4 Best New Beijing Bars of 2016

Like reading bar reviews in That's Beijing? We realize there are a lot of them. So to help you keep track, here's a list of the ones from 2016 we liked the best.

Arrow Factory's New Taproom

Summer in Beijing’s food-and-drink scene revolves around two things. The first is beer. The second is brunch. Arrow Factory’s New Taproom on the Liangma River marries the two. This second location has the same brews as its first one, which, yes, is still operating out of its delightfully painted wooden shack in Gulou. The new taproom matches the first’s smarts for interior design. It is industrial-chic with personality. That means exposed faux-distressed walls, yes, but also swaths of patterned tiles on the floor.

Read our full review here. See a listing for Arrow Factory. 

Peiping Machine Brewing

Peiping makes its own brews – a sweet wheat beer is our favorite – but perhaps more importantly, it serves craft varieties from breweries around the country. There’s Slow Boat, of course, and soon Jing-A, but also brands from outside Beijing – ones you may recognize from beer festivals but that you’ve never seen on a menu before. 

Read our full review here. See a listing for Peiping Machine Brewing. 

La Social

First and foremost, La Social is a drinking establishment. Those familiar with South American booze might expect to see pisco, but there’s currently only one pisco drink on the menu (the Machu-Pichu Sour, RMB60). We’re OK with that. Because while La Social nails the classics, its drink menu primarily serves to innovate. The Totuma Mojito (RMB88) is not just a mojito – the drink is served in a hollowed-out coconut, and a passionfruit floats on top, next to a spoon. The El Viejo Fashion (RMB68), meanwhile, is an old fashioned with a base of Havana 7 rum instead of whisky. 

Read our full review here. See a listing for La Social. 

Botany 

Botany is helmed by Frankie Zou, a master mixologist previously of fine-dining heavyweights TRB and Maison Boulud. Let us repeat that: TRB and Maison Boulud. The hype surrounding this man was huge. Our expectations were even huger. So how did Botany live up to them? Well. Botany’s Tokyo Bay (RMB85) is worth canceling all your plans for. The Japanese green tea-based drink is one of the best cocktails we’ve had this year. And it’s the best tea cocktail we’ve had, period. 

Read our full review here. See a listing for Botany. 

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