Cocktail bars can often get a bad rap, even amongst those who fantasize about opening one.

“The term ‘mixologist’ has become something of a swear word, and it brings to mind images of a bearded guy in a steampunk get-up frothing foam for a f*cking gin and tonic,” says Adam Gottschalk, co-owner and bartender at Ron Mexico in Andingmen, which is in the midst of soft opening until the New Year. But despite those cringeworthy preconceived notions, he found himself pleasantly surprised while delving into Beijing’s cocktail scene, before becoming inspired to enter the fray himself.

“The truth is I’ve encountered virtually none of that (pretentiousness),” Gottschalk says, before going on to cite other bartenders like Douglas Williams of BBC, Stephanie Rocard of Mao Mao Chong, and especially Badr Benjelloun of Cuju, as key influences, and adding that the staff of both the nearby Arrow Factory and Vineyard Cafe were instrumental in Ron Mexico’s setup.

Gottschalk and co-owner Amir Avram are readying Ron Mexico for a grand opening in early 2016 (the details of which are still being determined), tweaking the menu and decor, and finishing up a few last minute renovations in the interim. But curious patrons can stop in anytime after Wednesday (Dec 23) to have a few drinks and get a feel for Gulou’s latest homey watering hole. Some of the venue’s cleverest cocktails include The White Badr (RMB 45), a white Russian concocted by the aforementioned Cuju owner, the hazelnut liquor-laced Victoria (RMB 35), the dark rum-infused Dan’s Trombone (RMB 50), and Avram’s own Hannukah Shots, which Gottschalk describes as “a menorah-based shot-tray, which is more complex (to design) than the actual build-out of the bar was.”

Gottschalk spent six years bartending in Virginia, before coming to China and working a myriad of F&B jobs, from washing dishes at a pizza place to cooking in a Sichuan kitchen. He adds: “I also bartended at a legendary dive bar in Shanghai called I Love Shanghai in exchange for a rent-free room at the owner’s place. To this day, the TV behind the bar there plays an ongoing photo montage of me doing disgraceful and embarrassing things in my time there.” Since then, in an effort to get “serious,” he has worked in the alcohol import and distribution business, first in Shanghai and then in Beijing, importing and selling spirits and beer, along with consulting on business plans and cocktail menus at various establishments in both cities. However, such respectable employment left him itching for his old gig, or as he explains: “As anyone who’s ever worked longterm in a bar or restaurant knows, after a while, you lose your ability to function in the real world. So here we are.”

Avram bartended in Tel Aviv back in the 90s. Like Gottschalk, he says he then “moved on to a more boring line of work, which is what eventually inspired me to open a bar. Also, if you spend all your days at a bar you own, it's a job, not a drinking problem.”

Gottschalk adds that Ron Mexico’s decor is as casual as its drinks, consisting of everything from a black and white portrait of Anthony Bourdain to a photo of Tom Brady getting his leg caved in on a vicious tackle, explaining: “Amir really, really hates the New England Patriots.” The football theme extends beyond that: in fact Gottschalk and Avram were inspired to open a place of their own after countless wee hour drinking sessions watching live NFL games at Cuju. Football is not just an idle distraction but a full on passion for Gottschalk, who studied sports journalism at University of Virginia. Even the bar’s name, Ron Mexico, is in reference to highly embarrassing allegations about Pittsburgh Steelers’s quarterback Michael Vick. However, the NFL theme is by no means dominant, after all this is not a sports bar but a cocktail bar.

Indeed, Gottschalk and Avram have adorned the walls not with Jerseys but instead chic paintings, along with Escape From New York action figures on shelves next to hundred dollar bottles of rum. That well rounded balance of sports, film and cocktail geekdom is sure to attract a diverse clientele to this latest Gulou hole in the wall. Yet, Gottschalk hopes NFL fans will appreciate the joke at Vick’s expense in the bar’s name, saying: “He went to my rival college, so I don't mind the subtle dig.”

Ron Mexico will be in its soft opening from December 23. Between December 23-25 it will be open from 5pm-12pm, and then open later in the following days (once some additional soundproofing is completed).

Ron Mexico

17 Yongkang Hutong, off of Andingmen Neidajie, Dongcheng

安定门内大街永康胡同17号

Photos: Kyle Mullin