If Tsingdao gets you tipsy, Tipsy will get you drunk – and not only because the craft beers sold at this niche pub average 6 percent, or because a tray of free samples winds its way around the room every half hour. No, Tipsy will have you drunk on life.
To start, it has the most craft beers on tap of any bar in Guangzhou – 28 when fully stocked – all chilled and well cared for (we visited the keg room to make sure). It’s also the largest beer-centered pub of its kind in the city, with high ceilings and neat insignia that lift the spirits instead of squelching them like those damp, hole-in-the-wall bars tend to do. Life is too short; we should drink good beer AND be comfortable, right?
Co-owner Daniel Ma stands by every night to recommend the right brew for you – if you need him, that is: the staff here isn’t obnoxiously attentive, nor is it remiss. Entry-level drinkers can opt for the always agreeable Hoegaarden on tap (RMB32/150ml, RMB40/330ml or RMB50/500ml) or Liefmans Fruitesse (RMB36/45/60).
Then again, why go to a craft beer bar and order Liefmans? Hops fan or not, you’d be wrong not to try at least a sample of Firestone Walker’s Union Jack IPA (RMB40/50/65), which registers smooth and citrusy on the tongue even with its 70 IBU (International Bitterness Units). At 7.5 percent alcohol content, you’re also looking at a fast buzz.
For an even stronger potion with less bitter hops, the 8.2-percent La Chouffe Blonde Ale (RMB40/50/65) or 8.4-percent Karmeliet Tripel (RMB36/45/60) should do the trick.
Ma likely has a few extra varieties hiding in the back, so strike up a conversation with him and see if you can land a sample glass of double chocolate stout or vintage ale. If not, stop back in a week or so: Ma plans to switch up the menu regularly and feature local breweries when possible.
Craft beers, especially IPAs, are best when paired with food, and Tipsy holds its own when it comes to simple bar snacks. Chef Raynor Wong (previously of the Four Seasons Hotel Guangzhou) prepares an excellent slider and fried fish, which come with crispy fried prawn, fries and chips on the special snacks platter (RMB68). The fries, unfortunately, need some work, as do the Dorito-like corn chips, which seem like a lazy attempt to fill the plate.
Fries woes aside, reviews have been overwhelmingly positive for Tipsy, with the sole complaint being that some beers aren’t always in stock. Ma has since tweaked his supply schedule, however, to ensure all 28 taps are available every night.
As craft beer fans living in Guangzhou, we gotta take what we’re given, and Tipsy is a very welcome addition.
Price: RMB80
Who’s going: Master Cicerones, those who mistake Tsingdao for water
Good for: broad selection of craft beers on tap, after-work drinks
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