Party hosting

 

You don’t need to drink alcohol to have a good time, but it can certainly help. If you want your bash to go with a splash, try a visit to the Fairmont’s cocktail classes. There’s one class per month; the December edition will be on Friday 16 from 6-8pm. They cost 120RMB per class or 588RMB for six – email bei.events@fairmont.com for more info. Of course, you can’t have a cool party without ice, even in this weather, so drop a line to Mr Yang, the ice king (Mandarin speakers only), who’ll deliver packages of ice cubes ranging from billiard ball-sized spheres (12 per pack, 12RMB) to traditional cubes (four kilograms per pack, 12RMB). You’ll need to call at least one day in advance and order a minimum of 20 packages; delivery fee depends on your location in the city. If you want decent spirits at reasonable prices then you might want to steer yourself over to No 27 Wine & Spirits, formerly El Nido Shop. Spirits go for 45-1,100RMB, while wines cost 45-378RMB.

 

And if beer is your booze of choice, five-litre kegs can be bought at Sanlitun’s BHG store. Flensburger Gold will cost you 288RMB, while Flensburger Frei and Wasser come in at 245RMB per keg. More German booze can be picked up from MyDrink, also in five-litre kegs, although the prices are a wee bit higher. We’d recommend trying the Weltenburger Kloster (288RMB), which is made in the world’s second-oldest brewery, and the Bischofshof (338RMB). But if you’re determined to stay local then turn to Great Leap Brewing, which will rent out a keg of its gorgeous microbrewed beer for 1,300-1,500RMB (plus a 500RMB deposit for the pump). That might sound like a lot, but at 75 pints of beer per keg, it’s actually surprisingly reasonable. Cheers!

 

 

A party without entertainment is like a pencil without lead – pointless and wooden. So while you’re at the drawing board, you should give some thought to impressing your guests. If you’ve got deep wallets and high ceilings then Kiari Performance (136 9154 7974; kiari-performance@live.com, around 2,500RMB per performer) or Legacy Artistes (135 2226 0721; entertainment@legacyartistes.com, 1,500-350,000RMB per performer) will do the trick. Kiari offer contact juggling (think David Bowie’s crystal balls in Labyrinth), hula-hoop dancing and fire displays, among others – though they’re leaving Beijing in the spring. Legacy mostly has musicians, although other entertainers are available.

Some truly spectacular close-up, in-crowd magicians can be hired through Greg Irwin (greg@handhealth.com, around 8,000RMB per hour), whose own dexterity has seen him make an appearance on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. On the other hand – if you’ll excuse the pun – those more interested in other parts of the body might prefer to hire George Glitz (beijingstripper@gmail.com, email for estimates), one of Beijing’s two laowai strippers. You can also hire his (anonymous) colleague for the complete package – er, so to speak. Ladies might also want to get a Frost Nails (6417 9148. Open 11.30am-midnight daily, 15-50RMB per nail) manicurist to come around and brighten up their digits with some cool designs.

 

And if you want to play your own tunes but don’t have the skills, free trials of Virtual DJ (for PCs, www.virtualdj.com) and AccuBeatMix (for Macs, www.tiny.cc/macmix) will auto-mix your dance music MP3s, although they might need fine-tuning, and the trials have limited functionality.

 

 

Whether you’re planning a genteel dinner party or a booze-and-cake fest, you should never neglect your nosh at a party. If you’re going fully DIY, everything from cheap veg to cutlery and furniture can be found at Dongjiao Market, which is a regular haunt for local restaurants. But if you’d rather someone do all the hard work for you in your own kitchen, then give Chef Meng (136 8303 1171; mengchef@sina.com) a call; for 50RMB per person, plus the cost of ingredients, he’ll whip up a gorgeous feast in your own home. He makes a mean pumpkin pie that’s perfect for cold winter nights.

For something a little grander, you might want to turn to Culinary Capers (5978 4918; www.culinarycapersbeijing.com, call for estimates), which is an offshoot of Switch restaurant in 798. The options are flexible, offering ‘you say it, we make it’ menus for parties both small and huge. It can also provide staff, glassware, tables and more if you’re really ambitious. Similarly, Red Kitchen Cabinet Catering (152 0117 3409) – one of our favourite hidden gems – can cater for parties of six and upwards, with options ranging from staffed dinner parties and sizeable tapas meals to simply giving you the food to serve yourself (if you want to steal the credit for all their hard work, you absolute rotter).

 

More intimate affairs, meanwhile, can be serviced by The Hutong Caterers (159 0104 6127; www.thehutong.com), an offshoot of The Hutong. The chefs there offer up affordable global cuisine menus clocking in at 100-350RMB per person. Caribbean, Pakistani and gourmet BBQ menus are all available, as well as Asian fusion, and options for a cocktail bar or tea-and-chocolate lounge.

 

Speaking of chocolate, no party is complete without yummy cake to hand, so do yourself a favour and drop a line to Lollipop Bakery or CC Sweets for some baked loveliness. Lollipop Bakery (135 5277 2683, see www.lollipopbakery.cn for retail addresses) specialises in gorgeous, bespoke cupcakes that can be delivered to your door. Delivery charges vary according to location, and there’s a minimum order of cupcakes: a dozen regular or two-dozen mini. CC Sweets, meanwhile, offers both buttermilk-laden cupcakes in mini, classic and deluxe varieties (168-318RMB per dozen), and elaborate, fabulous cakes costing upwards of 350RMB.

 

 

Does your home look like the inside of a tramp’s coat and smell like the inside of a tramp? Fear not: Beijing has plenty of great venues available to rent. For a start, there’s the gorgeous Capital M. A private party would usually cost at least 17,000RMB, but between now and mid-February, 20 or more people can eat the festive set menus for 488RMB each. Less flash but no less lovely places include quality hutong bar Mao Mao Chong, which can be booked for a minimum spend of just 5,000RMB (although you can only book Fri and Sat in winter), and Temple Bar, which opened in July and has already Venues for rentbuilt up a loyal following – but renting that puppy out costs 500-1,000RMB an hour.

The musically minded can turn to Wain Wain, with its KTV and (slightly intimidating) robotic toilet. The ten-person KTV room costs 150RMB per hour, and booking the entire venue will set you back 5,000RMB for two hours and 6,000RMB for three. And if you’re really rich, turn to Contempio, which rents out its 200-person capacity temple for a cool 30,000RMB, including food and entertainment. Smaller rooms cost 15,000RMB and 2,000RMB.

 

 

The DJ: Herbie

‘If you’re using an iPod to DJ at your party then create multiple playlists covering everything you have. Your crowd might look like house or rap fans, but they could be into salsa or rock too – try asking your guests what they don’t want beforehand.

 

‘Don’t be afraid to get cheesy; that’s what people usually want to hear at a party because the best songs are written around hooks, not hands-in-the-air, “We are one with the universe” breakdowns. Later in the night is better for credible music. And don’t forget your pen and paper – a song suggestion might not fit now but it could work later on.’

Herbie performs at parties and larger events; contact beijingbass@yahoo.com.

 

 

‘I run April Club, an extension of a Yale tradition where someone holds a party on each night in April. We’ve had everything from picnics to overnight gigs at the Great Wall. Seeing so much variety has taught me that the best parties are the ones that have a spark of originality, in location or style.

 

‘It’s also important to get a good mix of people – at April Club we recommend inviting 15 close friends and 15 acquaintances. This way people are relaxed and comfortable, but will still mix and mingle with each other, not stay in their pre-defined groups.’

To apply for the next April Club, email aprilclub2012@gmail.com with your idea for the party you’d like to host.