Friday: Shanghai Brewery
I did some research before the trip and knew that there are quite a number of microbreweries. Yes, there are brewmasters doing their work right there at the beer house, or in breweries somewhere else then transporting the products to the bars and selling them to customers (mostly served in 0.3L, 0.5L, 1L glasses - they are more following the German scale: I didn't see any "pint" in SH). Therefore after touching down and having a wonderful dinner with mates, we headed to one of those microbreweries - Shanghai Brewery at Hangshan Lu (衡山路, 東平路).
The brewery was packed with drinkers already when we arrived and we just sat outside under the sky and trees (梧桐樹, so famous in the "French quarter"). Six kinds of fresh handcrafted, micro-brewed beers are regularly brewed on-site: West River (浦西) Weizen (wheat beer), People's Pilsner, North Star IPA, Black Eyed Bear Stout, Hong Mei Amber Hefeweizen and Peach Weizen. It says that all of the beer recipes were created and brewed by award-winning American Brewmaster Geoff Engel and Chinese Brewmaster Sam Yang.
I ordered a sampler (including four kinds) while my friends chose West River Weizen and North Star IPA respectively. Brief comments are:
People's Pilsner: acceptable, will be better if more chilled
West River Weizen: unacceptably pale (this may be an interesting question regarding taste of Chinese drinkers, and should be explored further by someone), and thus quite character-less.
Hong Mei Amber Hefeweizen: same as above
Black Eyed Stout: acceptable, but not malty and biscuity enough
North Star IPA: fairly fine, compared to the above, less bitterness as compared to other IPA tasted.
Regarding of the beer, the atmosphere of the place is really great. Everyone around you are drinking, laughing and enjoying themselves. The nachos ordered by the Germans on the table beside ours is so big and appealing. It seems that everybody is having a good time. Of course, it is a bit pity that the beer is not that good, but nobody except us really cared. We headed for somewhere else, leaving behind some unfinished glasses ...
Bar Constellation
We just walked on the street after leaving the brewery, and looked for our next destination. My last good experience dictated our way to Bar Constellation, this time another one in a new location.
You could easily find out many reviews aboutr this bar on the internet when you typed in Bar Constellation Shanghai, the descriptions you mostly likely read will be "best cocktails", "500 single malt whiskies", etc. I have not tried most of the cocktails, but at its presentation, you would believe the descriptions are true. They are serious about making cocktails as the menu presented quite a profile: vodka based, gin based, etc, etc. You simply don't know how to choose, too many names you do not know and too many varieties you hesitate to order at one time.
Luckily, my friend made a very good and decent suggestion - a kind of rum that beats all your previous experiences on the stuff, and I ordered a neat glass of Zacapa XO. It is very delicious, very easy to drink while offering a very refined aftertaste. Just excellence. Thank you, mate! I missed the opportunity of trying this when I visited the Bar Constellation at Ningbo. But I did not miss it this time.
The day ended with a perfect aftertaste.
Saturday: West Well (西井滙), Zhujiajiao (朱家角)
I am not clever enough to associate numerous cafes, style shops, restaurants with a small heritage riverside town. I should have thought about that for the rising consuming power of Shanghai. Even that, I really don't expect to find out a cafe selling some rarely-seen beers, such as Old Rasputin Russian Imperial Stout.
Old Rasputin Russian Imperial Stout
Source: North Coast Brewing Company, Fort Bragg, California, USA
Style: Russian Imperial Stout
Strength: 9% ABV
12 Fl. oz. bottle
Rating (out of 10): 8.5
Note: You could very easily pick up the "imperialness" / "royalness" of this stout in your first mouthful. Difficult to describe its subtle difference with other stouts, until I read Mr Protz's notes in his book (300 beers to try before you die!): "an explosive finish packed with warming alcohol with a Cognac note ... ". That's it, Cognac, that's the refined taste I experienced, thank you.
Visiting a 水鄉 is nice, but nothing could beat the unexpected chance in coming across something you really wanted to tried but failed in years.
Ole, a supermarket
Just stoped by a supermarket in a HK-styled mall, and saw some rarely-seen beers. Chinese do prefer German beers, but luckily there were also some Belgium brews. I bought the Lambic style beer - Lindemans FARO Lambic (250ml bottle, 4.5%ABV) (and another German beer). Not bad, at least for my first time.
De Refter
After a nice local Shanghai meal, we headed to a bar specialised in Belgium beer - De Refter. I was all too happy just taking a look at the drink list. Those familiar ones, Chimay, Orval, Leffe are on the list, no doubt. And I found also numerous others. In spite of some "strange" sub-headings, such as Fruity Poisons (for those Gueuze, Kriek and Lambic choices), the list is simply magnificent! There is a sub-heading of Must Try. So I opted for La Chouffe (8% ABV), my friends: Delirium Tremens (8.5% ABV) and Westmalle Tripel (9.5% ABV), all among the must try items.
They said that those liquid are beyond their past beer-drinking experience (don't forget they have tried numerous beers before), and were rightfully described as "special beer". For me, La Chouffe is very good (rating: 9 out of 10); but the Delirium Tremens is simply "better" (rating: 9.5 out of 10). Nothing is perfect, of course.
The bar set up a VIP list, for which anyone could join after they tried all 50 of its selected items. If you do that, your name and the number of days required will be marked onto a plaque, together with a special VIP glass placed on the special VIP rack with your name shown clearly. I would sign up for it if I could stay in Shanghai two more weeks.
A very enjoyable night!!
Sunday: The Bund Brewery
I planned to cut down my drinking during the third down of my trip, but failed eventually when coming across The Bund Brewery near the Bund (外灘). There were only three kinds of homebrew, including amber wheat beer and dark wheat beer, served in 0.3L, 0.5L and 1L glasses (seems normal in the city). I tried the amber wheat beer, it's fine, not very good. But what impressed me is the availability of brewery in the city.
Taking away some empty bottles ...
Within a four-day trip, I visited two microbreweries, tried more than ten new beers, took away four empty beer bottles (for decorating my house) and two Beer Magazines (there is beer magazine introducing brewing recipes, homebrew competition, pub crawls, oh my God!). See, people are trying new things and exploring when opportunities are given, rather than paying huge monthly rents selling LV bags, watches or formula powder.
I am not saying that there is anything special or worth promoting for beer. It is just one kind of alcoholic drink, and I am sure not many people are enthusiastic to this drink as me. But should there be more space and variety in a place, for those who are interested to experience and explore? How special is this city really? Provided that the word "Special" is included in its formal name ...
