News from our friends in Beijing!

Chinese Beer PosterWritten by Tracy Wang, The Beijing, Apr 27, 2016

The weather during the coming g holiday is forecast to be a fabulous 31 degrees. We’re not sure about you, but we’re ready for long days of sunshine and ice-cold beers. Let’s see what the city’s liquid-treasure-making breweries have in store for us this Labor Day weekend (in alphabetical order).

Dongli Brewery - Oak Blonde AleDongli Brewery just released Oak Blonde Ale

Good news for geeks in Shangdi, Dongli Brewery just released their Oak Blonde Ale, with 6.3 percent ABV and 21 IBU. The new brew features a fruity aroma from Belgian yeast, and a sweetness from the malt, with a smooth finish. Unlike Belgian beers, this blonde ale is more like a lager, and tastes like Champagne. They also serve beer mojitos for the cocktail lovers, which go down particularly well when basking in the sun.

GLBHidden General IPA and Edmund Backhouse Pilsner are back on tap

Great Leap Brewing’s Hidden General IPA and Edmund Backhouse Pilsner are back on tap at all three taprooms. The seasonal Hidden General IPA is infused with chrysanthemum flowers in order to highlight the floral aromas of Mandarina Bavaria hops. The beer is named after Hua Mulan, China’s real life Beatrix Kiddo. As for Edmund Backhouse, he claimed, but has since been discredited, to be a confidence of Qing royal family.
On May 1, at 1pm, famous historian and collectivist Jeremiah Jenne will host a history lesson on both Hua Mulan and Edmund Backhouse. RMB 120 or RMB 100 (advance), will get you a Hidden General IPA and an Edmund Backhouse Pilsner, as well as a bunch of cool stories about these mysterious figures in Chinese history.

Jing-ANew beers at Jing-A (L-R): Party Beer Helles, Raspberry-Passionfruit Beijinger Weisse, and Mikayla

Jing-A Taproom have three new beers on tap: Party Beer Helles with 5 percent ABV and 20 IBU – a refreshing single-hopped helles lager brewed with Saaz hops and light malts, and perfect for a summer afternoon session; Mikayla with 6 percent and 20 IBU – a new spring saison to celebrate owner Alex Acker’s newborn baby girl, Mikayla (lovely!), featuring a complex farmhouse ale taste, brewed with with grains of paradise, magnolia flowers, and coriander seeds; and a Raspberry-Passionfruit Beijinger Weisse, with 5.5 percent and 10 IBU – a tart and refreshing kettle sour infused with raspberry and passionfruit.

Slow BoatSlow Boat’s Maibock German lager, with 6.75 percent ABV, is out now

Although busy readying their new location, Slow Boat Brewery have still managed to squeeze in some time to put two new beers on tap. Their Maibock, with 6.75 percent ABV and 25 IBU, is a stronger, darker, and hoppier version of a lager, and released to coincide with the German Maifest holiday. This strong, malty German lager beer has a notable hoppy, and slightly sweet flavor, has a dry finish, and is a deep amber color with an off-white creamy head. Although boasting a fairly high alcohol content, there is no “boozy” character to this beer, and its moderately high carbonation makes it is a very refreshing beer for the warmer weather.
The second new beer, the Tea Clipper Wheat has 4.7 percent ABV and 15 IBU, and is an American-style wheat ale and the first brew of Slow Boat’s new seasonal Tea Beer Series. Brewed using Yunnanese Red Tea (dianhong), it has a medium-body and a light gold hue. An initial sweetness makes way for a savory finish with hints of cocoa and orange blossom honey, contributed by the tea, and perfectly complementing the citrus flavors of the Equinox hops.
Phew! Plenty to do and plenty to drink (not only) this Labor Day weekend!

These and more craft beers can be enjoyed during our unique beer tour to China!

 

Final Beer Tour Page for Print

 

CST China Special Tours announces new adventure: Craft Beer & The Great Wall Tour

 

CST China Special Tours announces new adventure: 

Craft Beer & The Great Wall of China

Unique trip will provide great insight to ancient cultures and modern life

ANAHEIM, California – March 17, 2016 – The worldwide growing popularity of craft beer is a vital trend in China as well. Local microbreweries are popping up all over the country. Beer enthusiasts will have a chance, this fall, to explore China’s ancient sites and sample some unique brews along the way.

Visits to local microbreweries in Beijing and Shanghai will offer a chance to sample beer with uniquely Chinese characteristics — as local beers often contain rice, sorghum and sometimes rye in addition to barley. Flavorings like purple rice, Sichuan peppercorn, jasmine tea or bitter melons will for sure earn craft beer enthusiasts some bragging rights to take home with them. The craft beer scene in the two major cities shows steady growth, as more and more Chinese develop a taste for artisanal beers.

ABOUT THE TOUR

Starting in Beijing/China on September 24 and running through October 1, 2016, the tour will be limited to only 20 travelers who will experience many dynamic points of interest including The Great Wall and the Forbidden City. Additional treats will include a rickshaw ride through the old alley ways (hutongs) of Beijing and three days in the vibrant metropolis Shanghai round out the itinerary.

“Nobody has ever offered a tour to China quite like this one,” said Dieter F. Schneider, President of CST China Special Tours and noted expert on traveling to China. “On this 8-day trip, attendees will have the opportunity to explore unchartered territory and be pioneers; they will be exposed to both, ancient cultures and the modern ways now being embraced by the Chinese people.”

The package price of $1,699 (double occupancy) includes seven nights accommodation in superior four-star hotels, all meals, admissions, domestic transportation, English speaking guides, and much more. Airfare can be arranged and is currently available for less than $750 from/to Los Angeles.

ABOUT CST CHINA SPECIAL TOURS

CST China Special Tours is a California-based tour operator organizing customized group trips to China. The China experts create special interest itineraries for groups (culinary, martial arts, TCM, T’ai Chi, and many others), and organize meetings, incentives and retreats in China for major corporations as well as educational institutions.

 

For more information and reservations, please visit www.chinaspecialtours.com or email dieter@chinaspecialtours.com

 

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