Finders Keepers: Vintage Vibes and Colorful Cocktails From a D Lounge and Q Bar Vet

Having honed his skills at some of Beijing’s most well-known and long-running bars like D Lounge, Q Bar, and Lush Whisky & Cocktail, bartender Yang Yang now opens a Sanlitun spot to call his own. Tucked in the courtyard of an apartment complex on Xindong Lu, his Finders Keepers cocktail lounge is not only memorable for its drinks menu but also its neat throwback vibe.

That atmosphere is comprised of plump vintage leather chairs, tastefully lit chandeliers, and a showroom out front with aged kitchenware, knick-knack boxes, and bold post-impressionist paintings that match the color scheme of the door frames and walls (hence the “Finders Keepers Antiques” street-side sign). Yang Yang’s fashion sense suits the occasion, and by that I mean he dons some of the most dapper colored, and even floral, three-pieces of any bartender in Beijing’s already impressively dressed cocktail-making set.

The drinks follow suit, coming in eye-popping shades with billowing floral or hefty fruit garnishes. Let’s just say if you’re looking for a spot to liven up your social media stream, then Finders Keepers will more than do the trick.

But does the substance match the style? Thankfully yes, and then some. The cocktail menu sports a list of seasonal options that go above and beyond the typical “Ho-hum, let’s make a Negroni with a negligible twist” mentality that far too many Beijing bartenders deem adequate once they’re spent their budget on cheeky decor. Aside from his creative streak, Yang Yang’s drinks also taste great, balancing flavors in complex and refreshing combinations, though that does put them at the pricier end of the spectrum.

The RMB 95 Spring Awakening, for instance, features passion fruit infused vodka, vanilla, sugar syrup, lime juice, and ginger ale for a lively summer mix that’ll stave off the heat and get you gently buzzed. The quirkier RMB 100 You’re One In a Melon is made using gin infused with butterfly pea flower (an earthy ingredient often found in herbal teas) coriander, fresh lemon, watermelon juice, a splash of beer, and pickled watermelon, amounting to a mix that’s so flowery and fruity that it’s the gustatory equivalent of being transported to a quaint rural getaway. Somewhat gruffer, boozier alternatives include the RMB 95 Tai Mang (featuring tequila, fresh mango, grand mariner, lime juice, and jasmine tea syrup) and the Take a Break (also RMB 95, made with banana pardon leaf-infused bourbon, cynar, saluted Stour Beer syrup, and chocolate bitters).

That being said, even those options are relatively sweet and dainty when compared to the burlier drinks found at Bungalow Tiki, Fang Bar, or whiskey-leaning lounges. Nevertheless, cocktail enthusiasts looking for breezy and offbeat options, along with elegant digs to impress on a date night, will enjoy the charm that Finders Keepers has to offer.

Finders Keepers
Daily 7pm-2am (closed Tue). Rm 112, 1/F, Bldg 10, Xindong Road (6419 9118)
新东路逸盛阁10号楼一层112室

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Photos: Uni You