Panda Brew – only if you’ve got nothing else to do

 

 In researching this trip, it’s clear that there is a first and second division amongst craft brewers in Beijing. Great Leap, Slow Boat (to be the subject of later posts) and Jing-A rule the roost as far as awards and reviews go. Panda Brew was a convenient member of the second division to visit on the way to Slow Boat.
It’s another tough find. Google Maps aren’t accessible and I’d been struggling with offline access to a map within Trip Advisor. It is also doesn’t help when the address is wrong! The address is 14 Dongsi Beidajie and quite close to Beixinqiao Subway. The subway really is the way to travel in Beijing. The network has expanded amazingly in 6 years and the frequency is phenomenal. Each ride is about $1.

 
I feel for the owner of this joint. It is clear that plenty of coin has been dropped here. Polished concrete and steel and even chain curtains create a cool ambience. But that’s where it ends. Beer places, where beer is the focus, require staff that care about what they serve. The two dolts barely knew their own names let alone what they were serving. They also couldn’t poor their beer and two samples were poured from jugs. The sullenness and apathy drove me away and I simply sculled what was put in front of me. The stout tasted slightly off, though the Brown Bear Brown wasn’t so bad.
This is a classic problem with service businesses in China – staff are simply hard to find.

 

  The prices are also stupid given the quality of the experience. The beers just aren’t blow away quality to justify the prices and if I ever return to Beijing I don’t this will be here. 

Address: 14 Dongsi Beidajie, Dongcheng district, Beijing