Beijing Okhotsk Beer
北京欧可啤酒

Despite protestations from the manager, it would be a disservice to recommend a trip to Okhotsk Beer for its food. The food’s not overly bad, but as the venue’s name suggests, food isn’t the reason to brave the labyrinth of Phoenix City.



In fact, there are four reasons that demand a visit to this neck of the woods: weizen, pilsner, ale and mild stout. Depending on how much you enjoy hop-based beverages, all can be supped from 300ml (RMB 28), 500ml (RMB 38) or 1,000ml (RMB 72) vessels and each beer is rated – albeit nonsensically – by its bitterness and aroma. Alcohol content is undisclosed, but the socially inept needn’t worry too much – a couple of pilsners will be more than enough to oil even the most awkward of situations, especially when consumed by the liter.



Since there’s so much fake alcohol circulating around Beijing, it’s both reassuring and refreshing to have it brewed before your eyes and thus Okhotsk Beer’s main attraction lies behind the bar. Here, three sizeable copper vats and all the necessary apparatus for a microbrewery quietly work away to create the city’s most unique drinking experience to date. The only problem is, once you’ve sampled an Okhotsk beer, Tsingtao will never taste the same again. Oliver Robinson May 07

• Lufthansa Center