If you're in the mood for cheap beer, just walk into any restaurant, bar or corner store and buy yourself a Tsingtao or Yanjing. However, if your taste buds are hankering for something a bit more substantial, flavorful, hopped or dark, Beijing boasts an ever-increasing number of beer bars and microbreweries to cater to your needs. While Beijing’s beer culture is not quite on par with the United States and Europe just yet, a beer aficionado will however find a number of great beer bars and microbreweries in Beijing. Here are some of our favorites.

1) Slow Boat Brewery Taproom

A newer brew pub on the scene, Slowboat peddles its wares on a hutong in the Dongsishitiao area as well as on the taps at many other bars in Beijing.

Slowboat asks its customers not to be too loud or rowdy to avoid incurring the wrath of their hutong neighbors. Slowboat's location is a bit more industrial and stark but the newsletter tells beer drinkers to expect outdoor seating as the weather warms. This brewery also does an excellent job of organizing weekly events that offer entertainment and better deals. Think you can hold up a full pint at arm's length the longest, interested in sharing a pitcher with some pals, or would you like some brats with your brews?

Slowboat has a small kitchen and menu of pub food including a cheese plate. The beer names are memorable like the Monkey's Fist IPA though the flavors are not quite as strong and perhaps still developing. You can also find them on tap at places like Brussels (with many other delicious Belgians on tap as well), the Bookworm and even Ocean Grounds, the gourmet cafe that teamed up with Slowboat on a Coffee Porter.

Add: 56 Dongsi Batiao, Dongcheng District, Beijing

地址：北京市东城区东城区东四八条56号

Tel: 010 6538 5537

Opening hours: Tue-Wed, 16:00-24:00; Thu-Fri, 17:00-01:00; Sat, 14:00-late; Sun, 14:00-22:00

Email: taproom@slowboatbrewery.com

Website: http://www.slowboatbrewery.com