Great Leap Brewing (Original, Doujiao Hutong)

Great Leap Brewing opened its first bar in October 2010 in a renovated courtyard house on Doujiao Hutong, near Nanluoguxiang in Dongcheng. It was founded by the American Carl Setzer with his wife Liu Fang, and is described as the first Beijing microbrewery to focus on craft beer made with Chinese ingredients. The company grew to several outlets around the city, and production later moved partly to a larger brewery in Tianjin, but the original courtyard bar remains open.

The beers are the main reason to visit. Honey Ma Gold, flavoured with Sichuan pepper and honey from Shandong, was described by the founder as the company's bestselling beer by a very large margin. Iron Buddha Blonde is brewed with Tieguanyin oolong tea, and other well-known beers include Banana Wheat and Pale Ale No. 6. Lost Plate's 2026 guide to Beijing's hutong bars highlights Banana Wheat, a classic hefeweizen made with Bavarian yeast, and Hidden Noble, which is infused with chrysanthemum.

The setting gives a good sense of a hutong courtyard house turned into a bar. According to Lost Plate, the original bar opens from midday to 11.30pm daily, with a happy hour from 4pm to 7pm. The same guide notes that the brewery's name comes from a Song dynasty poem.

The bar suits beer enthusiasts, groups of friends and anyone who wants a relaxed evening in the hutongs rather than a large nightlife district. It is also a good place to try beers made with Chinese ingredients that you would not find elsewhere.

The bar is in a hutong near Nanluoguxiang, so the last part of the journey is on foot. Allow time to find the entrance on your first visit. From this single courtyard the company expanded across the city. It opened a bar with a full kitchen on Xinzhong Street in 2013 and, in 2015, a Sanlitun brewpub that was described at the time as the largest of its kind in mainland China, but the Doujiao Hutong bar is still the place where it all started.

Dongcheng is good for a bar crawl. Jing-A Brewing's Longfusi taproom on Qianliang Hutong is also in the district, and Modernista, a vintage-style cocktail bar with live music from around 9.30pm, is at 44 Baochao Hutong. Cafe Zarah on Gulou East Street stays open until 1am on Fridays and Saturdays.