Karl Long 2025: Great Leap's Annual Beer Challenge Is Back
Great Leap's 15th anniversary is coming up, which also means it's time for their annual Karl Long Challenge! It's set to take place this Saturday (Oct 18), and if you love Great Leap beer and enjoy a bar crawl, then this is one event you don't want to miss!
For those not in the know about who Karl Long is and why there is a challenge named after him, here is the story, according to Great Leap:
“Back in 2010, when Great Leap was still in its infancy, Karl Long – who would go on to help manage GLB #12 for a time – showed up to the brewery's original Doujiao Hutong location. At the time, they only offered eight beers on tap, and Karl elected to try all of them at once. Then he drank them all again!
As the story goes, he got into an argument with a fellow patron whom he mistook for Sabrina, of Sabrina the Teenage Witch fame, after which he proceeded to remove his shirt and unleash a menacing growl.
Thus, the legend of Karl Long and the Karl Long Challenge was born.”
As usual, the rules of the challenge are that competitors need to purchase a Challenge Card (RMB 338 in advance, RMB 358 on the day) and then need to drink the 15 designated beers on the card. Competitors must drink at least one beer at each of Great Leap's four branches, and each beer drunk will earn you a stamp on your card. Collect all 15 stamps and you'll be rewarded with a limited-edition Great Leap 15-year anniversary t-shirt, bragging rights and (almost certainly) one hell of a hangover!
If drinking 15 beers in one day sounds like a recipe for a drunken disaster to you, then there is another route to glory! This year, they've introduced a new Mixed-Double Team Option. For this option, competitors can partner up to form a team of two (at least one team member must be female) and take on the Challenge Card together. The completion prize will still be one anniversary t-shirt; however, successful teams can then pay an additional RMB 100 to get a second t-shirt.
This year, of the 15 beers on the card, 14 beers are pre-selected (see image above), and then you have the freedom to select one beer of your choice (pro-tip: Go for one of the low alcohol percentage beers; you'll thank us later). You can drink the beers on the Challenge Card in whichever order you wish, but remember you must drink at least one beer at each Great Leap branch.
To take part, you'll need to purchase a Challenge Card on the day (Oct 18) from whichever Great Leap branch you want to start at. Alternatively, you can purchase the Cards at the early bird price (available until Oct 17) via Great Leap's WeChat mini program (search: GreatLeapBrewing大跃啤酒) or from any Great Leap branch.
The 2025 Karl Long Challenge is taking place across all Great Leap locations on Sat, Oct 18, from 11am. Early bird Challenge Cards are RMB 338, and the Cards are RMB 358 on the day. The Challenge Card can be bought via their WeChat mini program (search: GreatLeapBrewing大跃啤酒) or from any Great Leap branch either before the challenge or on the day of at the branch you want to start at. You can read more about the challenge here.
Great Leap #6 (Doujiao Hutong)
6 Doujiao Hutong, Dianmenwai Dajie, Dongcheng District
东城区地安门外大街豆角胡同6号
Phone: 010 6406 0510
Great Leap #12 (Gongti)
1/F, Zi Ming Mansion, 12 Xinzhong Jie, Dongcheng District
东城区新中街12号
Phone: 010 6417 0018
Great Leap #45 (Xinyuan)
45-1 Xinyuan Jie, Chaoyang District
大跃啤酒45号新源街店
Phone: 010 5947 6984
Great Leap Lido
Rm 103, Nuo Center, 2A Jiangtai Lu, Chaoyang District
朝阳区将台路甲2号诺金中心一层103室
Phone: 010 6434 7221
READ: Colombo in Chaoyang: Sri Lanka's First China Outpost, Cinnara, Is Here
Images: courtesy of Great Leap
