Four Shaken-Up Beijing Cocktail Spots to Try

After a relatively quiet first half of the year (compared to the nonstop openings of 2017, at least) the summer of 2018 saw a number of new cocktail bars suddenly dash onto the scene as if to make up for lost time. But despite all those exciting new spots, some of the longer-running joints are holding their own by freshening up their menus. Many of these places aren’t even that old, except by comparison to the aforementioned spate of brand spanking new bars.

Herbal

Having opened this elegant space back in March, with plenty of antique furniture from his days at now-closed Pop-Up Beijing, Herbal co-founder Glenn Schuitman and his cohort Aijan have recently added signature cocktails to their menu. As the name implies, and as they promised during their soft opening (when only wine and standard drinks were then available), the cocktails now on offer incorporate traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) herbs which purport to stimulate, relax and even beautify (depending on which section of menu you choose from). The "stimulation" page features highlights like the RMB 70 Golden Underworld, a sweet and sour mix of gin and Saffron Liqueur, grapefruit, lemon and Cherokee rose tincture. Then there's the "beautifying" page, with cheekily titled options like The Flawless Pearl (also RMB 70), made with vodka and a sherry infusion of ginseng and orchid flowers, along with basil, lemongrass, green apple, lime juice, and evening primrose tincture.

But after a rough day at work I decided to try the perfectly apt Under Pressure from the "relaxation" section of the menu, which the menu touts as a "transformative tonic to relieve pressure and calm the soul, using China's traditional 'herb of immortality'," also known as Gynostemma gourd tincture. Vodka, sage, honeydew melon, pineapple, fresh lime and lily tincture round out this light, citrusy and slightly foamy cocktail that came in a long-stemmed martini glass. While it didn't inspire me to start singing the David Bowie and Freddie Mercury song it was named after, the Under Pressure cocktail was nevertheless light and refreshing enough to take my mind off the stresses of the day, and the combination of Chinese herbs (along with the fun descriptors on the menu) made for a very charming experience overall at Herbal.

Mai Tailor

We were surprised to see a bottle of Chinese cough syrup on the bar at this Yoolee Plaza lounge, leading us to believe that Herbal is not the only spot mixing up cocktails to cure what ails you. Yes, just like your favorite rapper, you can sip a bit of sizzurp in your glass (there's no codeine in this version though, don't worry). That small splash of medicine made for an offbeat, licorice-ish aftertaste in a smokey whiskey and bitters mix that the bartender came up with on the spot, before placing a cinnamon stick on the glass and setting it alight to add to the aroma. The newly revamped Mai Tailor bar (pictured in the lead image above) was formerly known as JW Tailor, because during the day it's a fitting room for suits tailored by Justin Wang, who worked for Gucci for five years) They've also measured up some new signature cocktails (one of the most sugary and frothy of which is pictured above), all priced at RMB 80, which is reasonable when compared to other Sanlitun lounges that charge more than RMB 100 these days.

The barman (who was not owner and cocktail wizard Jeff Ji of Parlo and Mai Bar fame on the night we visited, but one of his staff members instead) told us patrons are also encouraged to order off the menu. They can just say whether they prefer sweet or sour drinks, strong or light, and what their favorite spirit is, and he'll whip something up based on those criteria. This is an improvement over the bar's original drink list, though the team's plans to put on "gentleman's club"-style workshops focused on suits, cigars, whiskey and other themes (in conjunction with experts like staff from the Cuban embassy) still fit, and even further, the Kingsman-inspired motif that we wrote about during our first visit. Another highlight: 30 whiskeys imported directly from Japan, including Hibiki and Nikka along with other big brands.

Scandal

This flashy cocktail joint next to D Lounge only opened a few months ago, but its team is working diligently to keep things continually fresh and shiny new. Aside from hosting a hotly buzzed pop-up by popular New York bar More Chicken Please, Scandal has also released a new cocktail menu recently, and it's impressive in terms of scale alone. It consists of 25 options divided into six sections (nut, seed, leaf, and flower based, along with an experimental section, and bottle-served cocktails).

Highlights include the savory and wholesome coconut oil cocktail from the experimental section, made with French gin, dry vermouth, elderflower liqueur and orange bitters along with, of course, coconut oil, in a mix unlike anything we've tried. Then there's the acidic and aromatic Chrysanthemum cocktail from the flower section, featuring sherry and absinthe, and a spicy and bitter curry leaf cocktail (also gin based). The foamy, creamy coffee bean cocktail (pictured) is also worth a try, and it's as pretty as it is tasty. What's more: they're all priced at a very reasonable (for Sanlitun) price of RMB 90, proving you don't have to break the bank to break ground with drink recipes.

Equis

This lounge located in the Four Seasons hotel made a serious splash last year in terms of ambiance and size alone, what with its 3,600-sqm floor space divided up into four dizzyingly glitzy theme rooms, along with a big terrace. On top of that, they've launched a draft cocktail menu – a fun departure from the fancier and more familiar barman wrestling with and juggling a shaker. All that makes for plenty of incentive to stop by their terrace bar and try the draft cocktails at the outdoor bar while the weather is still nice.

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Email: kylemullin@truerun.com
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Photos courtesy of the bar owners