Seven Beijing Bars Recognized at DRiNK North Regional Awards

Back in the capital after a two year hiatus, the North Regional DRiNK Awards saw a big night for bars in Beijing. Hosted by DRiNK Magazine, the awards serve to recognize venues and individuals of the industry in northern China*. The capital used this chance to shine last night (Oct 23), with seven bars and two bartenders being recognized.

The biggest name of the evening was Bar Long Fong, which not only won Best Cocktail Menu but was also named Bar of the Year. The bar, situated adjacent to the Park Plaza Hotel near Wangfujing, is more than deserving of the title, with each cocktail going through extensive tooling and tasting, utilizing fresh and unexpected ingredients in keeping with manager Fan’s motto “A good cocktail must be tasty.”

Other standouts include the Andingmen branch of Non-Binary, which won Best Design, and Rabbit Hole, which was awarded Best New Bar.

The latter, which opened earlier this year nearly across the street from Paddy O’Shea’s on Dongzhimenwai Dajie, is part nightclub, with regular gigs in a minimalist space and a nice menu of drinks to boot.

The former sits hidden up a staircase above beer bar Tiao Hai. Non-Binary isn’t just well designed, but also utilizes some wild equipment situated behind the bar counters to concoct what are, in our opinion, some of the most truly innovative craft cocktails in Beijing.

UNION, the Opposite House’s hotel bar, took home three awards: Best Service, Bar Team of the Year, and the Young Bartender Award for Charles Huang.

Other winners from Beijing include TRiO, Jing-A Taproom CBD, YAN Whisky Bar and Mo Bar at the Mandarin Oriental Wangfujing, who took home Best Wine Bar, Beer Menu, and Whiskey Menu, and Hotel Bar respectively, as well as Alfred Yu of Paper Planes and Non-Binary, who took home the Entrepreneurship Award.

Outside Beijing, Old News of Dalian won Best Restaurant Bar and Zee Wang of Flow Bar & Lab in Shenyang won Bartender of the Year.

With victory for all the above, there’s still more room for further greatness. The winners of the North Regional DRiNK Awards are all in the running to take home national prizes when the DRiNK Awards hit Shanghai in March 2024.

*All awards at this event are designated with North in the original DRiNK announcement, but this designation has been removed for flow.

READ: Imbibe at Distinctive Libations at These Beijing Hotel Bars

Images: Uni You, Vincent R. Vinci, courtesy of Jing-A