Let’s kick off this review with a fun little game, shall we? We’ll say a word, and you tell us if it’s the name of a living human woman, or of a beer hop varietal. Here we go: Ella. Galena. Perle. Topaz. Amarilla. Wakatu. German Magnum.
Fooled ya – they’re all beer hops. (And probably women, too, with the exception of German Magnum… hopefully.) And these hops all have one thing in common: they’re listed on Out of Step’s beer menu, making it the most beer-nerd-friendly pub in town yet.
The capital has plenty of nerd-worthy brewpubs, but Out of Step is not a typical one. Rather than brewing its beer here in Beijing, the bar imports kegs of beer exclusively from Vancouver, where the Chinese-Canadian founder is from.
At first, this seems bizarrely specific. But then we taste the beers, and any qualms fade away. The Pacific Northwest produces some of the finest beers in the world, and Vancouver is its de facto brewing capital. Our hands-down favorite is the Black Kettle IPA, which has to be one of the best brews in Beijing, even if it’s not brewed in Beijing. The Lychee Sour is truly sour – but smooth and surprising enough for it to work.
Out of Step opened quietly last month on Sanlitun Dongsanjie, a quiet street leading past Sanlitun DRC. And while the bar does have a nerdy side, it’s an undeniably cool kid. We cannot speak highly enough of the atmosphere. The pub is decked out in wood and chic minimalist furniture like some hipster Canadian businessman’s Vancouver apartment. We don’t often say this, but: Do not leave here without taking a selfie in the bathroom.
It’s all a delight – but it comes at a cost. Plenty of Beijing breweries sell RMB60 pints, but none of them list an RMB60 pint as the cheapest. Great Leap’s beers, for example, go up to RMB80 – but they’re served alongside a couple RMB25-35 options.
Pub grub here is simple and tasty – a few sandwiches, some chips, for the time being. In the future, co-owner Nick says that Out of Step will host restaurant pop-ups (hopefully one each month), starting with Thai food this spring.
Until then, Out of Step is minimal, and yet simply good. We need say little else besides we recommend. And perhaps, more importantly: O Canada.
Images by Steve Maydwell
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