It is as inevitable as Spurs being Spursy. If you were a betting person, you’d add it to your parlay, knowing you wouldn’t regret it. I, David Shams, beer drinker, writer, lover of brewpubs, have finally put it all together to start reviewing beers I’ve had in Beijing.

I would have sniffed out the local breweries like a bloodhound looking for a fugitive. But we also have a craft beer bar in our building; the owner and I have become chummy, and he’s always down to advise me on new places to check out.

Slow Boat Brewery, a local craft brewery, has a brew pub a short walk from where we live. We spent our first few Sunday mornings there because we hadn’t been courageous enough to venture out as much as we wanted. The food was good, and it was kid-friendly. But that’s not what you came here to read about.

This local brewery was my first real interaction with Beijing’s craft beer market. A few friends shared a few ideas before I left, but they were mostly outdated. Another friend who has worked as a brewer in the DC area and elsewhere sent out a bat signal for insights from his contacts, but to no avail. All of this is to say I came in mostly flying blind.

I found a mature craft beer culture producing fantastic beer on par with some of the best beer folks can consume in the US. And it’s only going to get better. I’ll leave it there as I have a longer piece on the bigger picture later.

For now, I’ll highlight two beers I’ve tried from Slow Boat.

Moon Jelly IPA

This isn’t their flagship IPA, but it’s quickly becoming one of their best. It’s won awards domestically and in Japan and Australia. I was drawn to it because it was listed first on their beer list, but also because they used Citra and Mosaic hops. Both hop strains are great by themselves, but if done right, they can add a layer of complexity that many IPAs ultimately miss out on.

Aroma

It was exactly what I expected. Citrusy with hints of grapefruit peel being the most pronounced scent and mellowed out a bit by the Mosaic hops with light hints of herbs or pine.

Appearance

Clear with thick white foam and golden blonde in color.

Taste

Bitter, well balanced between grapefruit and hints of pine. With a long peppery finish.

Feel

Light, medium-bodied, creamy.

Overall Enjoyment

This is easily the best craft beer I’ve consistently had since arriving. There were other one-offs that were likely better, but this one time and time again has just been head and shoulders above the rest.

Final rating 4.25 of 5. Definitely drink again and would consistently have a sixer in my fridge if they were sold in six packs.

Thunder of the North Kveik Pale Ale

I’ve found that the use of kveik yeasts produces interesting beers. They can be hit or miss and this one was mostly the latter.

Aroma

I couldn’t detect much of anything, if I’m honest. Light hints of dank.

Appearance

Dark orange, light foam, slightly hazy.

Taste

Bitter, dank very similar to a flat Sierra Nevada Pale Ale. A very short finish, literally ends the moment it hits your tongue.

Feel

Medium-bodied, flat.

Overall Enjoyment

If the Moon Jelly IPA was one of the best I’ve had here, the Thunder of the North is easily the most disappointing. It was either served too cold or the keg was old, but the beer list said it was new. Who knows? I won’t order it again.

Final rating: 2.5 of 5. I’d only drink it if it was the only thing on the menu. And even then I would hesitate.