What’s Up in Beer: Jing-A's Pallet Cleanser, Slow Boat's Pirate Snap, Logsdon Tap Takeover, and More

How’s your liver doing after Great Leap's Invitational Beer Fest (pictured above)? If it's anything like ours, you'll have one foot in the starting-to-crave-beer phase and one foot in the oh-god-what-have-I-done phase. Have no fear, the sun is here to ease your woes and get you back into the proverbial beer-drinking saddle. 

Let's start with Jing-A, which will host its annual Pallet Cleanser (geddit?) on Mar 31, providing great deals on bottled Worker’s Pale Ale. For RMB 240 you can get a case of this pale ale (regular price is RMB 360 and the discount works out to RMB 10 per bottle) from 11am until their 50-case stock runs out (limited to one case per person). When Jing-A put this deal on last year, they sold out in less than an hour so set your alarm, get up early, grab a coffee, and run to Jing-A Brewpub Xingfucun to stock up.

Also, a reminder for those who like to drink the pollution away, every (smoggy) cloud has a silver lining, in this case, it's Jing-A beer hazy Airpocalypse IPA 20 percent discount when the AQI is over 200 (and an additional 10 percent for every 100 AQI over).

Slow Boat’s Zombie Pirate Pale Ale – named after China’s most infamous pirate, Zheng Shi – returns with a new look. The crew are celebrating this amber two-row malt and American hops brew's return with deals on its bottled and draft renditions, but there's a catch – in order to get a pint for RMB 25, a six pack for RMB 150, or a case of 24 bottles for RMB 330, you must pose as the notorious lady pirate and then share the picture on WeChat – only then will you receive your bounty. Available until Apr 8.

Slow Boat has also collaborated with Timezone 8 in 798 Art District to open an outdoor beer garden in this summer. Enjoy their new collab brew while out on the patio – we couldn't think of anything better.

Peiping Machine Fangjia location will have a Farmhouse Ale takeover by Logsdon from Hood River County on Mar 31 at 4pm. On Saturday, they’ll have Kili Wit, Straffe Drieling Tripel, Wild Apple, Saison Brett, a limited Oak Brett, and more on tap. Any purchase of three pints of Logsdon will get you entry into a lucky draw with 12 limited bottles to be won.     

Peiping has also teamed up with Karen Ambrocio of Palms L.A. Kitchen. She'll be their guest bartender and also create some beer cocktails for Peiping such as Orange Blossom, Green House, and Hidden Flower, using Peiping’s Wheat, Pils, and 100 Flowers Hidden Deep IPA. Patrons can enjoy this collaboration at Peiping's Fangjia location on Mar 30, and at their Gongti location on Mar 31. And the Peiping news doesn't end there: they will open a new taproom at Chaoyang Joy City soon.

Following on their hiccup-filled Invitational Beer Fest, Great Leap will focus on matters closer to home, revamping their special menu in April. New additions will include fried okra and pickled peppers (RMB 35); cheesy reuben tots (RMB 40), consisting of crispy tater tots topped with housemade corned beef, sauerkraut, and cheesy mornay sauce with Russian dressing); and tamarind-glazed lamb ribs (RMB 60), featuring marinated, braised and roasted lamb ribs on the bone and finished with a tamarind lemongrass glaze.

Over at Great Friends Outdoor Club, they're hosting nine beers from Denver's Great Divide Brewing Company, including canned Denver Pale Ale, canned Colette Farmhouse Ale Saison, canned Hibernation Ale, and several bottled options such as Hercules Double IPA, Yeti Imperial Stout (an espresso oak aged brew with 9.5 percent ABV), Yeti Imperial Stout (Laws whiskey barrel aged with 12.5 percent ABV), Claymore Scotch Ale, Strawberry Rhubarb Sour Beer, and our favorite Yeti Imperial Stout.

Arrow Factory Liangmahe, the team has updated their brunch menu (Sat-Sun, 11.30am-3pm) just in time for Easter weekend, adding all three of their signature burgers (bacon cheeseburger, El Ranch Hand, and Mornay Glory Mushroom Swiss) as well as their Pulling-Me-Jack vegan jackfruit sandwich to the regular brunch menu. You can also add any beer for an extra RMB 25 or a Bloody Mary for RMB 35. Alternatively, coffee or tea is RMB 15.

Finally, we'll end with a bit of gossip: No. 9 Brewpub on Dongzhimennei is under renovation, not because of a change in management (as your devious mind may have thought), but to add a stage to for live performances in the future.

Phew! As if there wasn't enough to celebrate this weekend with the return of the sun. Cheers, Beijing!

More stories by this author here.

Email: tracywang@thebeijinger.com
Twitter: @flyingfigure
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Images courtesy of the organizers