written in front
The reason for writing this article is quite interesting, and it can be used as the beginning of this article. The reason why I want to write this article is because some time ago, I came across this article written by a friend @ Konstantine who I have followed for a long time on a few pies: City Favorites | Beijing Craft Beer Incomplete Appreciation Guide . At that time, I thought, since I always like to have a drink on weekends, why not write a guide to Beijing cocktails (I prefer cocktails). In addition, I usually collect and check in a lot of cocktail bars, so I immediately started to put them into practice.
As Beijing is an international metropolis, I found that there are too many cocktail bars to count, and I don’t have enough time and drink capacity to drink them all (mainly because I don’t have so much money to drink). So I limited the scope to the area of the Drum Tower, which is actually the area where I often drink. In addition, I experienced two consecutive bans in November, which caused the drinking plan to be interrupted all the time. I looked at my check-in record in Notion, and I slapped my head. I will write an incomplete guide. The rest of the bars will be written another day to drink.
Some common sense knowledge of cocktails
Before writing the guide, I would like to briefly introduce some common sense of cocktails. Of course, drinkers who drink a lot don’t need to say, if you drink less, I hope that this article can take you into the world of cocktails.
what is a cocktail
The most easy-to-understand explanation I’ve seen is from the Penguin Guide to Eat and Drink: Cocktails are a group of alcoholics, a good thing that makes not-so-drinkable spirits delicious!
As for how to make it taste better, I will not introduce the six major bartending formulas. Those who are interested can read the book “Cocktail Codex” by themselves. Then I still want to quote the answer given by the Penguin Guide to Eat and Drink: Simply put, the essence of a cocktail is a mixed drink of a glass of wine + seasoning + sweetness + water/ice.
Like most people, I was an “ordinary drinker” who went to the bar to look at the wine list and order wine casually by looking at the name. After realizing that I like to drink, I began to take the initiative to learn some knowledge about cocktails, such as what are the base alcohols, the classification of whiskey, etc. Then I checked some bartending tutorials on the Internet, and made drinks at home by myself. During the period, I went to the bar to drink, and gradually changed to chatting with the bartender to order wine that suits my taste.
The location of the cocktail bar
In this article of the Penguin Guide to Eating and Drinking, cocktail bars are roughly divided into classic bars, pioneer bars, and improved bars.
- Classic Bar: As the name suggests, follow classic cocktail recipes to make some classic drinks
- Pioneer Bar: The wine list will have some ingredients that are not easy to think of, and have their own creativity
- Improved Bars: Between Classic and Pioneering Bars
In fact, I don’t care much about the positioning of the bar when I drink. If you only drink classics, you only drink classics, and if you have special tunes, you drink special tunes.
base wine
Let’s talk about base wines in detail. In fact, writing an article alone may not be able to finish it. The focus of this article is still a guide, so I will briefly talk about a few base wines commonly used in cocktails.
Whiskey Whiskey / Whiskey
Distilled alcoholic beverages made from fermented grains. It is characterized by deep richness and a sense of hierarchy.
Gin
A base of neutral spirits produced by fermenting and distilling grains. Characterized by the characteristic juniper berry aroma.
Rum Rum
Liquor made by fermentation and distillation of sugar cane by-products such as molasses or sugar cane juice.
Brandy
Distilled spirits based on fruit or vegetable juices.
Vodka
Distilled spirits made from water and ethanol. It is characterized by being colorless and odorless, and it is very suitable for drinking at home. This is how “vodka with everything” comes from. But be careful not to drink Fragmentation, the only time I drink Fragmentation is when I mix vodka with soda water at home, and finish two 750ml bottles of vodka with my roommate.
Tequila Tequila
An alcoholic drink made from the bulb of the agave plant. Usually drink Shot.
how to order wine
Knowing the essence of cocktails and the classification of bars, how to order drinks in a cocktail bar is also a science. Usually I will read the wine list in detail, and then choose the wine I may like according to the base wine and seasoning selected on the wine list.
Specifically, how to order your own wine:
- First determine the base wine you want to drink: choose whiskey if you want a layered effect, and choose gin if you want a refreshing drink
- What flavor do you want: floral fruity, herbal, spiced, smoky
- Taste: Sour, Sweet, Bitter
An Incomplete Guide to the Drum Tower Bar
FUNS
Address: DAO Coffee Daydream, No. 69, Dongsi North Street, Dongcheng District, Beijing (next to Fat Girl Noodle Shop)
That’s right, selling coffee during the day and alcohol at night.
Personal Rating: 
It’s the best bar I’ve ever had in Gulou and the bar I’ve been to the most. Average ¥88/cup.
Store environment
The store has a large space, and occasionally there will be DJ playing activities.
personal favorite wine
Their house wine is really basically not thunderous. When I went there last time, I went through the wine list no less than three times, but I still didn’t know what to order (because I had already drank it), and finally told the bartender about the taste I wanted, and let the bartender freely up. But I still have a few favorite glasses of wine that I would like to drink often.
Shenxian Gujiuli
The base wine is peat-flavored whiskey, which is very layered. It will have a strong taste of whiskey and ginger when you first drink it. It is not recommended to try it for the first time. People who are used to drinking whiskey should like it very much.
i want to break your heart
Not on the wine list, it’s a hidden wine list. The name comes from a song by Dawenxi Band. The base wine is gin, and ginger is also added. The taste of gin is very strong. I like this glass. I usually only order him in the second or third cup. The degree is a little higher, and it must be higher than Gin&Tonic. (The photo of this glass of wine is blurred, so I won’t post it)
Caterpillar
Address: No. 140-10, Jiaodaokou South Street, Dongcheng District, Beijing (If you search the map, it is recommended to search for Caterpillar Restaurant)
Personal Rating:
Although I only went to drink once, it was enough to get five stars. Average ¥70/cup.
Store environment
The old store is in the alley, and the new store has moved to Jiaodaokou South Street. The door of the new store is very hidden, anyway, I was the one who led the way to find the door. It is more accurate to say that this is a restaurant rather than a bar, because my friends and I drank until after ten o’clock and we were the only table left, and everyone left after eating and drinking (maybe related to weekdays). This shop serves western food, and the grilled corn husks are delicious.
personal favorite wine
There is a full English wine list, and there are many wines on the wine list, including cocktails with brandy and rum as the base alcohol, which are rarely seen at ordinary times, but there are many in this bar.
Viva Villa
The base wine is tequila, which has a smoky taste that I just liked recently, and it is delicious. (I looked through the photo album and couldn’t find it. It should be because the photos were not good and I deleted them. I’ll make up for them next time.)
Arch
Address: Duan Qirui Executive Government Courtyard, No. 3 Zhangzizhong Road, Dongcheng District, Beijing
PS When you get to the gate, you need to call the waiter in the bar to come out and pick it up before you can enter.
Personal Rating:
Only went once and only had one drink, this rating is not enough for reference. I can only say that the only time I didn’t meet my expectations was probably because I had heard too many praises from my friends and online friends about this bar, which resulted in too high expectations. Wine is on the expensive side, with an average price of ¥120 per glass.
Store environment
The iconic circular arch is exactly the Chinese meaning of Arch. In summer, you can sit outside. I went in October and it was already a bit chilly, so I chose to sit indoors.
During the time I went, it was found that the waiter delivered the wrong wine several times.
personal favorite wine
Duanfu 1984
It is the signature of the store. The base wine is gin, and the method is similar to whiskey sour, with lemon juice and egg white added. But I can clearly smell the fishy smell of eggs in this glass of wine, and I feel that it is not adjusted properly. This is one of the reasons I only gave it four stars.
FANG LANG
Address: No. 33 Zhangzizhong Road, Dongcheng District, Beijing (Northeast corner of Kuanjie intersection)
Personal Rating:
Store environment
The decoration environment in industrial cement style is very distinctive. The slogan “Shaker Pot Helps the World” is very interesting. There are several decorative paintings on the wall, which feels like an art exhibition. In addition, this store is the same owner as FUNS.
personal favorite wine
I only went to drink once, and I drank schisandra and queer. The schisandra surprised me, but the queer felt normal.
Schisandra
The entrance is very similar to whiskey sour, but the taste is richer, and rice wine and dark rum are added. This cup is so good, I can’t bear to drink it all at once.
Libertango
Address: No. 12, Fangjia Hutong, Dongcheng District, Beijing
Personal Rating:
This store has also been recommended by several friends.
Store environment
The interior decoration of the store is relatively retro, and you can go to the roof on the second floor to experience the roof tiles on the hutong.
personal favorite wine
I went to drink it twice on the same day. I thought it was a small sweet water, but the first cup made me slightly drunk. I underestimated their strength and deserved four stars.
Leviathan
In my impression, the base wine should be smoky whiskey, which is a bit strong but not very sour. The bartender sister said that it is already the two most sour wines in the store. I probably drank too much sour.
my name is red
This one is not as strong as Leviathan, but it’s okay.
blind spot
Address: No. 16, Gulou East Street, Dongcheng District, Beijing
The old store in Beiluoguxiang has closed, and the new store has moved to Gulou East Street.
Personal Rating:
In fact, strictly speaking, this is not a cocktail bar, but a space for making cocktails.
Store environment
I prefer the decoration style of the old store, but it is better to post a photo of the new store, or the familiar calligraphy wine list.
personal favorite wine
I have been to the old store too many times, and I have tried almost all the wines on the wine list. Only recommend the whiskey sour cocktail.
whiskey sour
It’s the best whiskey sour I’ve ever had, provided it’s tuned by Tu Junnan. Added egg white, it is not fishy at all, and it is actually ordinary Kim Beam bourbon whiskey, but it is very delicious. (The photo was taken in the old store. The whiskey sour in the new store is not as good as the one in the old store, so it depends on the bartender)
Other Bars
In fact, there are still many bars in Gulou, such as Ji·Tavern, which I have always wanted to go to but have no chance. In addition to the bars personally recommended above, there are actually some shops where the drinks are average but you will go with friends, such as Fuji Tavern. Of course, Beijing is not only limited to the Gulou District, I also have a collection of bars in the Chaoyang District. When I have the opportunity, I will invite a friend or two, or go to have a good drink by myself.
Attach a screenshot of your own shop guide database:
write on the back
You may think that I am an alcoholic when you see this, but I am not. I don’t drink often. I drink mainly because I like to be slightly drunk, so that I can relax and stop thinking for a while. Good wine can make me feel happy and satisfied, because “wine is the smallest playground in the world”. Hope you and I both find our own glass of wine.
This article is transferred from: https://sspai.com/post/77336
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