All-Star Lineup of Chinese Mixologists Contribute to 24|7 by Secoo Takeover at Canvas
Normally taps and bottles are associated with craft beer bars, but 24|7 by Secoo is turning that nightlife notion on its ear. The new concept at Canvas in The Crib (which serves as an incubator of sorts for these kinds of projects; think Hatchery but for mixologists) has decked the space out with a row of taps waiting to gush cocktails made by a who’s who of Beijing and Shanghai mixologists.
The machine behind this takeover is Chinese luxury brand Secoo, which is aiming to build its offline business and branding with this venture (à la the mammoth lifestyle expansion of Sanlitun's Mercedes me a few years back but on a smaller scale, though Secoo will open more bars like this in Suzhou Chengdu and Chongqing in the coming months). Leading the charge for Secoo here in Beijing is Jamie Zhong (钟鸽), a former lifestyle reporter who had extensively covered F&B in Beijing before starting this assignment at Secoo.
Jamie's guanxi (and the Secoo cache) has certainly worked wonders on the new menu, which features contributions from some of the top cocktail bar owners in Beijing and Shanghai. Among the highlights is a Negroni Australiano (ALC 20 percent and made with gin, Campari, sweet vermouth, beetroot, and cold brew coffee). Essentially a caffeinated twist on the vermouth cocktail du jour, the recipe comes courtesy of preeminent Beijing bartender (and Canvas and Janes and Hooch owner) Warren Pang. It boasts a rich roasted coffee aroma and a deep chocolatey flavor. Paul Hsu, of equally well regarded Beijing bar Infusion Room, has contributed a similarly coffee-centric cocktail called Cuba. This 14 percent ALC drink is made with rum, cherry brandy, Coca-Cola syrup, and cold brew coffee, for a sweet and perky mix that'll put a spring in your club-ward step.
The Shanghai contingent is just as strong, throwing together several cocktail recipes in the mix. Kazuhisa Arai, general manager of sizzling-hot Shanghai French Concession cocktail bar and café Sober Company, offers up a light and fruity concoction called Harmony Sip. The refreshing ALC 7 percent drink lives up to its name thanks to a blend of Darjeeling tea-infused whiskey, apple juice, truffle honey, and maple syrup, which amounts to a refreshing cocktail that’ll quickly cool you off on a muggy July night (though notably little lightweight when compared to Pang and Hsu's stronger mixes). Allen Fang of popular Shanghai lounge Archaeology helps round out the menu with his Coco Nah cocktail, which is also a feathery light 7 percent ALC and features ingredients like Malibu rum, Dekuyper White Cacao, coconut water, and, to up the elegance quotient, a splash of Lillet Blanc French white wine.
The Secoo takeover's opening party last weekend reflected the all-star quality of the menu, as bartenders like Hsu along with visiting Shanghai bigwigs like Arai were on hand for the chock-a-block celebration.
Aside from enjoying the mixes on site, patrons can also buy the cocktails by the bottle in a showroom next door. That area looks less like a liquor store shelf and more like a duty-free shop counter, thanks in no small part to the offbeat perfume and cologne-style shapes of the bottles. Best of all: the cocktails are RMB 58 for a glass in-house or RMB 77 for a takeaway bottles, which is a steal compared to the typical, but steep, price of RMB 100 per glass at most Beijing lounges these days.
Secoo's takeover makes for a unique and fun concept overall and the creative taps and novelty value of the brand's luxury (takeaway) bottles should charm many patrons. However, the main draw here is the chance to sample wares from some of China’s top bartenders, including a few big names from out of town, all on one menu.
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Email: kylemullin@truerun.com
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Photos courtesy of Jamie Zhong/Secoo
