Beijing's Biggest New Brewpub Might Also Be Its Best Value

Robynne Tindall, Contributing Editor | Aug 30, 2019 11:29 am | Add a comment | 1371 reads | Paid for by Oh Yeah! Brewing

You might expect one of Beijing’s biggest new brewpubs, with a prime location in the heart of the CBD, to also be one of its priciest. But newcomer Oh Yeah! Brewing will have you saying “oh yeah!” to its prices thanks to a high-volume brewing set up and some great value weekly deals.

The huge venue just southeast of the Guomao Flyover has space for more than 250 people both inside and out, including a brighter and more lunch-appropriate seating area at the front and a lively German beer hall-style arrangement that forms the body of the venue. The latter is dominated by a two-story open brewery, which really hammers home their commitment to placing beer (and the drinking thereof) at the core of their brand.

After all, Oh Yeah!’s owner should know a bit about beer having been working in the industry, both as a restaurant operator and manufacturer of brewing equipment, for more than three decades. Having launched a chain of more than 80 restaurants serving home-brewed German beers in the 1990s, he came to realize that there was so much more to beer than the handful of German styles that dominated the Chinese market at the time. He became committed to the idea of introducing the global craft beer styles that he himself is passionate about to Chinese consumers, which includes manufacturing brewing equipment that would be used by some of Beijing’s other best-known craft beer brands. It is out of this passion that Oh Yeah! Brewing was born.

Of course, passion is one thing, but a brewery is only as good as its brews. Heading up the operation at Oh Yeah! is Aussie brew-master Josh Kendal, who traveled from Australia specifically to work with Oh Yeah!, having previously worked as senior brewer for Colonial Brewing Co. in Port Melbourne. Kendal has created a core range of eight different beers, including a classic German-style Pilsner, a variety of pale ales, a Belgian-style witbier, and a nitro porter. Kendal and the team say that their goal was to make sure that Oh Yeah! has a beer for everybody, whether you are a craft beer fanatic or just starting out your hoppy exploration.

For us, the standout beer is the OYPA, an Australian-style “XPA” (that’s extra pale ale to the uninitiated). Bright and refreshing with a substantial hop presence, even after a few pints the brew never overwhelms the palate with bitterness like some American-style IPAs. Another interesting option, and one that is perfect for seeing out the end of summer, is the Fruitopia, a fruit sour made with different seasonal fruits with every batch. The current version is made with mango, passion fruit, and red dragon fruit, which gives it a very now millennial pink color. The next batch in line is set to feature fresh strawberries.

To date, Kendal has been focusing on perfecting Oh Yeah!’s core beer offering but his passion lies in creating wilder, hoppier, more experimental styles and we can expect to see brews like those taking center stage among their seasonal beer offerings. Their two newest beers are a strong red ale, with notes of toffee and dark fruits, and a hazy double IPA made with American hops that packs in some real mango and citrus flavors.

The development of the craft beer industry over the past few years has also seen most pubs improve their food offering to match the quality of their drinks and Oh Yeah! is no exception. Their expansive menu features everything from beer snacks like fried chicken to platters of ribs and German-style sausages to sous-vide Australian bone-in beef ribs. While the latter more upscale offerings certainly set Oh Yeah! apart from other similar venues around the city, those in search of something a little more casual won’t want to miss the wood-fired pizzas, which are turned out by an oven that wouldn’t look out of place in a top-end Italian restaurant and pizzas that are crisp on the bottom and puffy and risen on the top – a great base for classic topping combinations like Parma ham and arugula.

Those pizzas are especially tempting at the weekend when an all-day half-price deal puts them firmly in the RMB 30-50 range. However, that’s only one of Oh Yeah!’s substantial and mouthwatering daily deals, which also include:

Every day: All beers RMB 30 from 11am-8pm
Monday: Half-price chicken nuggets all day, RMB 100 free-flow beer after 8pm
Taco Tuesday: Half-price tacos all day, RMB 100 free-flow beer after 8pm
Wednesday: Half-price pork chops all day, RMB 100 free-flow beer after 8pm
Thursday Ladies Day: Half-price roast chicken and free beer for all the ladies all day long!
Friday: RMB 100 free-flow beer after 8pm
Saturday: Half-price pizza all day, RMB 100 free-flow beer after 8pm
Sunday Cinema Club: Half-price pizza all day, select movies on the big screen from 7pm, RMB 100 free-flow beer after 8pm

All in all, a broad selection of consistently good beers, a food menu that goes beyond the usual pub grub offerings, and a host of seriously good value deals add up to making Oh Yeah! one of Beijing’s best new venues.