Article By Michael Gruendner
#8, West of Ti Yu Guan Dong Lu
体育馆东路西侧8号
152-9118-2999
2:00pm – Midnight
Average Price per Person /人均消费: 65RMB
PROS: Craft Beer on Tap, Good Location, Non-smoking
CONS: No cocktails, not much seating, Non-smoking
I’ve just gotten back from Beijing and I got a taste of some of their beer prowess and, let me tell you, I was impressed. When I got back I was aching for a bit more of the big city craft beer culture of Beijing and Shanghai to spread its way to our cute little corner of China. I find it difficult to express how happy I am that the owner of Well Beer decided that setting up shop in her home town was what she wanted to do. Starting a tap room in Xi’an is a big step toward putting good beer in the hands of all of Xian’s thirsty citizens.
This perfectly-sized tap room is simple, clean and smoke free. They’ve instituted a no smoking policy and are sticking to it. What this pocket-sized beer house lacks in table seating space it makes up for, in spades, with their globe-trotting craft brew selection. Their twenty taps are filled with beer from America, Germany, Japan, a couple local craft breweries and more; they have a beer for every taste. However, there is some sad news for all you non-beer drinkers out there: This is a tap room through and through, so no mixed drinks or cocktails.
But most importantly, the owners’ have a sincere desire to bring a bit of beer culture to our lovely walled home and they’re bringing more than just craft beer and non-smoking areas. They’ve opted out of dice and loud bar games to provide a more relaxed environment. This doesn’t mean they don’t have games—with some quirky additions like Monopoly and a deck of cards the size of my torso, they’ve found a fun way for us to drink and play a little bit more quietly. Now here’s a biggie for you if you’re still not as sold as I am: they open at 2pm and happy hour is five hours long, between 2-7pm, and beers are 15% off.
They’re hoping to provoke a life style of drinking in a moderate and relaxed manner. They want people to see Well Beer as an alternative to hanging out at a coffee shop or sitting at home for hours on end during our days off.
So tap me on the shoulder next time you want to get a drink and let’s go check out this tap room.
Mike Gruendner is an Energizer bunny FOMO-ing at the mouth. He can be reached at reviews@xianease.com