Adios Beloved Bars: 18 Heartbreaking Moments for Beijing Beer-Lovers

Tracy Wang, Senior Editor | Oct 17, 2018 4:00 pm | Add a comment | 2210 reads

Life has its ups and downs. For example, we were ecstatic when writing up roundups of the newly opened brewpubs for the past three years (check here, here, and here), but 2018 seems to have been especially harsh on the beer scene in Beijing. We were even forced to bid adios to two of my personal favorite bars: Great Leap Brewing #12 was turned into an office for the company back in May, and then Jing-A announced that their popular 1949 taproom was closing. Yes, it's been rough.

Aside from those big hitters, there have unfortunately been many smaller heartbreaks for beer-lovers in Beijing. Below we list those establishments that bit the dust in 2018, either because of business bottlenecks or a run-in with the Great Brickening that has ravaged the city's venues and shops over the past 18 months. With any luck, they'll rise again to pour us another pint come the new year.
 

Great Leap Brewing #12

Great Leap Brewing #12 has been the home-away-from-home for craft beer-lovers in Beijing for the past five years. When we asked co-founder Carl Setzer what GLB#12 means to him and his wife and co-conspirator Liu Fang, he had this to say:

“#12 means more to us than I can describe in words. Liu Fang and I just want everyone to know that it ripped our heart out to not have any other choice than to announce the closure. Seeing everyone come out over the last couple days to show support in anticipation of the 10th has left us speechless and tearful. I’ve watched families grow up in that space over the last five years, including my own. We accomplished what we set out to accomplish and have no regrets. We only hope that Beijing continues to support our two other locations and come out and support our newest retail project as well as our march towards nationwide distribution.”

The silver lining is that the Original GLB #6 and #45 have taken up the relay to carry on, and their 30-draft-strong Lido location is on its way, any minute now ...
 

Jing-A Taproom

The always-packed Sanlitun 1949 “The Hidden City” Jing-A Taproom met its permanent end on Jun 21. That being said, the official 1949 death knell didn’t come as a major shock given that this three-year-old taproom had suspended operation since Apr 1. What's more, the once lively courtyard had been in quiet decline for at least a year, what with renowned restaurants Okra, Duck the Chine, Traitor Zhou’s, and Taverna closing one by one in quick succession.

Jing-A at last confirmed that the complex's management had pulled out, forcing all of the venues within to shutter. Even though the vultures were circling, we still held out hope that Jing-A might somehow survive. Their WeChat announcement featured similar sentiments of dashed dreams:

“When we first suspended operations, we held back on any definitive announcements in the hopes that we could find a way to get the beer flowing there again soon. But with no luck on that front, it's now clear that Jing-A Taproom in 1949 will remain closed for the foreseeable future. We're sorry to see it gone – we loved hanging out and knocking back pints in the 1949 courtyard more than anyone, and in its three-plus years it was home to some unforgettable parties. Thank you to the craft beer lovers of Beijing for giving it a great run!”

Thankfully, their Xingfucun Brewpub is running solidly.
 

Slow Boat Taproom Dongsi

After five years of pouring delicious cold pints and serving one of the best burgers in Beijing, Slow Boat Taproom closed in May of 2017, with this statement released by co-owner Chandler Jurinka:

“Well folks, five years after we opened the Slow Boat Taproom on Dongsi Batiao, we have received notice that the architecture above us is in violation and will be removed. This has nothing to do with us. Our business and operating licenses were renewed less than one month ago. For those that don't know, this is part of the 开墙打洞 campaign and there are three stages: 1) correct architectural violations, 2) brick up entrances/doors in violation, and lastly 3) buy back the land so it can be renovated and resold. When renovation starts our beloved Taproom will be closed. We are not certain how long. In fact, we’re not sure if we will be able to reopen. Only time will tell. Still, we are forced to plan for the worst.”

Luckily, their three-floor Sanlitun brewery, which was opened in 2016 is going from strength to strength, providing brews, as well as an expanded menu of American pub grub and decent veggie options, and of course, their award-winning burgers.
 

NBeer Pub Sanlitun

Having opened in 2015, NBeer Pub Sanlitun was the brewer's second location, and provided a lineup of beers (over a dozen on tap) from across China, including Wuhan No.18, Chengdu Harvest, Nanjing Master Gao, and Wuhan Bubble Lab, as well as bottled imports. Frankly, compared to their original Huguosi location, and the splendid brand-new Wukesong taproom, the venue at Sanlitun Soho was always like a step-child and did sport some awkward service (but still better than nothing at all).

I could go on and on about all the below closed brewpubs and beer bars, endlessly expressing my condolences and fond memories that were kindled in their midst, but maybe a matter-of-fact list (alphabetically) will be less painful for all of us at this point. A fond farewell to:

But take heart, beer fans! Just as Tiny and El Nido also closed, they both bounced back and relocated with strong and solid brews to offer, so there’s always hope. Cheers to that, and long live craft beer!

What else is up in beer? Get all the latest news, right here.

More stories by this author here.

Email: tracywang@thebeijinger.com
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Photos courtesy of venues, Tracy Wang, Ollo Swan