What’s Up in Beer: Paddy’s Day Deals Galore and New Brews

The seasons are changing and our seasonal affective disorder is lifting, meaning that with the help of epic eye-rolls, a little more sunshine, and the promise of new seasonal brews, it's gradually getting easier to get out of bed in the morning. Another reason to get out of bed (and then most likely spend most of Sunday back in it) is St. Patrick’s Day, which this year falls on Saturday. Shorthand for what is basically beer's birthday, this year's celebrations do not disappoint in terms of what will be on offer. Let's get to it (if it's St. Paddy's parties you're after, check here).

Their fourth Beijing Invitational Beer Festival (Mar 23-25) may still be 10 days away but Great Leap Brewing will have a warm-up session in the form of this year's St. Patrick's Day celebrations on Mar 17 at all three of their locations. For RMB 100, you'll receive coupons for any four of their dark brews, including Negrito Generalissimo India Black Ale, Wall Builder Imperial Stout, Liu the Brave Stout Nitro, and Liu the Brave Chai Masala Stout.

READ: A Drink With Great Leap’s Carl Setzer Ahead of
Beijing Invitational Craft Beer Festival, Mar 23-25

Of course, you can't even whisper St. Patrick’s Day without thinking of the home of all things Irish, Paddy O'Shea's. Rounding off their week-long celebrations, they'll have live Irish music tonight (Mar 15) from 9pm onwards and then a blow-out party for the big day on Saturday, including a night of deals, banter, and a crowd that'll most likely spill out onto the street (it always does). Sunday is a designated hangover day with special drinks deals and replays of this week's sporting action. Check here for more info.

Over at Jing-A, they'll be getting into the green mood with happy hour prices throughout Saturday on their black velvet vanilla stout. They also launch a new brew on tap, the Bière de Guard with 5.5 percent ABV, which is an easy-drinking ale inspired by the rustic spring beer French Bière de Garde, commonly brewed in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region of France. Bière de Garde translates to "beer for keeping," which Jing-A have taken one step further, adding ... "in our case, keeping the neighborhood safe!” Twelve months of cold-conditioning have allowed its spicy and fruity malt character to rise to the occasion, and every sip is rounded with hoppy bitterness, and a finish that's “cleaner than the remodeled Sanlitun Dirty Bar Street.”

Green to its core, NBeer has launched a green beer Matcha Money Green Beer with 4.8 percent ABV. A wheat beer infused with imported matcha and German woodruff, this brew, according to NBeer, will give the luck of the Irish. Available at all locations.

East Hotel's craft beer bar The Craft Container dusts off its shelves this Saturday, reopening to the public just in time to celebrate St. Patrick's Day after a long winter hibernation. On tap, they have Jing-A, NBeer, and Slow Boat and there'll also be live music, dances, snacks, and special green beers. Show up in your best green outfit and get silly from 5pm onwards.

You could also check Great Friend Outdoors, wearing clothes in green will get you some Guinness battered fries for free, and RMB 50 will get you two Irish “bombs” on Mar 17.

Slow Boat plays it dangerous this weekend, releasing a potent 13.6 percent ABV brew in the form of their HMS Quad Loko. This Belgian Quadrupel is brewed with Belgian yeast, aged for three months on bourbon-soaked American oak cubes, and infused with cold brew coffee. They’ll also have all-day drink deals on Saturday but since the pirates are protective of their bounty, you’ll have to show up to find it out what exactly they have in store.

Over at The Local, they'll have deals on Irish goodies throughout the weekend and prizes for those who enter the bar wearing green from 8pm onwards on Saturday (think green mustaches, green bead necklaces, etc.). If you're lucky enough to find one of the 10 pots of gold hidden around the venue, you'll also receive a complimentary green beer (otherwise RMB 25).

If you're a fan of sour beer lover, head to Transmountian at Zuojiazhuang for their new selections on draft, including Prairie’s Fourth Anniversary Sour, Logsdon’s Seizoen Bretta, and Verhaeghe’s Duchesse de Bourgogne. They also have Jiutouniao IPA from No.18, Founder’s DKML, Omnipollo;s Noa Pecan Mud Cake Stout, and Black Market’s New England Double IPA.

Finally, Arrow Factory has launched new lunch deals at their Liangmahe location, including their already popular bacon cheeseburger, Reuben, falafel pitta, Mexican power bowl, pulled pork, salmon gravlax, and sausage meal all for between RMB 50-60. Add an extra RMB 10-15 for coffee/tea or soft drink, or RMB 25 for a pint of any Arrow Factory beer. Available from Tue-Fri, 11.30-2.30pm at their Liangmahe location.

And with that, we look forward to seeing you slightly haggard selves on the other side. Cheers and have a merry St. Paddy's, Beijing!

More stories by this author here.

Email: tracywang@thebeijinger.com
Twitter: @flyingfigure
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Photos courtesy of venues, Tracy Wang, brit.co