Chinese Brewpub Regain Element Opens on Wudaoying

Wudaoying is no stranger to bars, restaurants, and cafés looking to solidify their spot as the new in thing among the city's hipsters that frequent the quaint hutong. Regain Element, the newest of the area's businesses, is positioned on the east side of Wudaoying, turning left at the beautifully renovated Vietnamese restaurant Wan, and heading south until you see the two-story brewpub painted in white, with several tables outside, and a line of empty kegs sitting along the wall.

The venue is neat and carefully designed; there are about six leather stools on the first floor sat around the clean-cut wooden bar, as well as three fermenting tanks looming behind the bar. Nine taps distribute pints costing between RMB 35-60. During our visit Regain only stocked one of their own beers on tap – Midnight IPA – the rest of them are guest beers that should satisfy the palates of all beer lovers: Hefeweizen and Vanilla Coffee Stout from NBeer, Monkey’s Fist IPA from Slow Boat, Ghost IPA from Harvest for the local craft beer lovers; Goose Island's Honkers, Boulevard's Tank 7, Rogue's Double Chocolate Stout for the imported beer drinkers; and Liefmans' Fruitesse for something, well, fruitier.

A flight of five beers (RMB 80)

After so many sub-par sud-soaked adventures recently, I'm happy to report that I've found a new brewpub where I can finally sit down and relax. In celebration I ordered a flight of five, curiously served in what look like laboratory specimen bottles. At RMB 80 the flight's not quite a rip-off, but definitely not the best deal in town.

The Midnight IPA (6.4 percent ABV) is a good all-around beer and not overly hoppy. If you want to skip the flight and odd glasses, order a regular pint which is served in a nice tulip glass instead.

Simple food is also provided, the menu is composed of two salads, two soups (RMB 40-60), burgers (RMB 50), sausages (RMB 65), and french fries (RMB 40). If you’d like to go large, they also offer racks of barbecued ribs (various sizes priced at RMB 80/155/295).

Second floor

The upstairs dining area holds various sized tables for groups of four and it sounds weird to say but given our recent run-ins with terrible and obtrusive music we can happily say that the music here is well-curated, with no lousy disco or pop in earshot.

Without more of their own brews on tap, Regain Element has not yet come into full bloom and its atmosphere and strong guest brews are certainly its saving grace so far. That being said, we're excited to see how things develop and it wouldn't hurt to stop by to check in for a beer before heading to somewhere a little more established like the nearby Arrow Factory.

Regain Element
Daily 2pm-late. East Gate of 10 Wudaoying Hutong, Dongcheng District (next to Wan) (186 1141 1109)
原素精酿：东城区五道营胡同10号院东侧口内(菀-越南粉)

Photos: Dianping, Tracy Wang

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