How a Humble Beer Fan Came to Open One of China's Most Popular Craft Breweries

Time moves quickly in Beijing. It was during my third year in the capital that the allure of Yanjing tallboys had started to wear off, and the easy fallback of an Asahi from 7-Eleven was still a faint glimmer on some distant horizon. So you can't imagine my excitement when a brand new taproom opened 50 meters from my house. Filled with sturdy wooden benches and lined with clean white tiles – save for a large rectangular mirror on the wall opposite the bar – this cacophonous 40sqm taproom was to become my second home following its opening in 2011. Its gifts weren't relegated to the inside either, as the smell of the indelible burger grease that wafted down the hutong became a comforting welcome prior to reaching the front door.

While that original location has long since closed, Slow Boat has continued to sail steadily over the years, staying true to much of those original features that made it so popular in the first place: the same flagship Monkey's Fist brew – check; same heavyset furniture – check; white tiles – check. And while the food menu has been expanded, it continues to carry – perhaps surprisingly for a brewery – what many consider Slow Boat's strongest attribute: its burgers, an opinion evidenced by their run of Beijing Burger Cup crowns.

Their third venue opened last month in Maizidian, which had sat completed, in peace and customerless for months as the coronavirus pandemic raged on. Now that the dust has settled, however, we had a chance to speak with Slow Boat co-founder Chandler Jurinka about how his love of beer spawned one of the most successful breweries in Beijing.

Can you tell us a bit about your background and Slow Boat Brewery?
I first came to China to attend Nanjing University. After graduation, I moved to Chicago where I worked in tech, banking, VC, and eventually a start-up marketing analytics company. On the weekends, I satiated myself with Goose Island (pre-Anheuser-Busch). In 2005, I moved to Beijing. The Beijing of 2005 was lacking any decent beer, wine, or spirits that are now readily available with a flick of a thumb on Taobao. After the 2008 Olympics, bars were issuing press releases about Hoegaarden, Stella, and Cooper on tap. Ice-covered tap towers were the rage. Craft beer wasn’t available. Those were the “tween” years for Beijing’s nightlife scene.

In and out of Beijing, the local macro lagers were still being served warm. More than one time my request for a cold beer was answered by pouring a green bottle of warm beer in a pitcher then cooling it down with fruit popsicles. Ice was (obviously) also in short supply. Meanwhile, I was missing good beer, and in the US, craft beer was growing at more than ten percent year-on-year. Each time I returned to the US I’d return with a suitcase of fresh craft beer. This then planted the seed that would later grow into Slow Boat Brewery. When I met Daniel Hebert (co-founder and brewer) we built our first brewery in the mountains outside of Beijing. 2021 will be Slow Boat’s 10 year anniversary. One brewery, two taprooms, and two brewpubs later, we’re still here in Beijing brewing beer and enjoying every minute of it.

How has your business been affected by the coronavirus? How did COVID-19 complicate your plans to open a new location?
Any fan of Slow Boat knows that we never close our doors (unless officials ask us to). This year was no different and we stayed open throughout the Chunjie holiday and then on through the COVID-19 outbreak. There were some dark days early on with few customers daring to go out, but we worked hard to establish heightened sanitation practices that would protect both our staff and customers. Meanwhile, the renovation for our new Maizidian brewpub was finished on Jan 21. We were fully staffed, trained, and ready to go when the outbreak hit. At that point it was obvious we couldn’t open, so our pristine new brewpub sat idle for four months until we received approval to officially open. Throughout it all, I’m proud to say that out of our more than 110 employees, not one was fired or laid-off during or after the outbreak. [Read more on Jurinka's thoughts about brewing amid the coronavirus via this recent interview with October.]

Do you believe the pandemic will permanently change the face of business in Beijing?
China is so dynamic. It’s too early to say how business practices will change. Whatever is normal now will change. One thing we all know is we have to be flexible. If this is all there is then it’s likely that online sales will continue to disrupt traditional brick and mortar sales albeit at a slightly faster rate. But Beijing loves going out to eat with friends and family. It’s part of the city’s culture so all is not lost. But with delivery services now readily available and consumers increasingly accustomed to relying upon them, restaurants and bars will need to curate an experience lest they lose their business to those who do.

What advice would you give to other business owners in Beijing at this time?
Focus on basics. Build up your savings. Year one’s performance is not indicative of what year three will look like.

Congrats on opening the new taproom in Maizidian, what makes this one unique? Which is your favorite location?
Our original Dongsi Batiao location was a small one-room taproom located deep in the hutong. Number two is a three-floor behemoth of a brewpub located in Sanlitun with brewing on each floor. Number three, our Dengshikou taproom, is a return to the size and area of our first location. The Maizidian brewpub is in a more neighborhood-friendly location. The design, although still industrial, is more modern with flexible and communal seating that can accommodate any sized group. It’s also the only venue in Beijing given the David Hasselhoff seal of approval. Which is my favorite location? The first will always be my favorite.

After having won the Beijinger’s Burger Cup four times, can you tell us what you think are the essentials of a perfect burger?
Balance and simplicity. Lots of people want to focus on just the burger, but for me, it’s about providing the same level of focus for each component – condiments, cheese, and burgers that matter.

What’s your favorite style of beer? Has it changed over the years?
My taste in beer has definitely changed over the years. That said, I like drinking beer. Lots and lots of beer. Craft beer used to largely focus on pales, porters, and ambers. They got me in the door but when IPAs came around, they stole the show. I love IPAs but I find myself drinking them less. I’ve long since moved away from the West Coast palate-destroying hop bombs of 2015. I like sours, but how many can one drink in one session? Same with imperial anything. It’s tough to put down five and still function. Hanging with friends drinking beer over a long dinner is my favorite Beijing pastime so I’ve gravitated to lower ABV beers like crisp pils or helles.

What do you consider the most underappreciated quality of beer?
As the saying goes, the best beer is the one in front of you. Across styles, I think the most underrated quality of a beer is balance. Making a bitter motherfucker of an IPA bomb was never that interesting. All in all, I think drinkers should stop slagging on lagers because they aren’t ales and give helles lagers more of a shot.

What is the bestselling beer at Slow Boat? Are people’s favorite at the taprooms different from online channels?
There are slight sales variations between our different locations, but Monkey’s Fist IPA remains the overall top seller. From there, Stone Boat Pils, Moon Jelly Clear NEIPA, and Thunderhands Wit round out the top four. At our taprooms, there are upwards of 20 different beers on tap so competition between each is more fierce than the four bottles we have online.

Finally, do you have a golden rule for drinking?
My golden rule has nothing to do with practicing restraint or temperance. I’m not going to tell you to drink a glass of water for every beer consumed or eat aspirin before bed. If you like drinking beer then you’ve probably got your own system. My golden rule to drinking is if your friend buys the first round, you buy the second. Continue the back-and-forth from there. That and buying someone a drink is 10x better than a handshake.

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Images courtesy of Slow Boat