Talking Pints: Shutting Up For the Snap and Winter Makeovers

How did your first week back at work go? Slowly? Never fear – the weekend is upon us again.

Why not get down to the official opening of Malty Dog tonight? Beiluogu Xiang hosts the city's latest brewery bar and Mai Bar's Jeff Ji is behind the project. Get along and check out if he can transfer his cocktail expertise to the ale.

Head on over to Plan B to take advantage of their regular Ladies' Night tonight. But don't drop by on Monday as it won't be open. They're getting a renovation underway and decking the place out to deal with the coming winter. Expect a set of new fireplaces and a second floor to be installed when the spot reopens later next week.

Speaking of renovation, Lantern has also undergone a makeover. It's quite a different look for the Gongti favorite. Maybe you could check it out at one of their upcoming parties? They'll have legendary Dutch spinner Steve Rachmad in town for the first time on November 16. Before that, they'll host a Halloween bash, "Spooked", on October 27.

It marks a sad point when bars begin closing their terraces. It usually means winter is well on its way. Migas's terrace is winding down for another year this weekend, but they'll put it to bed in style. Their regular Funk Fever night goes ahead for one last bow tonight – expect plenty of booty bumping – and tomorrow night Migas bids a groovy farewell to DJ The Pipesmokers as they host their final Housing the Bar night of the year.

And just in case you were planning on stopping by, Hard Rock Cafe has been closed for a while now after an alleged "raid" by masked thieves last month. Unfortunately, we have no further information as nobody there is answering our calls. A shame, as that sounds like a brilliantly dramatic episode.

Another old DJ friend is set for a return next month. World-famous spinner Paul Van Dyk hits Tango on December 1 as part of his 2012 "Evolution" world tour. UK-based DJ/producer Warrior One will also reach Beijing on November 3 as part of the 19th edition of The Drop at Lantern.

November's edition of the Black Eyeliner party will be held on Friday 9 at Dada.

New Lido hotel bar Xian has announced its drinks promotions. You can take advantage of two-for-one deals from 6-8pm on Monday through Friday. And Slow Boat is planning to introduce its first "crowd-sourced" tipple as they brew up five different drops and conduct a poll to find out which the good members of the public enjoy most. Said brew will then be widely available after a release party. How's that for tapping demand?

Don't forget to check out our events section if your stuck for something to do this weekend.

Whatever you get up to this weekend, have fun doing it.