What’s Up in Beer: Beer Package, New Brews and Imports, and Beer Olympics
With weary legs and a heavy heart, I have returned from annual leave to beautiful Beijing. Luckily, the capital never lets me down and the last few days of blue skies, breeze, new brews, and good news can't be beat. In other news, it seems a good time was had by all at the grand opening of the new Boxing Cat last Sunday (Aug 12) – despite the dubious sexual names of the beers, which include Money Shot and Breast Wishes. Check out our review and first impressions here. OK, onto the beers.
Drinking Buddies’ August package has arrived with a box that reflects beer's growing trend of embracing canned beers. As with last month’s, it’s heavy on European offerings, including Brewski (Sweden), Wylam (England), North Brewing Co (England), and Amsterdam Brewing Co (Canada). Check the full tasting notes here or below courtesy of Drinking Buddies:
- North Brewing Co’s Pinata: An ultimate starter beer with balanced aromas and flavors in a classic American pale.
- North Brewing Co’s Full Fathom 5: Offers interesting and complex flavors and aromas of coconut, coffee, vanilla, and caramel.
- Wylam’s Swipe Right SPA: A tropical session IPA, more NEIPA than anything else.
- Brewski’s Starman DDH: A double dry-hopped double IPA (try saying that quickly!), filled with Amarillo and Galaxy hops that blast fruity aromas.
- Brewski’s Ryestick: Brewed with rye for a spicy smooth body, prickled with a steady bitterness.
- Amsterdam Brewing Co.’s Boneshaker: It will rattle your skull with added hops, well balanced against a malt profile.
Join the beer club to receive this July beer box, along with exclusive pricing on beer reorders, via DB's WeChat shop (啤友汇DrinkingBuddies), by calling 137 1808 0725, or by emailing hello@drinkingbuddies.cn.
Great Leap Brewing has brought their Ghost General Wheat IPA back on tap for the first time since 2015. Blurring the line between an IPA and a wheat beer, this summer brew is brewed with Styrian Wolf hops for a tropical fruit aroma, and wheat malt to add a rounded, creamy mouthfeel. It's available now at both their locations for RMB 45, joining the 15 other GLB and three guest drafts, which change regularly.
Dao Taphouse has a new sour ale on tap with 4.2 percent ABV. The result of a happy accident in July, the brewery blacked-out while brewing their signature Fumo IPA, so they went with the flow and added lactobacillus to the wort, they found that they eventually produced a sour ale with aromas of plum, peach, and pineapple.
El Nido’s at The Other Place currently boasts some top-notch imports, such as Knee Deep’s Hoptologist DIPA and Nøgne Ø’s Dark Horizon Fifth Edition Imperial Stout at a hefty 16 percent ABV, which costs RMB 135 for 330ml or RMB 90 for 200ml.
NBeer, Jing-A, and Slow Boat are teaming up with EAST Beijing to organize the Xian Beer Olympics on Sep 8 from 4-8pm. Entry costs RMB 600 for a team of three who will fight it out against others in grueling games of Marathon Waiter, beer-pong, drunk Pictionary, flip cup time trial, and more. Prizes include vouchers for a one-night staycation at EAST, weekend brunch vouchers, and weekend drink passes at Xian's sister bar Craft Container. If you're more into laidback drinking than intense competition, RMB 300 per person will get you free-flow beers and pizza from Xian Bar during the four-hour the event. Click here to purchase advance tickets. There’ll also be an after party from 8pm onwards.
Last but not least, Jing-A has released new information about their second 8x8 Brewing Project, their challenge for eight chinese breweries to team up with eight Nordic contemporaries to make eight very special beers. Taking place on Oct 26-27 at Yushe Entertainment Space near Dawanglu and tickets will be on sale as of Sep 5. This year's participating breweries include: Jing-A, Shangri-La, Taiwan Head Brewers, Trip Smith, Wild West Brewery, Wuhan No. 18 Brewing, Xi'an Brewery, Young Master, Brewski (Sweden), Nøgne Ø (Norway), Põhjala Brewery (Estonia), Kex Brewing (Iceland), AmagerBryghus (Denmark), Stigbergets Bryggeri (Sweden), Dugges Bryggeri (Sweden),and To Øl (Denmark). The event will be made up of four three-hour sessions of free-flow beer tasting, with each beer available at all sessions (read about last's year's beer fest here). Watch this space for more info on this beer lover's heaven.
More stories by this author here.
Email: tracywang@thebeijinger.com
Twitter: @flyingfigure
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Photos courtesy of venues
