gave us beer devotees plenty of reasons to celebrate. No matter how many bars you managed to tick off your list by the end of last year, there always seemed to be yet another that had just opened up, not to mention those that came and went before you managed to even set foot inside. If you’re overwhelmed by all that variety, then let us be your guide. Aside from honorable mentions NBeer Pub Wukesong, Jing-A Brewpub Xingfucun, Heaven Supermarket III, Regain Element, East Hotel’s Craft Container, and Hotel Jen’s Beersmith Gastropub, below are our five favorite beer pubs that opened in the past 12 months. 
 

Deal Beer
Opened at the end of 2017 by Peiping Machine’s former manager Max Zhou, the modest Deal Beer sits on the east side of Jiaodaokou Bei’ertiao and houses 11 draft beers (RMB 30-55) from the likes of Ballast Point, Rogue, Goose Island, and a bunch of domestic brewers (rotated on a weekly basis). They also offer beer cocktails with various gin bases. Having grown up in the hutongs, Zhou says he opened Deal as a means to bring beer lovers together in a traditional Beijing setting – something that’s getting harder and harder to find.

Daily 5pm-1am. 159 Jiaodaokou Beiertiao, Dongcheng District (135 0108 7611)
东城区交道口北二条159号
 

Transmountain Taphouse
Nestled away in Zuojiazhuang, Transmountain Taphouse (pictured to the left) certainly fills the gap in the market northeast of the Second Ring Road with its selection of 30 local and imported beers on tap. Though draft beer is not particularly cheap here, with prices ranging from RMB 40-90 a pint or a flight of five for RMB 120, the decent range, plus additional bottled beers in the fridge, make it a good choice for anyone wanting to explore past Sanlitun’s more established vendors. There are also a few simple bar food nibbles to line your stomach.

Daily 5pm-midnight. 12 Zuojiazhuang Xijie, Chaoyang District (8069 9907)
闯山酒社: 朝阳区左家庄西街12号
 

Peiping Machine Gongti
Peiping Machine Gongti may not have the fanciest digs, seeing as it’s located on the quiet side of Gongti, in the back alley behind a slew of rowdier bars and clubs. And yet its 64 taps (double that of the original brewpub in Fangjia Hutong), mean that it has the largest imported and domestic draft selection of any Beijing brewpub. The cooling rooms full of kegs, regulators, and pipes that weave their way underground and link the kegs to the bar make this spacious brewpub even more surreal and a wonder to explore.

Daily 5pm-2am. 8 Gongti Xilu, Chaoyang District (6588 0841)
北平机器工体店:朝阳区工人体育场西路8号
 

Yun Brew
Another option a little further out is Xiaoyun Lu’s Yun Brew. Yun offers 21 local, imported, and in-house brews for between RMB 45-88. That’s certainly not the cheapest price range in town by any means, but when a flight of any four is RMB 68, or any six is RMB 98, you may want to consider a visit to scope out some of the new pours in town. They also offer salads, pasta, and pizzas.

Daily 11am-2pm. 15-40 Xiaoyun Dining Back Street, 15 Xiaoyun Lu, Chaoyang District (8069 9907)
蕴酿精酿餐吧:朝阳区霄云路15号霄云美食街后街15-40
 

The Great Friend Outdoors
One of the survivors of 2017’s Fangjia Hutong closures, we were happy to see the spacious Great Outdoors weather the storm and come out all the stronger for it. Designed by two recent Tsinghua graduates and replete with two floors and a comfortable terrace, the space also offers occasional seminars on hiking and climbing in Beijing. On tap, there are 12 beers from the likes of NBeer, No.18, Harvest, North Coast, Ballast Point, Rogue, and Brewdog. If you’re looking for a bite, we’d recommend the Weightlifting Stewed Pork Shoulder (RMB 98) or just stick to the moreish housemade spicy peanuts (RMB 10). Once you’ve consumed enough liquid confidence, you can also have a go on the bar’s inbuilt climbing wall.

Daily Mon-Fri 6m-12.30pm, Sat-Sun 6pm-2am. 12 Fangjia Hutong, Dongcheng District (6994 5950)
野友趣:东城区方家胡同12号

This article first appeared in the Jan/Feb 2018 issue of the Beijinger.
Read the issue via Issuu online here, or access it as a PDF here.

More stories by this author here.

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