If new beer emporium C2H60 has an identity problem, we’ve decided we’re ok with it.
It may be stocked to the wooden rafters with imported bottled beers (literally – there are 700 different brews here) but to those who enter, C2H60 looks for all the world like Beijing’s swankiest cocktail bar.
Located northeast of the Forbidden City (100m south of TRB), the bar’s entrance is conspicuous in its classiness. An oversized black glass door, cut steel logo and white spotlights cast shadows into the scrappy dark hutong to signal you’re in the right place. And even though we called ahead to reserve a seat, we still had to scan a WeChat barcode to get a passcode to enter.
Those who cringe as such pretentions shouldn’t be dissuaded though. Once inside the staff are relaxed, polite, welcoming and the vibe jovial and relaxed. The idea, they say, is to limit numbers to create a better experience.
Designed by respected architect Liang Chen, the bar has been decked out to maximize every last drop drama. An 8-foot high wall of spring green bamboo frames the al fresco courtyard, while once inside, pitch-black walls host movie projections and row upon row of carefully arranged, spot-lit beer bottles for added effect.
Guests are invited to scroll through an easy-to-navigate iPhone menu to find the beer of their dreams, and (with some help) can sort by country or beer type too. Everything from Brooklyn Lager and Goose IPA (USA) to Lindemans Kriek (Belgium) and everything in between is here.
The bar snacks are overpriced but the beers average 50RMB and there’s so much to choose from, beer fanatics could while away hours here. More than that, though, this is a great space that’s worth a visit in its own right.
C2H60 No.3 Shatan Beijie, Dongcheng district. Open 6pm-12.30am Sun-Thu, 6pm-2am Fri-Sat. Call 400 990 7004 to book ahead.