What’s Up in Beer: Your Guide to Drink Singles' Day Sorrow Away, Shenzhen Beer Fest, and New Imports
It has been a sad and shocking week, not only because of the chilly, smoggy weather, the fact our favorite spot Marks & Spencer's closing down, but also the terrifying result of the US presidential election. As Black Mirror cleverly put it, “This isn’t an episode. This isn’t marketing. This is reality.”
So, it's understandable that you're now eager to drown your sorrows and take another chance at the increasingly slow Canadian Immigration website, or ready to flush away Singles' Day with drinks. Let's get into it.
Arrow Factory is celebrates Singles' Day (Nov11, 6pm onwards) with a special offer: RMB 111 gets you a Forever Single Meal, made up of any sausage or sandwich set menu item plus any two Arrow Factory beers (RMB 40 and under). With deals like this who needs a date? Although if you do want to bring someone along, or go with a group of friends, the deal is also valid (that would just be mean).
RELATED: Undo Your Singlesness This Singles' Day With Kisses for Charity, Speed Dating, and a 1-1 Deal
Also this Friday, The Big Smoke are holding their own Singles' Day happy hour. Entry costs RMB 100 for males and RMB 50 for females, which includes a flight of six Jing-A beers coupled with six rounds of speed dating, starting at 7pm. Afterwards, participants will get 20 percent off on cocktails, wine, and beer, until 9pm to keep the party lubricated and the hopefully the singles less single. Email emmy@jingabrewing.com or call 156 0061 2796 to register. We hear that a bunch of people have already signed up, so it's bound to be a bountiful night.
Microbrews at Drunk Bar will be on a special offer for Singles' Day this Friday: all seven beers on tap will be RMB 11.11 each from 5pm till late. The Australian angus beef is also priced at RMB 111 per set.
Moving on, NBeer Pub is organizing two rounds of beer tasting from 7-9pm on November 11 at their Sanlitun location, and 5-7pm on November 12 at their original Huguosi location. RMB 150 will get you a tasting and free-flow on eight beers from the Back Forty Beer Company, including their Naked Pig, Truck Stop Honey, Freckle Belly, Fence Post, Trade Day, Paw Paw’s Peach, Snapper Biscuit, and Rattle Trap. Wondering how much alcohol there is in each beer? I’m afraid you'll to find out yourself, since Alabama state law, where Back Forty Beer Company hails from, bans printing the alcohol content on labels.
For new brews this week, Fallen General IPA returns to the taps at Great Leap Brewing. This beer is quite different for the team as it's more of a personal brew, made specially by owner/brewmaster Carl Setzer to “honor an old friend and colleague who was taken without justice from his friends, family, wife and daughter. We could go on with more words, but they would fall like dust when compared to the beauty of our memories of a true friend.” This one has 8 percent ABV, 76 IBUs, and is "dry hopped with hopes and regrets for a friend gone to soon."
Aside from launching their moreish brunch, Slow Boat has also released several new batches of brew, including their Mushroom Brown, American Wheat, Mosaic IPA, Black Saison, Pole Star Pils, and Captain’s Pale Ale.
If you're looking to escape Beijing this weekend (Nov 11-12), maybe consider Shenzhen, which will play host to 15 microbreweries at the Shenzhen Craft Beer Fest, including four local venues: Bionic, Craft Head, Fury, and Peko; two from Guangzhou: the Strand, and Bravo; five from Beijing: Slow Boat, Jing-A, Arrow Factory, NBeer, and Panda; as well as the assorted Master Gao, Boxing Cat, No. 18, and Harvest. Tickets are available here.
And finally, Drunk Begining has also lined up several new imports, including Prairie Ace, and Weisse; Pumpkin Ale from Dogfish Head; Vanilla Oatis, and Easy Way IPA from Ninkasi Brewing; as well as Ace of Citra, Black Hammer, and Restorative Beverage for Invalids and Convalescents (yep, that's actually the name of this double-barreled beer) from Brewdog.
More stories by this author here.
Email: tracywang@thebeijinger.com
Twitter: @flyingfigure
Instagram: @flyingfigure
Photos courtesy of the venues
