What’s Up in Beer: GLB Goes to Tianjin, Shuangjing Beer and Barbecue Bash, Labor Day Weekend Deals

Beijing has been treating us well this week but it's also the season for farewells. No matter how you're feeling now that the seasons have changed, take solace in the fact that "There's no lemon so sour that you can't make something resembling lemonade," as Dr. Katowsky would say in This is Us. Well, sour beer in our case.

First up, Beersmith released a new co-brew earlier this week dubbed Brews Brothers, an ode to the brewing partners of Eric White, brewmaster at Shangri-La Midtown Hangzhou’s Midtown Brewery, and our old friend Tom Ashton, brewmaster at Beersmith. Inspired by the summer notes of a good ol' fashioned piña colada, this light ale has been brewed with coconut and Mosaic hops giving it a pineapple and tropical fruit finish. Certainly an easy sipper for the upcoming summer days and nights.

Great Leap Brewing has launched three new collabs: the Dixie Mission II (6.8 percent ABV ), the brewery's second collaboration with Pipeworks Brewing from Chicago since 2014, making for a robust and drinkable porter brewed with Chinese hawthorn fruit; the Mannenliefde (6.5 percent ABV ), another secondary collaboration with Oedipus from Amsterdam (their first collab was the Honey Ma Black in 2017), a fruity saison brewed with lemongrass and Sichuan peppercorns; and Pianos Filled With Flames, GLB's fifth collaboration with Danish microbrewery Warpigs, a beer that takes specific inspiration from Philadelphia's Fishtown district's Little Babies Ice Cream Parlor’s Earl Grey Sriracha. This one of a kind beer was made using a hefty amount of all of the above and weighs in at 6.4 percent ABV.

Lastly, Great Leap is currently in the process of building a huge production brewery in Tianjin with a maximum annual capacity of 500,000 hectoliters, with a focus on working with their international peers (think Moon Dog, Young Master, Baird Beer, Lervig, Pasteur Street, and more) to create an “Allied Series.” Stay tuned for more information as we get it.

Over in Shuangjing, Plan B is organizing a Beer Barbecue Bash this Saturday (Apr 28, midday-6pm) at Shuangjing’s 22 Art Street (North Pingod) in order to kick off the summer. There will be beers from Jing-A, NBeer Pub, Boulevard, Firestone, Vedett, Shangrila, and Kentucky, as well as ciders from beloved Orchard Pig and Ping Dynasty. You'll also be able to fill your stomach with barbecued lamb, beef, pork ribs, burgers, hot dogs, and sides, and of course couple it with lots and lots of fun.

For something a little more sophisticated this weekend, a lecture about Bach and classical music's relationship with craft beer will be held at Peiping Machine's Gongti Location at 5-5.30pm on Apr 29. RMB 200 gets you a schooling, four pints of beer (Machine Pilsner, Factory Dark Lager, Peiping Wheat Beer, and Dragon Well Spring Tea Wheat, a new spiced wheat beer brewed with longjing tea), as well as snacks. Reserve your seat here.

NBeer Pub has launched some guest beers on tap from Wild West, Chengdu: a wheat beer called China White Belgian (5.2 percent ABV) brewed with green Sichuan peppercorns and coriander, making for a light and refreshing brew. There's also a Moral Crisis XPA, which is an American Pale Ale also brewed using lighter malt, Mosaic and Loral hops, providing it with herbal and piney flavors and 5.4 percent ABV.

Jing-A launches their annual Worker’s Pale Ale deal (RMB 35) to celebrate Labor Day from Apr 29-May 1 at various venues across town, including Super Boom Burger, Burst Bloom, Craft Secret, Punk Rock Noodles, and At Café. The same deal is only available on May 1 at the Jing-A Xingfucun Brewpub.

Ok, it may not be this weekend, but Arrow Factory Liangma River is turning two on Saturday, May 5, and are getting the word out early. The party starts at 4pm on the venue's rooftop with deals on their Easy Ale (RMB 20), Blonde on Blonde Belgian Ale (RMB 25), Guanxi Pale Ale (RMB 30), and Seeing Double IPA (RMB 40). DJs Jay 1,2, and Arrowsmith will be on the turntables, and there'll be a chance to win free beer and a one-year Arrrowhead membership.

And with that, the May holiday is just around the corner. Have a good one, beer-lovers!

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Email: tracywang@thebeijinger.com
Twitter: @flyingfigure
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Photos courtesy of venues