Pipilis, an architect, designed the bar, and says that when she started remodeling the 100-year-old building, everything "looked very fake". She liked the roof, and began tearing down the extra layers of plaster that had been added over the years to expose the building's original structure.

Most of the furniture in the bar is low to the ground, just like the small tables and chairs that are popular in the hutong. Pipilis says she wanted to create a homey, warm atmosphere.

By now, I'm feeling warm, but it's not because of the atmosphere. With a flight of baijiu behind me, I decide it's time to try the snake liquor. Isler tells me that the drink is known to enhance virility.

"Do you believe that?" I ask.

Isler laughs, and I reluctantly take the shot. It goes down easier than I had envisioned, and perhaps it's because I expected it taste like formaldehyde, or worse yet, five rotting snakes. It has a mineral aftertaste, and though I wouldn't recommend it, it's far from the worst liquor I've ever tried.

I can't even say that I would recommend any of the baijiu I tried. They're not bad; I just think I'm more of a bourbon/whiskey man. But Capital Spirits' presentation of the Chinese liquor at least has me thinking about it in a different light, which is exactly the intention of the bar's owners.

If you go:

Address: Capital Spirits Da Ju Hutong No 3, Beijing+86 10 6409 3319

Hours: 8 pm－1 am daily. Closed on Monday.

Website: capitalspiritsbj.com

(China Daily USA 09/29/2014 page9)