Badr Benjelloun Bids Adieu to Gulu Bazz With "Drink the Bar Empty" Farewell, Sep 25-26

Though it showed admirable staying power throughout the onslaught of hutong closures this year, Badr Benjelloun's Gulu Bazz bar is about to follow suit with its own final "Drink the Bar Empty" parties on September 25-26, during which everything will be 50 percent off.

Benjelloun tells the Beijinger that the Xiguan Hutong venue's "contract is up, [the] F&B license won't be renewed, so no point in staying. I'd rather exit gracefully." To mark the occasion, he's bringing back the venue's old (and long beloved) Cuju moniker, along with hosting old staff members for guest shifts behind the bar.

A string of special drink discounts will be available from now until the closure, and guest bartenders will also be on hand, such as Eric Liu of Mao Mao Chong and Douglas Williams of BBC (a fellow victim of the sweeping shutdown of streetside businesses in 2017).

Benjelloun first swung open the doors at the Xiguan Hutong haunt five years ago for throngs of sports fans under the moniker Cuju. It quickly earned a strong reputation for playing must-see games from around the world at all hours on its TV screens. That popularity was furthered by Cuju's assortment of rum and dishes like chicken tajine and shakshouka that Benjelloun grew up eating in Morocco. In the early weeks of 2017, he revamped the bar as Gulu Bazz, focusing on vermouth at the bar and classic films on the TVs, for a more laid-back, early-hours vibe. He also used the space as an F&B incubation destination, hosting residencies by guests like Baozza as of late.

Gulu Bazz's closure is the latest in the death-by-a-thousand-cuts approach employed by municipal planners. And while alleyway barflies bemoaned the recent brick-laying slayings of Más, Cellar Door, Slow Boat, and other Dongcheng bars, Benjelloun's place appeared poised to be one of the neighborhood's few survivors. The sudden announcement of its shuttering won't be easy to swallow for those pining for a more plentiful era of hutong watering holes. But these blowout goodbye nights at Bazz throughout much of the rest of this month, along with the guest bartender nights, will at least give fans enough time to raise a glass and get some closure.

And, of course, more consolation also comes courtesy of Caravan, Benjelloun's restaurant, bar and event space, where Moroccan grub and plenty of booze will be on hand long after the dust literally settles on yet another gone-too-soon hutong mainstay.

Check out the bar's official farewell announcement here.

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Email: kylemullin@thebeijinger.com
Twitter: @MulKyle

Photos: Ken, Kyle Mullin