No Half Measures at Sanlitun's Hottest New Cocktail Bar 50/50

Though it’s only been a few months since Scarlet A was swallowed up in the umpteenth round of Beijing’s hutong renovations, the co-manager behind the popular cocktail bar has not lost heart. Instead, Zhang “Mark” Wei has found new partners and resurfaced with a fresh new venture in a far different locale. It’s called 50/50, and is located on the Sanlitun side street Xingfucun Zhonglu, in the same building that houses Cannon’s and O’Steak.

Read more about Scarlet A's closure here.

But even though he’s hightailed it to Sanlitun, Zhang has by no means gone the way of glitzy neighboring lounges like Inception, Good Bait, or Finders Keepers. Instead, 50/50 retains the laid-back minimalism of a neighborhood favorite like Scarlet A. Tables and chairs that wouldn’t be out of place in the common area of your pal’s apartment, an ivory white bar, and some of the softest lighting we’ve ever seen in a cocktail haunt, all make for a relaxing ambiance.

That low-key backdrop contrasts sharply with the drinks. Brightly colored, subtly flavored, and robustly boozy mixes, they also boast creative combinations that evoke Scarlet A’s equally accomplished menu. The RMB 90 Basic Bish, for instance, features pumpkin puree (a notably original item that we've yet to see in Beijing's slew of lounges), maple syrup, lemon, and seltzer along with its generous splash of rum. The fittingly titled Winter Sour, meanwhile, is comprised of heartier rye, allspice liqueur, lemon, and a sweeter than average Demerara syrup.

And if you and your crew are looking to huddle around some woozy warming concoctions, you can opt for the bar’s unique punch bowls like five-person Mescal Fizz, made with fat-washed Mezcal, Thai lime, simple syrup, rosemary, and seltzer (RMB 680, which isn’t too steep when you split it) and the even more ambitiously mixed 6 Floors, featuring an innovative chamomile and truffle-infused bourbon, ginger honey syrup, orange juice, Thai lime, and seltzer (a much steeper RMB 880, though it’s portioned for eight people).        

It all amounts to a refreshing focus on flavor over ambiance and drink aesthetics, with nary a whiff of smoke, spark of a culinary torch, or dash of overwrought garnish that have become crutches at snazzier Chaoyang haunts. By going against trends and placing the emphasis back where it belongs (that being the booze, of course), it’d be a gross understatement to say 50/50 ain’t half bad.

50/50
Daily 7pm-3am. 2/F, Section G, Jiezuo Mansion, 55 Xingfucun Middle Road, Chaoyang District (next to O'Steak and Cannon's)
北京市朝阳区幸福村中路55号 杰座大厦G段跃层

READ: “Ya’ll Got This, Beijing,” Says Shanghai Cocktail Star Lu Yao

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Email: kylemullin@truerun.com
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Correction: An earlier version of this blog erroneously called Zhang the co-owner of Scarlet A.

Photos courtesy of 50/50