Booze News: 8x8 Brewing Project, Pizza Fest Drinks, and Wine Galore
Thirsty? Wet your whistle with Booze News, our wrap-up of the week's best bar deals, parties, drink concoctions, industry gossip, and more.
8x8 Brewing Project Returns This Weekend
If you want a little pregame to our Pizza Fest, there's no better option this weekend than Jing-A's annual 8x8 Brewing Project which returns this Friday and Saturday to Vintage16 just east of Guomao. If you're unfamiliar with the concept, each year the Jing-A team pairs eight breweries from Greater China with eight breweries from a chosen region around the world – this time northeast America and Canada – to brew eight beers together. This weekend then is the launch of these collaborative spoils, with each brewery pouring two of their own beers, plus the collaboration brews, giving attendees a total for 40 different free-flow beers to enjoy at each session. Sessions run Friday night and throughout Saturday and cost RMB 150-188.
Not going to lie, we may be most excited to try Jing-A's own Imperial Cola & Ginger Sour Ale entry, which they brewed with Baltimore's Stillwater Artisanal. This 10 percent ABV was made in the Chinese tradition of drinking hot Coca Cola boiled with ginger as a cold remedy. We're not sure it'll have the same effect come the weekend, but there's only one way to find out... Nab your tickets here.
Pizza Fest Boozy Offerings
Now that you're nice and loose, it's time to get some pizza in ya. Over at Galaxy Soho on Saturday and Sunday, we have just the ticket, with 40 food and drink vendors heading down to Chaoyangmen to celebrate one of, if not the finest comfort food this small world offers. As well as the slices, there'll also be plenty of beer from the likes of drinks vendors Vedett, Duvel, Brander Urstoff, and Urbrew as well as all of the beverage options provided by the food venues in attendance. The fun starts at 11am both days and if previous years are anything to go by, each will climax in a massive dance party by closing at 8pm, leaving you enough time to head out and continue the fun elsewhere.
Wine and Food Experience
On Saturday, midday-6pm, Hilton Beijing will hold its 22nd Wine and Food Experience, bringing together hundreds of domestic and international wine labels to be sampled when you're not too busy hobnobbing with some of the biggest industry professionals on this side of the planet. There are three types of tickets depending on how sloshed you're looking get: RMB 108 for entrance or RMB 268 for entrance and a lunch or dinner buffet (wise).
Natural Wine Dinner With Ginsberg+Chan
If you've got some serious money to burn, Meishuguan-adjacent fine dining joint The Merchants have also jumped on the wine train, inviting Hong Kong-based wine merchants Ginsberg+Chan to host a premium wine dinner on Tuesday, Oct 22 at 7pm. Your smooth RMB 2,000 will get you fed alongside some excellent pours, including a Herve Jestin Extra Brut 2007, Batard Montrachet Grand Cru 2016, and En Busigny Rouge from Meursault, a personal item from the Canadian husband and wife duo.
While you're getting boozy at Pizza Fest, check what other entertainment we have in store.
Photos courtesy of the organizers, The Culturist
