We're not short of unpretentious bars in Shanghai, there's plenty of places that offer no nonsense boozing that won't cost as much as dinner on the Bund. With that said, recently opened Drink Up might be the least pretentious of the lot. The place has a trolley parked outside full of RMB10 Tiger and Corona beers.
Part convenience store part craft beer bar, Drink Up almost exclusively sells imported bottled beer. All available wall space is dedicated to beer storage, both in fridge cabinets and shelving units, presumably for those who like their beer warm.
There's little in the way of creature comforts here, with a large communal table and outdoor tables in the way of seating. However, English-speaking manager/owner Fei, who previously lived in Germany for 15 years, makes up for it with his welcoming attitude.
Here you'll find an excellent selection of craft beers, including some particularly hard-to-find numbers. We barely scratched the surface with the five we tried on our visit. We recommend bringing friends if you're planning on doing a little beer tasting session, since some of the best beers we tried were 9.5 percent ABV. Ideal if you're on the warpath next weekend.
Some examples of what's on offer:
Old Rasputin Russian Imperial Stout. There's just a couple of places you can get this intensely rich stout, which has a surprisingly smooth coffee-like finish.
Liefman's 'Fruitesse On the Rocks.' A crisply tart and sweet beer that's meant to be drunk over ice, which apparently helps the cherry flavor to 'pop.'
Duvel Tripel Hop 2015. Brewed with three varieties of hops rather than the customary two, including 'Equinox' hops from the USA.
Polestar Pilsner, by Left Hand Brewing Company. Very smooth, subtly sweet and refreshing – everything you could want in a pilsner.
Anyhows, Drink Up is the perfect place to drink next time you're looking for good beer on a budget. The outside seating is particularly nice in the Autumn weather, but with limited space inside, we can imagine this is the kind of place you'll want to hit up before winter rolls around.
Price: beer by the bottle from RMB10-58
Who's going: expats and locals, beer aficionados
Good for: casual drinking, craft beer
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