Booze News: World Baijiu Day, a Cocktail Masterclass, and Deconstructing Craft Beer
Feeling thirsty? Wet your whistle with Booze News, our wrap-up of the week's best bar deals, parties, drink concoctions, industry gossip, and more.
World Baijiu Day wants to change your opinion of the white stuff
As we described in our blog earlier in the week, "While baijiu is traditionally drunk in China straight as shots – 'ganbei' style – the holiday encourages people to go 'beyond ganbei' with a focus mixing baijiu-inspired cocktails, infusions, and even foods, such as ice cream and chocolate." The team behind World Baijiu Day (Aug 9) have therefore recruited the help of three esteemed Beijing venues for Friday's event to help put a new spin on everyone's favorite love-to-hate spirit.
Among them, Jing-A who are using qu (pictured left above), traditionally the starter culture used to make baijiu, as a key ingredient in this very unique beer. In their words, "for this year’s Qu Brew (8 percent ABV) we’ve instead chosen to dose it early on to create a sour beer, which was then sanitized through in the boil and finished with a clean brewer’s yeast. We think it’s our best batch yet!" Get it from Friday onwards or head to Pachapapi for their fruity, erguotou "El Brujo" cocktail or the Schoolhouse at Mutianyu for deep-fried baijiu ice cream. More on all those here.
Mixology Symposia at the Bulgari Hotel
On Saturday at 7pm, the Bulgari Hotel invites cocktail lovers to Symposia, "a mixology event" featuring bartenders Antonio Lai (pictured left above), one of the best bartenders in Asia, and Dario Schiavoni (pictured right), the Bar Director of the Bulgari hotel. Both mixologists feature on The World’s 50 Best Bars list and will be mixing up six cocktails during an open bar event, which promises to be a big one as long as you have enough cash to burn.
On Saturday, Beersmith goes all out with a retro summer bash beach party... in their bar. And while there's not a drop of water to be seen past the pitchers, they invite you to attend in your finest beach garb (the brighter, the better) to hang out on their faux beach terrace. To get you in the spirit, there'll be piña coladas, margaritas, beer pong, water pistols, music from their house band Soul Shake, DJs, and yep, a wet T-shirt competition (times were different back then, kids). Entrance is RMB 50.
New doppelbock at Slow Boat
Slow Boat have released their latest beer, the Devil Seam Doppelbock (7.4 percent, 22 IBUs). Boasting "big toffee aromas, a velvety mouthfeel, and a semi-dry finish," this medium-brown doppelbock also comes packed with toasted caramel flavors and a hint of chocolate for a resulting "dessert beer that won't weigh you down." Grab a pint for RMB 55.
Deconstructing craft beer
What makes a great beer? It's an age-old question that rises above man's restrictive abilities to need to compartmentalize, define, and describe. Sometimes things are just great because they make you feel that way at a specific moment in time. Yet, there are pointers to help figure out what's giving rise to those positive (or, unfortunately, negative) feelings such as the aroma, head, or we-still-can't-believe-it's-really-called-that mouthfeel. Thankfully, Drinking Buddies have just put out this super useful post on deconstructing craft beer so that next time beer makes you feel great, you start to figure out why.
Your ultimate guide to Beijing's ladies' nights
If you missed it, we just rounded up the city's best ladies nights and if you're anything like us, you'll be pondering how Beijing's women manage to remain so upstanding and sober given all the absolutely free booze being thrown at them. See all of the deals here.
Finally, Great Leap have a little surprise...
You didn't hear it from us, but if you happen to visit Great Leap's #45 location this weekend you may notice that things aren't quite how they used to be. We can't tell you any more than that so you'll just have to go see for yourself. Chin chin!
READ: Beijing's Ultimate Happy Hour and Drinks Deals List: 2019 Edition
Photos: Brooklyn Brewing, courtesy of the bars, Mitchell Pe Masilun
