At the halfway point of storied ‘dirty street’ sits Mouse Bar. Closer to Window of the World than the grittier areas of Baishizhou, it nevertheless is a part of town not afraid of showing its seams, with the bar’s outdoor tables giving a view of working class residents going about their daily lives.
We step over the drinking hole’s two resident dogs and enter a humble, high-ceilinged (mostly) bottle bar that has a DIY feel, likely because proprietor Mouse Wu decorated the space himself. Hanging from the walls are a guitar, ukulele and banjo, which customers are welcome to play, though the nearby sword is best left for show.
To the sounds of second-wave trap music (“I’m in love with the coco! Whoop, whoop!”) we browse the bottled beers. Wu says he enjoys stocking rare beers, and that seems to be true, but when the price tag passes RMB500 in a bar that is unapologetically dive, the beer is more ‘bottle on show’ than anything else.
In the fridge, we find New Zealand Hopwire IPA, a drink that shoots your mouth with enough hoppy flavor to satisfy any IPA fan. Made with only New Zealand hops, this is a must-try for the beer curious.
For those who prefer a pour, the floral Tank 7 farmhouse ale (RMB30/270ml) is on tap and though not ‘rare’ per se, was relatively hard to find in the city until recently.
Mixed drinks anyone? No, no mixed drinks, except gin and tonic (RMB30) and whatever you buy from the corner store to mix with the RMB25 servings of tequila.
A large TV, a sofa and a PS3 dominate a small back room, and Wu charges RMB20 per hour to get your game on, though he is rather lax about enforcing the time limit.
Mouse Bar appeals to bohemian souls looking for nothing but some video game time with friends and a few drinks. Built and run by one guy, it won’t be everyone’s cup of brew, but capably fills the niche of ‘friendly bar.’
Price: RMB50
Who’s going: locals, bohemian Europeans
Good for: board games, trap, ‘stooping’
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