Located on the second floor of the Chaoyang Theater, Ichikura is a perfect pre- or post-acrobatics spot that is also worth a trip all on its own. Recently celebrating its fifth anniversary, Ichikura might be credited with bringing the Japanese whiskey bar trend to Beijing. Walk up a dilapidated stairway on the south side of the theater and you will be pleasantly surprised by Ichikura’s minimalist interior and extensive list of bourbon, scotch and whiskey – over one hundred in all. There is only one long bar that seats about ten single malt lovers and two small, private rooms. Its primarily Japanese clientele claim it’s the best whiskey bar outside Tokyo and the staff is well trained and exceedingly polite. The high-end pours such as Glenmorangie and Maker’s Mark Gold, however, come with a correspondingly high sticker price. Ichikura is for the true connoisseur.