Booze News: Glou Now in CBD, GLB 10th Anniversary, Jing-A's 8x8
advertisement
Thirsty? Wet your whistle with Booze News, our wrap-up of the week's best bar deals, parties, drink concoctions, industry gossip, and more.
New CBD bar Glou now in soft opening
Well, don't those CBDers have all the luck as of late? Hot on the heels of Jing-A's new launch, the area has been graced with another bar opening, Glou, from the team behind the subscription beer delivery service Drinking Buddies. That bodes well for beer fans looking to try hard-to-find international brews as well as lesser-known local numbers given that they've been curating such packages now for several years.
If you visit (Tuesday-Sunday, 4pm-midnight) expect operations to be dialed back while the bar finds its feet. Nevertheless, that's unlikely to put a damper on one of the most exciting new brew selections to grace Beijing in a while.
Glou can be found at 101B, Bldg 1, Central Park. Watch this space for a full review soon.Great Leap Brewing, Beijing's first true craft brewery, celebrates its 10th anniversary this week, including what will likely be a very special edition of their annual Karl Long Challenge (more on that in a mo). In a WeChat post, the team reminisced about the brewery's humble beginnings, specifically when they opened their #6 location on a chilly evening in the autumn of 2010 to close friends and people in the know (pictured above). Since then, the husband-wife duo behind the brewery, Carl Setzer and Liu Fang, have gone on to make one of the most successful breweries in China – beloved by many for their beer as much as their burgers – and helped pave the way for many of the breweries that followed.
This Saturday, Oct 17, go celebrate GLB's success with the 2020 Karl Long Challenge. If you're unacquainted with the challenge, it basically goes like this: head to any of Great Leap's four breweries, buy a Karl Long Challenge card for RMB 300, set off on your adventure of drinking 15 GLB beers throughout the day (at least one at each location), and upon completion, rip your shirt off, "proclaim your dominance over the challenge," and take a picture with the location manager. In return, you'll receive a limited-edition Great Leap Brewing tenth anniversary T-shirt. Ladies, in lieu of ripping your shirt off, you can opt to pose with your newly earned tenth anniversary t-shirt instead. More on the challenge here.
advertisement
If that wasn't enough beer drinking for you, Jing-A will also hold its annual 8x8 festival this weekend, Oct 16-17, at Yushe entertainment Space in Langyuan Vintage (just east of Guomao). As well as the eight completely new collab beers between 16 domestic breweries (for which the festival is named), there'll be over 130 beers available from each of the attending brands.
Individual RMB 150 tickets get you into one of the four three-hour sessions over the two days or go hard with either an RMB 550 for entry into all four sessions or an RMB 650 ticket for the same plus a special VIP session to kick things off. All tickets come with your very own 8x8 sampling glass that you can take home as a memento. Find everything you need to know here.
Big Bang Beijing Beer Festival in Sanlitun
Apparently, this is the official weekend of beer, with yet another beer festival, this one in Sanlitun Soho on Oct 16-18, 2-9pm. Simply titled Beijing Beer Festival, there'll be 25 international vendors on hand as well as DJs, giveaways, and food from local vendors. Entry into the festival is free, you just need to turn up and pay for what you drink. Get the full details here.
Behind the Bar at La Social
Finally, cocktail lovers, there's something for you too. Head to La Social this Thursday between 9pm and midnight for an exclusive menu prepared by Clement Rol of De Refter. Rol, who along with his two business partners helped renovate the Belgian Courtyard 4 beer bar in 2018, has made his name in Beijing's F&B scene thanks to a deft hand pouring pints and in the kitchen. As such, we wouldn't be surprised if we see some gustatorial elements enter his cocktail making, as well as, ahem, perhaps a splash or two of beer. As always, head over early for happy hour between 6.30-8.30pm.
READ: EAT: NUO Buffet is Back, Oktoberfest at Paulaner Brauhaus, The Chef and The Brewer at Superfly
Images courtesy of the venues, Uni You
advertisement
Beijingers Are Buzzing About