A world pub crawl

Visitors in front of a giant football outside the Brazil Pavilion. photos by xiao yang / For China daily

Pubs and bars in the Expo Garden are great places to catch the World Cup, or just enjoy a drink, Matt Hodges, Yu Ran and Shi Yingying report.

Russia's Snow Bar rocks on Wednesdays, Angola's mixologists make new shots on Thursdays and Ireland will get you feeling FIFA World Cup fever with "match platters", pies and pints inside the Expo Garden starting from Friday.

With the quadrennial soccer fest kicking off in South Africa on Friday night and the mercury hitting the 30 C as summer sets in, the Expo is a great place to try exotic cuisines, sink the world's best beers and chant for your team in between pavilion hopping.

Not that the beers are always cheap, with Crown Larger at Australia's Sand Bar going for 58 yuan a bottle, and many of the venues may not have screens for watching the World Cup.

Australia has built a strong following by offering live music during the evenings on an outdoor stage, with plenty of seating available at its rocking Sand Bar in the shadow of its ochre-colored pavilion.

"It's the best place in the Expo. You get live music and beer. It's open late, with friendly service, beautiful women and good-looking men. Just like a regular Aussie pub. It's culturally accurate, I'd say," joked Max Hay, bass guitarist with the bar's regular band, also called the Sand Bar.

Future World Cup host Brazil has said it will screen its country's matches on its outdoor screen, while current tournament host South Africa will make games available on smaller TV screens, said a spokesperson for the pavilion.

South Africa offers an extensive wine list at its slick bar, which is surrounded by African handicrafts and culture, plentiful seating and World Cup trivia. Images of the 2010 World Cup's 10 stadiums, which cost $1.3 billion to build or renovate, plaster the walls.

In case 91-year-old Nelson Mandela doesn't make the opening ceremony on Friday night at Johannesburg's Soccer City, as planned, his image covers the pavilion's facade to get you more in a celebratory mood.

Russia's Snow Bar is best visited on Wednesday nights, when the Expo staff head there to let off steam with cocktails and laser shows, a Russian DJ pumping out soft lounge beats and leggy blonds dancing on the bar tops. Like the multi-turreted pavilion, the honeycombed wooden bar was built by star Russian designer Boris Krasnov.

"Guests and staff tend to get tired midweek so it's a good day to party," said pavilion manager Tatiana Miroshnikova, who is hoping to get some plasma TV screens installed for the World Cup.

Original cocktails like the Moscow mojito, made with vodka instead of rum, and Siberian sunrise compete for attention with four brands of vodka. The most expensive of these is Imperia, which goes for 60 yuan a shot. The Russians seem less particular about their beer, with one only brand, Baltica, coming in light, dark and strong brews for 29 yuan a bottle.

Down the road, Malta's bar ranks as one of the Expo's best-kept secrets. It offers Malta's three most popular beers, including Cisk, on tap. The atmospheric wooden bar opens onto the street while remaining hidden from the crowds.

"It's basically an exact replica of the Jubilee caf-bars back in Malta. We devoted much of our space to building this after our commissioner general saw how popular it could be at the Aichi Expo in Japan in 2005," said bar manager Liliana Duda.

Shanghai locals should be satisfied with the music selection: Malta's Caf Jubilee pumps out 1920s and 1930s jazz during the day and is packed with authentic antiques that speak of the Mediterranean. It holds a party every Tuesday night from 10 pm, with discounted drinks for Expo staff.

Meanwhile, Ukraine is hoping that former Inter Milan and Chelsea striker Andriy Shevchenko will make a guest appearance in August at its open-terrace bar at the back of its pavilion.

"Every second person who comes here asks about Shevchenko. They say, 'Is he coming? Can he sign my Expo Passport?'" said a spokesperson for the pavilion. "We hope we can get him here for our National Pavilion Day (on Aug 24) because he is our national hero."

A Ukrainian folk music band performs from 4 pm at the bar, where guests can sample the country's famous borsch soup with garlic donuts (59 yuan) under the cover of shaded wooden latticework. The menu includes 12 wines and liquors like Baileys and Kahlua, but no local beers due to China's stiff import duties.

"Our Ukrainian vodka and borsch is so popular even staff from the China and Russia pavilions come here for it," said waitress Uliana Govoruha.

Alternatively, head over to the Angola Pavilion with its sound stage, mock palm trees, dancing area and "the cheapest beer in the Expo", according to executive chef Rui Sa, who likes to cook up new shots using Angolan fruit. Angola throws a party every Thursday from 9 pm to late. "Everybody from the Expo comes here," said Sa.

Despite all the competition, it is Ireland that perhaps offers the best start, or end, to a pub crawl along both sides of the Expo Garden, with its strong beer and "top of the league cuisine" at the soccer-mad Porterhouse.

"If you're wearing your team's colors you'll get a free shot when your team scores," said Aisling Smith, the bar's events coordinator. Live World Cup matches will be shown on big screens in the bar, with South Africa kicking off against Mexico at 10 pm on Friday (China time).

The next match is Uruguay v France at 2:30 am - long after the Expo Garden has closed to the public. Due to the time difference with South Africa, an average of three matches a day will be screened in China from 7:30 pm, meaning that only the first two can be viewed inside the Expo site. The final will be played on July 11.

The Porterhouse, located in Area C separate from the Ireland Pavilion, is decorated in a traditional European style with rosewood furniture and comfortable couches surrounding the bar. Its two top tipples are the Plain Porter, which wins for its rich, dry aromatic character, and its Irish Red Ale, fruity with a malt-infused caramel flavor.

The only problem is they both tend to sell out. The bar's World Cup flier recommends booking tables in advance.

The Chocolate Stout, a smooth-tasting creamy beer with a chocolate aroma, was designed for ladies with a sweet tooth. "The chocolate and vanilla were a bit too overpowering for me," said one female Chinese customer.

Meanwhile, the Germany Pavilion is planning a special party for the first game of the World Cup, said press officer Marion Conrady.

Its most popular brews are the King Ludwig wheat beer, brewed at a lower temperature for a smoother taste, and the Hofbrauhaus Mnchen, a dark lager traditionally served with Munich sausage.

"For me, the German dark lager here is a little light," said Li Lianjian, a tourist who visited the Expo just to sample the beer. "I prefer the Irish dark lager to the Malaysian or German ones."

There is a Belgium Beer Bar for takeaway next to the exit of Belgium EU Pavilion, while the Belgium Beer Cafe on the second floor of the pavilion offers up to 24 kinds of beers produced by different Belgian brewers. Both bars serve Hoegaarden, a white beer spiced with coriander and orange peel, and it is proving a hit.

Alternatively, head to the Urban Best Practices Area in Puxi for some 10-yuan beers and games of football at the Madrid Pavilion against staff dressed in the team colors of Real Madrid. Spain, Brazil and Argentina are among the favorites to win the World Cup this year.

This is a good launch pad to the Asahi Beer Garden. The two-storey beer garden with a huge terrace on its second floor offers two beers that are not available in the China: Asahi Black, which smells of roasted malt with a slight coffee aroma, and the stronger Asahi Master.

Organizers have been screening hour-long compilations of previous World Cups from 8 pm at the Green Expo Square to get visitors in the mood.

"I really enjoyed watching the goal highlights from past tournaments and listening to the rousing World Cup anthems while being surrounded by all these neon lights and wonderful structures," said visitor Wang Jia.

"I didn't want it to end."

Visitors inside the Brazil Pavilion, where a roof was decorated with footballs. Wu changqing / For china daily

Plenty of wine and beer will be on hand for Expo visitors watching World Cup matches. photos by gao erqiang / China Daily

(China Daily 06/11/2010 page41)