Lan Gui Fang Cocktail Bar Takes on Sanlitun Bar Street
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Who in their right mind would go partying on Sanlitun Bar Street?
Thoroughly
pickled long-term expats, who actually enjoy the stripper poles and
karaoke at those bars? Newbies unaware of the overcharging, scheming
ways of the venue owners? Or one notoriously fearless lifestyle blogger
on a gonzo-inspired bender (read via the QR code below)? Well, all that
sleaze might become a thing of the past if Zhang Yingsong – who dutifully goes by the nickname "Gin" in English – has anything to say about it. That's because he's opened a fancy new cocktail bar called Lan Gui Fang, right next to dives like Swing and Side by Side Bar No. 56.
The decor here stands in stark contrast to other bars on this strip
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From
the outset, Lan Gui Fang looks less like an average shady Sanlitun Bar
Street joint and more akin to Chunxiu Lu’s Inception, employing
similarly dark and varnished wood, knotty retro furniture, and a velvety
curtained stage. Owner Gin also bucks the Sanlitun Bar Street
conventions of overpriced corporate brews and fake alcohol (yeah, we
said it) with a swanky leather-bound booklet lined with specialty
cocktails and a number of fine Highland, Lowland, Speyside, and Islay
whiskies.
The bartenders at Lan Gui Fang are friendly and can shake up a number of Chinese-inclined cocktails
While
these flourishes will surprise anyone who has had the misfortune of
ambling up Sanlitun Bar Street late at night and contended with its
unsavory sensory overload, those familiar with Gin’s prior venture will
be far less shocked. After all, the businessman and barkeep has been
quietly plying his trade for years at his Dongzhimen Gin House lounge.
READ: Dongzhimen's Gin House Offers Personalized Cocktails to Local Regulars
That
spot has developed a small but devoted following thanks to its fine
range of spirits and Gin’s deft mixing of off-menu cocktails
personalized to each patron’s palate. At his new Sanlitun Bar Street
venue, he branches out with a sturdier list of specialty cocktails (all
the ones we try are RMB 90). Of those, be sure to try the Molimatianni, a
delightfully earthy mix made with jasmine tea-infused gin, pineapple,
and lemon juices, along with jasmine syrup.
Be sure to try the Molimatianni
Another
must-try cocktail with Chinese characteristics is the Hawthorn Acid
cocktail, featuring whiskey, hawthorn liqueur, and lemon juice for a
sweet-yet-tart combination. We also enjoyed the Enthusiasm Cuba, a
gobsmackingly good sour cocktail made with white rum, pineapple, passion
fruit, lemon juice, sugar syrup, and orange juice.
The RMB 90 Molimatianni is a delightfully earthy tea incorporating cocktail
The
drink list is rounded out with a solid range of Scotch whiskies like
12-year-old Glendronach (RMB 80 per glass), 18-year-old Bowmore (RMB 120
per glass), and 12-year-old Macallan (RMB 90 per glass).
Hopefully a few classy singers take to Lan Gui Fang's pretty stage
By
showing up his neighbors with legitimate drinks and classy decor, Gin
leaves us with just one question: will he continue to up the ante with
Lan Gui Fang’s velvety curtained stage? While there's no news yet on
whether elegant jazz singers will soon make an appearance and counter
the nearby pole dancers and karaoke singers “entertaining” the crowds,
we so far applaud Gin's efforts to class up one of Beijing’s most
notoriously uncouth strips with this snazzy new lounge.
Lan Gui Fang
Daily 7pm-late
66 Sanlitun North Street, Chaoyang District
朝阳区三里屯北街66号
READ: Le Moments Looks to Recapture Tiki Bungalow's Tropical Glory in Sanlitun
Photos: Uni You
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