Tanker Taproom Steadily Chugs Along in an Otherwise Parched Dawang Lu
Despite its sleepy east-of-the-CBD locale, and the increasingly robust craft beer competition in more convenient haunts, Tanker Brew Club is still chugging along quite happily more than sixth months after its subdued opening.
Proof that one brewer’s liability is another’s opportunity, Tanker's location in the so far untapped (pardon the pun) Dawang Lu has served it well, and you can usually find a handful of patrons pitched up on the second floor, overlooking a handful of brewing tanks that add ambiance and credibility to the space.
When it comes to beer, the Roman Holiday Wheat (RMB 35) is light and wholesome, and also scores bonus points with its unexpectedly sour finish. Tanker's RMB 45 Midnight IPA also proves a winner and is sweeter (with a tart finish) and, above all, less hoppy than many IPAs around Beijing.
On the downside, only three of the 16 taps on the brewery's menu are actually made in-house, making Tanker less ambitious than its name might imply. The rest of the menu is padded out with well-chosen, and more established brewer's wares like Arrow Factory and Master Gao to ensure high-quality options all around.
It also doesn’t hurt that the beer prices are about 25-50 percent cheaper than what you'll find at Tanker’s nearest competitor, Guomao’s Beersmith. For food, Tanker serves snacks like RMB 40 potato wedges, RMB 45 fried chicken, and RMB 36 beef noodles. All that, along with the half-dozen tall tables surrounded by barstools, industrial metal flooring, and a big brewing tank which is cheekily outfitted with a squat toilet, make Tanker an offbeat and unpretentious hangout in a neighborhood otherwise lacking anywhere dedicated to craft beer.
Have you heard? Carlsberg has just bought into Jing-A.
Tanker Brew Club
Daily 4pm-2am. S-118, Bldg 2, Blue Castle International Center South, 3 Xidawang Lu, Chaoyang District (152 0165 3089)
点卯精酿：朝阳区西大望路3号院2号楼S118蓝堡国际中心南
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Email: kylemullin@truerun.com
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Photo: Kyle Mullin
