Eat beat

Beijing

A sporting toast

Thanks to the ongoing World Cup frenzy, you can enjoy what some call Brazil's national drink right now at many restaurants and bars around China. But the caipirinha is a year-round crowd favorite at Alameda, inspired by its former chef Geraldo Thomazini. Mixed with the distilled sugarcane liquor Cachaca, the Alameda version is made with your choice of lemon, strawberry, passion fruit or mango. Nestled within an alley of an alley in Beijing's Sanlitun, Alameda boasts an affordable lunch and dinner menu and a drinks menu sure to help you beat the heat.

Alameda, 81 Sanlitun Lu (Road), Chaoyang district, Beijing. 010-6417-8084.

- Kurt Nagl