Light Up the Night: An Insider's Guide to Beijing's Buzzing Bar Scene

Light Up the Night: An Insider's Guide to Beijing's Buzzing Bar Scene - Sipping on Traditional tipples

When it comes to imbibing in Beijing, pilsners and cocktails often take center stage at the lively nightlife hotspots. However, looking past the draft beers and creative concoctions reveals a world of fascinating liquors steeped in Chinese tradition. Exploring the realm of baijiu and huangjiu provides visitors a potent portal into the country’s rich history and culture.

Baijiu, which directly translates to “white alcohol,” ranks as the most consumed spirit globally. This powerful clear liquor boasts an alcohol content ranging from 35% to 60%. While foreigners may find its intense flavor profile overwhelming at first, locals savor baijiu as an integral element of dining and socializing. The meticulous fermentation and distillation process yields complex notes evocative of the terroir. Connoisseurs distinguish premium baijiu by its aroma, which can impart fruity, floral, spice, honey, or savory impressions.

When tasting baijiu, sip slowly and focus on identifying subtleties in the bouquets. Popular varieties include Moutai, Wuliangye, and Luzhou Laojiao. Seek out higher quality bottles to avoid the harsh burn of low-grade mass-produced baijiu. Also try baijiu-based cocktails, which balance and mellow the spirit. Knowledgeable bartenders artfully blend baijiu with juices, teas, fruits, and herbs to craft refreshing libations.

In contrast, huangjiu delivers a sweeter profile with lower alcohol content. This category encompasses several rice and millet-based wines fermented from grains. Flavorings like ginger, medicinal herbs, flowers, and fruits infuse the wines with enticing notes.ensity. Popular varieties include Shanniang, a bamboo-leaf scented huangjiu, and Nu'er Hong, an aromatic red wine.

Savor huangjiu straight, on the rocks, warm, or mixed into cocktails. The zesty Chrysanthemum Wine mixed with soda water makes a pleasingaperitif. Those with a sweet tooth will relish the decadent combination of mixing huangjiu with milk. While huangjiu makes a soothing daytime drink, save baijiu for energizing nighttime revelry.

Light Up the Night: An Insider's Guide to Beijing's Buzzing Bar Scene - Craft Cocktails with Chinese Character

While China boasts a deep heritage centered around traditional tipples like baijiu and huangjiu, the nation’s cosmopolitan cities also harbor an emerging craft cocktail culture. Visionary mixologists are taking the global stage by storm, wowing imbibers with their cross-cultural concoctions fusing local ingredients and spirits with international techniques and flavors. Those longing to expand beyond standard bar staples need venture no further than Beijing, where inventive elixirs flowing from shakers promise a spirited immersion into the blended essence of Old World tradition and New World innovation.

Trailblazing bartenders like Yao Lu, owner of glitzy watering hole Hope & Sesame, excel at honoring Chinese roots while branching into uncharted territory. His stunning libations spotlight native botanicals, fruits, teas, herbs, spices, and spirits enhanced by contemporary compounds and preparations. Visitors Should not miss Yao Lu’s off-menu masterpiece The Great Wall – an elegant blend of muddled kumquats and osmanthus flowers topped with Baijiu to provide a smooth yet complex medley evoking China’s diverse landscapes.

Meanwhile, mixology maestro Fei Yao helms the bar at TRB Hutong, where he elevates classic Chinese ingredients to new heights in cocktails like the breathtaking Hua Shan. This refreshing highball stars locally foraged goji berries shaken with malted rice wine and housemade lemongrass syrup. For an invigorating twist, try the Iron Buddha with Oolong-infused Irish whiskey or the spicy Red Lantern mixing Pu-erh tea-fat washed bourbon with ginger liqueur.

At hip watering hole Union Bar, Liang Li takes cues from tradition while crafting daringly original tipples. His Jasmine highball blends aged rum with house-made jasmine and vanilla cordial for a smooth yet intricate flavor profile. For more daring imbibers, Liang’s cheekily named Maotai in Space mixes China’s famous sorghum spirit with banana liqueur, umeshu, and lemon – sure to launch your tastebuds into the stratosphere.

Light Up the Night: An Insider's Guide to Beijing's Buzzing Bar Scene - Roof Top Revelry

Light Up the Night: An Insider's Guide to Beijing's Buzzing Bar Scene - Speakeasies Bring the Secretive Allure

Light Up the Night: An Insider's Guide to Beijing's Buzzing Bar Scene - The Hutong Hood Hideaways

Light Up the Night: An Insider's Guide to Beijing's Buzzing Bar Scene - LGBT Nightlife Breaking Boundaries

Light Up the Night: An Insider's Guide to Beijing's Buzzing Bar Scene - Wining and Dining Round the Clock

Light Up the Night: An Insider's Guide to Beijing's Buzzing Bar Scene - Day Drinking Dens Offer Afternoon Delights

For those looking to revel in the capital’s cosmopolitan charms without burning the midnight oil, Beijing’s day drinking dens offer spirited diversions minus the late nights. From hidden hutong havens to sun-drenched rooftop patios, imbibers can soak up the city’s captivating scenery while sipping leisurely libations any time before dusk descends.

Nestled beside the moat encircling the Forbidden City, The Bookworm quenches literary thirsts with an extensive selection of titles in English complemented by crafty cocktails and craft brews. Bibliophiles browse the shelves before settling into stately leather armchairs beside soaring bookshelves or on the cozy canalside patio for an afternoon of reading paired with a perfectly mixed Negroni or Moscow Mule. With regular author events, live music and trivia nights, visitors may find themselves lingering long after happy hour ends.

Those preferring views over volumes adore Atmosphere Bar’s staggering vistas overlooking Beijing from the top of the Financial Street Shangri-La. The sleek 86th floor perch offers breathtaking 360-degree panoramas of the capital’s iconic landmarks. Arrive in time to watch the sunset gilding historic Hutong rooftops in golden hues while nursing an imaginative elixir like the Great Wall 75 with tequila, chili liqueur and prickly pear. Stubborn smog may occasionally obscure the scenery, but inventive libations never fail to delight.

For an al fresco escape from Beijing’s bustling boulevards, Ivy Terrace wins devotees with its plant-festooned courtyard oasis. Tucked down a narrow alleyway in Sanlitun, this hidden gem's Living Walls and soaring bamboo grant an instant sense of serenity. Relax beneath dangling vines or a hand-painted mural while sampling the seasonally inspired menu of refreshing coolers, vivacious wines and craft beers from tiny local breweries. It may prove tempting to linger long after the sun dips below the treetops.

Those seeking a stylish sneak peak of historic Hutong life need look no further than TRB Hutong’s airy rooftop terrace overlooking the old residences surrounding Jiaodaokou. Visitors can survey the charming crenellated rooflines and winding alleyways while daydreaming over TRB’s signature teas blended tableside or the clever Eastern Standard with Baijiu, vermouth and pickled cherry. For an authentic local experience, accompany your afternoon tipple with street eats from the snack vendors lining the surrounding lanes.