Baijiu Dedicated Bar Capital Spirits Closes Down, Aims to Open New Digs By Summer

Bad news for baijiu buffs and anyone who likes a challenge when it comes to finding their next drink in the hutongs: Capital Spirits Bar and Distillery has suddenly shut down, at least for now. 

Managing partner David Putney announced the shock shuttering to members of the Xinsi Hutong bar's WeChat group on Sunday evening (Apr 7), writing: “After a spectacular five years, we at Capital Spirits are saddened to announce that we have closed our doors,” before ending on a much more upbeat note: “We hope to have our new location up and running this summer and welcoming you all with a stiff glass of baijiu!”

When contacted by the Beijinger, Putney declined to elaborate both on where that new location might be, and the reason behind the snap closure. Fans will no doubt miss the current iteration, what with its intimate vibe, soft lighting, and tucked away location in an unmarked courtyard. Charming as that atmosphere was, what truly kept customers coming back was Putney and co’s passion for baijiu, making creative cocktails with the notoriously potent Chinese spirit, not to mention stocking the shelves with major brands from across China and – above all – serving it in flights that prompted one reviewer on our site to say: “This was the first time we found it organized in a way we could determine what type best suited our pallet.”

That novel approach helped win over droves of foreigners who had long dismissed baijiu as unpalatable on account of its strong flavor, aroma, and sky-high ABV, along with the even more intense businessman bingeing culture that usually goes with it. In fact, Capital Spirits was such a hit when co-founders Matthias Heger, Simon Dang and Bill Isler (who has since headed back to the US; Putney was the first manager) initially set up shop at Daju Hutong in 2014 that they opened a second venture, The Distillery by Capital Spirits at Xinsi Hutong within a year, where they made craft spirits like vodka, gin, and rum.

Both locations merged at a courtyard in Xinsi Hutong a few doors down from The Distillery’s original location in 2017, meaning this week’s closure isn’t the first shakeup that the Capital Spirits crew has contended with. Such tenacity, along with their inventive approach to baijiu, will surely mean that the fans they’ve amassed will likely follow them to whatever new location they settle upon this summer. That being said, we're left to pour one out for one of best remaining bars to operate in Beijing's alleyways, and we'll wait with anticipation to see if the team find a new home in the vicinity or depart for more stable lodgings out of the hutongs.

READ: The Tenacious Beijing Venues That Survived and Reopened After the Brickening

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Email: kylemullin@truerun.com
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Photo: Atlas