Coffee Cocktails Come to Starbucks Taikooli

You know the upstairs part of the Starbucks in Taikooli that is always packed full of people? Well, now it’s the upstairs part of Starbucks that’s packed full of people drinking alcohol!

That’s right, the coffee behemoth has launched a bar right here in Beijing. The story of Bar Mixato, as it’s been dubbed, is a tale as old as time, or, at least as old as Chinese franchise economics: It first opened in Shanghai late last year, and apparently the venture was successful enough to justify expansion into Beijing.

At first glance, the bar appears to be stocked with a wide variety of bottles that are visible through the window from the ground below, but further inspection quickly reveals that they are all mid-range, well-known brands – only the liquors that make up the relatively limited cocktail menu.

Though you shouldn’t expect an easy time trying to order an off-menu drink, the coffee- and tea-based cocktails are, honestly, not too shabby. Created by Timothee Becqueriaux, a man whose glorious handlebar mustache is enough accreditation as a cocktail expert in our book, the drinks are not too heavy-handed on the caffeinated ingredients. Rather, the coffee in the Roaster Old Fashioned (RMB 128) brings out a chocolatey flavor, and likewise, the tea in the Reverse Chai Manhattan (RMB 108) is just enough to bring out the flavors of the rum.

As for snacks, the Mediterranean Vegetables, essentially a bowl of olives and pickled garlic, is a popular option, while more filling choices like the Cheesy Breadsticks and Baked Baby Potatoes with Bacon Chips run for the same price, RMB 68. Only the Spanish Sardines served on sliced bread will cost you RMB 88.

Overall, customers will still feel like they are in a Starbucks. With the exception that waiters will come to you, the service is largely the same. But of course, the key draw is that it’s fun to get drunk somewhere you feel like you aren’t supposed to.

Bar Mixato
19 Sanlitun Lu, Building 10, F2, Chaoyang District
朝阳区三里屯路19号院10号楼2层

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Images: Starbucks, Joey Knotts