Article By Ji Kai Rui
2rd Shop, Shun Cheng Lane, Xiao Nan Men.
小南门里顺城巷第二家
130-8755-1625
7:00pm – 2:30amAverage Price per Person /人均消费: 50RMB
PROS: Good prices, service, great beer
CONS: Can get a bit smoky on busy nights, limited snacks
The area between Zhuque Gate and Xiaonanmen is quickly becoming the best spot in Xi’an to find good bars. Recently, I headed over to Wumu Craft Beer, located just inside Xiaonanmen. The bar has a unique round entryway and a well-lit sign, but be aware that the name is only in Chinese (so be sure to look for 勿幕精酿). They make their own beers here, and the boss/brewmaster definitely has a bent towards more creative offerings. The tap list is constantly rotating, but they have a nice variety of many different kinds of beer. The night I went the selections included: a dry pale cider, Belgian wheat, mango ale, coconut chocolate porter and an oatmeal porter. They also occasionally have a banana wheat beer that is amazing. All the beers have creative twists, and are quite well done.
The prices are lower than other craft beer places around town,; they offer a pint at 40RMB, as well as the option for a smaller taster size at 20rmb, which makes it easy to try out all the delicious flavors. They also have a sampler that will let you try all the beers in one go (6 small glasses for 100rmb), which will save you 20RMB over what it would cost to buy them separately. The only food options are the typical bar snacks, but they’re done a bit better than most local bars here.
I’m a big fan of the layout of Wumu. The bar has three floors total, and each has its own distinctive feel. The bottom floor is more like a tasting room, with a nice bar counter and those glistening steel beer towers, the sight of which always gets my thirst going. The second floor is more like a traditional Xi’an bar, with a small stage and very good singers performing local folk rock music. An unexpected surprise was the cocktail bar on the third floor. They’re not the best cocktails you can find in town, but they’re also not the most expensive. The amaretto sour I had was quite good, and was a nice break after so many beers. Service is great here, and the staff speaks enough English to get by, although don’t come here expecting to have any deep, philosophical discussions with the staff (at least not in English, anyway).
All in all, Wumu is a great place to enjoy come creative craft brews without breaking the bank. An attentive staff, good prices, good (local) music and a convenient location all make this place well worth checking out.
Ji is a singer, maker of Ejuice, and lover of all things drinkable