Marselan beer | Going down this weekend in Beijing

Marselan is fast-becoming China’s signature grape for wine–and now it’s a beer, too!

Beijing-based brewers Jing-A sourced 200 kilograms of Marselan grapes from Shanxi-based winery Grace Vineyard this vintage in order to make a fruit beer, the latest in their lambic-inspired Ye series.

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And they used Marselan, a Cabernet Sauvignon and Grenache Noir cross that has spread across China since it was introduced here two decades in Huailai County, just outside Beijing. The resulting Marselan wines have not only earned contest awards and kudos from critics but also shown a wide range of styles.

Jing-A will provide a first taste of its Grape Ye beer, which saw Marselan grapes added to its Ye wild ale base, this weekend. YOU NEED TO RSVP IF YOU WANT TO JOIN (details below). I tried a tank sample two weeks ago during our annual Dog Pub Crawl and it was delicious.

Even better, some winemakers familiar with Marselan, including Lee Yeanyean from Grace Vineyard and Tong Lili from Manzhouxiang, will be on hand pouring their wine. The event will also feature Alex Acker and Kristian Li of Jing-A explaining the beer.

This event is RSVP only. Contact me via ‘beijingboyce’ on WeChat to check seat availability. We only have space for 40 people — first to book seats via our QR code, first served.

(The rmb 188 entry fee gets you four drinks–three wines and a beer–and snacks, with all proceeds going to Maovember and The Library Project.)

More exciting Marselan beer news: some of that Ye beer will be put into two wine barrels–one for Cabernet Sauvignon and one for Chardonnay–for conditioning. That will make for even more fun tasting ahead!

Event summary and photos to come.

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