What’s Up in Beer: Jing-A Opening, Slow Boat Anniversary, Great Leap Golden Deals, Your Drinking Guide for Golden Week

The skies remain blue, while the temperature has dropped more than 10 degrees. I know some of you can’t wait to dash out of Beijing and seize the holiday, but for the ones who remain, we have compiled the ultimate National Holiday survival drinking guide to help you while away the time until you return to work.

In case you missed this morning's preview of the new Jing-A Brewpub Xingfucun (there's much to be excited about, check our first impressions here), here’s the brief: Jing-A's new brewpub on Xingfucun Zhonglu opens today at what was formerly The Big Smoke. Their beer bar boasts 16 taps of their brews and guest beers, the kitchen cranks out beautifully smoked meats (we highly recommend the carnivore platter), plenty of sandwiches, and sides (the mac 'n’ cheese is also amazing) from 5-11pm, followed by late-night munchies after 11pm. There is also The Back Bar, hidden at the far end of the hallway, with cocktails on tap (all at RMB 50). The grand opening starts at 6pm, for which there will be an all-night happy hour on all beers, cocktails, and barbecue. Make a reservation by calling 152 1090 7612.

If that is not exciting enough, Põhjala, an Estonian craft brewery in Tallinn (and one of my favorites), is bringing four kinds of beer to Jing-A Taproom – Öö, an Imperial Baltic Porter with a hefty 10.5 percent ABV (which I’ve bought once from Taobao, expensive but definitely worth it); Must Kuld Porter with 7.8 percent ABV; Mets Black Forest IPA with 7 percent ABV; Here Comes the Night Time, a black sour with 5.9 percent ABV. The taps takeover starts at 5pm on Saturday (Sep 30) at Jing-A Taproom in Courtyard 4. See you there!

Keeping things easy and simple for us (and providing excuses to visit GLB every day), Great Leap Brewing’s tradition “dictates to provide you all with a daily special for each and every day of the holiday (Oct 1-8, Sunday to Sunday, nothing less will suffice)." So, here you go, the Golden Week specials presented by Great Leap Brewing:

• Chesty Puller American IPA (Sunday, Oct 1)
• Cinnamon Rock Ale (Monday, Oct 2)
• Banana Wheat (Tuesday, Oct 3)
• East City Porter (Wednesday, Oct 4)
• Honey Ma Gold (Thursday, Oct 5)
• Honey Ma Lager (Friday, Oct 6)   
• Little General IPA (Saturday, Oct 7)
• Iron Buddha Blonde (Sunday, Oct 8)

Slow Boat’s Sanlitun Brewpub is celebrating its first anniversary on Oct 7, a landmark that goes some way to making up for the closure of their original Dongsi Batiao venue in May. They have thoughtfully decided to bring loads of promotions, including an all-day happy hour (RMB 10 off), 50 percent off Slow Boat T-shirts, and your first can for RMB 25 should you wear your prized Slow Boat T-shirt. Other promotions include:

• From 4pm: First pint of Monkey’s Fist IPA free (one per customer until the two kegs run out);
• 6-11pm: buy a burger and get 50 percent off a second burger, get a large bucket of fries for RMB 30 (one order per table),
• Get a dessert for RMB 35 – white chocolate crème brulee (6-8pm), Oreo tiramisu (8-10pm), Aztex chocolate (10-12pm).

Slow Boat also has a new beer hitting the taps today (Sep 28), called the Five by One Sour with 3.9 percent ABV. The sailors don't mince their words with this newbie, describing it in the most minimalist way – “strawberry, basil, tart.”

Over at Arrow Factory, there'll be no shortage of Golden Week deals either. Available at both locations from Oct 1-8, you can score Arrow’s Man with the Golden Hop Country Ale, Man Man Lai Session IPA or Blonde on Blonde Belgian Ale for just RMB 25 a pop, all day, every day. During that same time, they’ll have 24-bottle cases of Guanxi Pale Ale for RMB 320 and Seeing Double IPA for RMB 390 (cases limited!) to kit out any house-bound mischief that you may have planned.

As we mentioned before, that Hatchery has transformed the Hatchery Bar into the Down Under Bar for the Australian Brewery Pop-Up for the whole September. If you haven't moved your lazy arses to fit in their tight f&b schedule, this Saturday is your last chance. The last Saturday of September, this year it falls on Sep 30, the whole nation of Australia would stop everything and watch the Australian Football Grand Final for the AFL Premiership Cup. There’s nothing more joyful to get together, enjoy ice-cold beers in the early spring, watch epic games, and gulp outdoor feasts with your dear mates. So Hatchery will organize a series of events and promotions on Sep 30, that everyone can pick up during the day, as follows,

• 11am-2pm: Aussie all-you-can-eat-feast, RMB 148 (pre-sale)/RMB 170 (at door)/RMB 100 (12-17years old), which also includes two Australian Brewery beers, to buy tickets here;
• 2-6pm: buy one get one free on Australian Brewery beers, there will be Two Guys and A Pie, and sausage sizzle;
• 11am-6pm: Aussie music from Rock on Radio, and Lawn Bowls, as well as a hotdog eating contest at 4pm.

Last but not least, the September Sunset Craft Beer Run sets off this evening and will lead you through four Sanlitun venues: SteamRhino, Out of Step, High Town, and the new Jing-A Brewpub Xingfucun. Meeting point is at SteamRhino, and the run starts at 6.30pm. RMB 150 will get you a pint at each bar. RSVP via WeChat (ID: someet).

Have a great Golden Week, everybody. Prost!

More stories by this author here.

Email: tracywang@thebeijinger.com
Twitter: @flyingfigure
Instagram: @flyingfigure

Photos courtesy of venues, Tom Arnstein