New Bar Golden Weasel Takes Over nugget’s Old Digs

Katie Coy | Sep 5, 2023 11:11 am | Add a comment | 363 reads

About a month ago we broke the sad news that nugget would be closing its doors at the end of August, after three years in the capital. However, from nugget’s ashes, a new bar has already risen: Golden Weasel. The new owner and brain behind this new bar is Anthony Tao – of Spittoon literary group fame – who had been a frequent patron of and performer at nugget.

Golden Weasel had its soft opening last weekend, so we decided to catch up with Tao to see how it went and what plans he has for Beijing’s newest hutong haunt.

Firstly, congratulations on this exciting opportunity! Is owning a bar something you’ve always wanted to do?
Funny story, I was sitting in a bar with Jen when I found out she and Dave (nugget’s owners) were leaving Beijing. A friend and I asked what she planned on doing with nugget, and she sort of offhandedly asked if we wanted to buy it. The next morning, I woke up thinking: why of course I want to own a bar. I’ve been drinking in Beijing for 15 years, it’s about time.

Why did you decide to take over nugget’s former space?
First of all, it’s a great space, something Jen and Dave built from the ground up, piece by piece. The authenticity is tangible. And despite only having been around for three years, it already has a lot of history — you can really sense that it’s part of the Beijing story.

I also have a personal connection with it. I’ve performed on nugget’s tiny stage – with Liane Halton, Poetry x Music – organized events there, hung out with friends, gone for cocktails, you name it. Once Jen incepted the idea of taking over, it was a no-brainer.

So, you decided on the name Golden Weasel, can you tell us why?
After much deliberation, focus grouping, flip-flopping, and general agitation, yes. We’re going to be called Golden Weasel, a nod toward the famous hutong weasels that are the unofficial animal of Beijing – the Chinese name will be 醉鼠 Zuì Shǔ. It was important to have that Beijing connection since I was born here and very much identify with the city.

I mentioned “Beijing story” before: I think a lot of us think of ourselves, while living here, as writing our own Beijing story. What better way to tie my story with the community than owning a bar that serves the people of this gritty place?

What are your plans for the new bar, do you have a specific concept in mind?
There won’t be any major renovations. The main tweak will be the drinks menu: the concept is finely made classic cocktails, cold beers, and tightly curated wines, all at reasonable prices. We’re not going to upcharge for the environment. I want people to be able to pop in any time for a reliably good drink in a cozy, welcoming space.

What are you most excited about for the bar?
Too many things, but… did you know we’re going to have food in the future? Simone Thompson, who was formerly the executive chef at Jing-A, will be making Australian bites and shareables — curries, sausage rolls, dips, etc. — in our kitchen as part of her new undertaking called Malo’s. We’ve already talked about food and wine pairings.

I should point out that during the daytime, we will continue to operate as a coffee shop called Silence Coffee, run by Jackie. He’s there every day and makes excellent coffee.

Can you tell us a bit more about your signature cocktail, the Old Fashioned? Why did you decide on this and what makes it special?
So, I love all drinks — honestly, a little too much— but whisky is kind of my specialty. I used to run a whisky-tasting event when I was working at The Bookworm called Whisky Wednesday, and will probably look to bring that to Golden Weasel (and maybe a “whisky of the month”…but I don’t want to reveal everything all at once). Old fashioneds are, in my opinion, the best drink for non-whisky drinkers who don’t yet know they love whisky. Our selection will come with a twist: we’ll have a gin option (using Kyro’s rye gin), a Genever, a spiced rum…and more. Try the coffee old fashioned.

nugget used to hold several weekly events such as Drink and Draw, will these continue at the new bar?
Yes. The only hiccup is that the organizer of Craft Night wants to take a short break, but they will continue organizing events in October. Dave and Jen have created such a strong, supportive community, and I want to preserve as much of that as possible.

Will regular gigs still be held on nugget’s famous “tiny stage”?
I would like to, but it’s hard to put on performances at the moment. We’ve had several noise complaints, and we’re mindful that we run a bar in the middle of a residential neighborhood. That said, we will try, eventually. Our setup is perfect for intimate shows — the inside is soundproof, at least — but I’ll need a little period to figure out how it all works.

Lastly, this past weekend was your soft opening, how did it go?
It was as exciting as you would expect. I think I got a few people drunk.

In all seriousness, as a first-time bar owner, I’m wading into this venture with both eyes open, and I’ll use this as a learning experience. And I’ve learned a lot already, about what we can do and what we maybe shouldn’t. Golden Weasel is going to have to be the kind of place people start their night, not finish. These are sadly the limitations of the neighborhood, but that doesn’t mean we can’t have a good time.

We’ll be trying a few new things during this soft opening period. Sundays will be Wine Day, for instance, where people can get 50 percent off all wines that have already been opened (and we open a lot of really good ones over the week). Who knows what ideas will stick. You might have to come help us decide!

To stay up to date on all things relating to Golden Weasel you can join their group chat by scanning the QR code below: