Talking Pints: Mykki Blanco at Dada Tonight, Plus Where to Drink Outdoors

If you go anywhere in Gulou tonight, make a pitstop at Dada to catch New York rapper Mykki Blanco. Why? 1) It's a rare chance to experience a Beijing act in time with the trend – her live performances are some of the hottest in hip-hop right now. 2) This video is dope. 3) She will challenge preconceived notions you had about hip-hop identity. Here are the details.

As for the rest of the week, how about a tan on a terrace?

Save for a few latecomers, bars in Beijing are opening their rooftops, and you wouldn't want to miss them while the weather is just about perfect. In Wangfujing, The Peninsula Hotel has opened it's outdoor Yun Bar for its second year, so we stopped by to catch a few Beijing-inspired cocktails in the late afternoon breeze. Coincidentially, the Guilin Breeze cocktail hit the spot.

It's not easy to find a quiet place in Beijing's bustling tourist-shopping spot, but at Yun, one can feel pretty far away from it all, with a view that reaches the western hills (sounds quaint, doesn't it?) on a clear day.

Parnas is also opening their terrace for the season tonight, and its Nali Patio location makes it a great pre-party option if you're trying to catch that world travelin' disco maniac, Das Moth, at Migas. But if you're looking for somewhere a bit more laid back, Plan B and Parlor are eager to show off their patios.

Speaking of drinking outdoors, the date and location of Great Leap's Third Annual Beijing Craft Beer Festival has been announced: Wangjing Soho, June 6-7. Stay with us for more information on that.

4corners isn't going anywhere, so hold your tears and prepare for a soulful celebratory party of a renewed lease on Saturday.

Renaissance Beijing Capital Hotel is celebrating their launch of Lindeman's Belgian beer tonight with free flow of the stuff at R Lounge from 7.30-11.30pm. RMB 198 gets you a ticket to the party, which features a live band, competitions and beer cocktails. But really, all we care about is the free flow beer, right?

And if that's not enough, check out these:

• Black Sheep at 2Kolegas
• The Loop, a smoke-free dance party, is back at d lounge tonight
• Hotsy-Totsy at Parlor

Photos: Jessica Rapp, Parlor, The Penninsula Beijing Hotel