Rare Single Malts and Herbal Cocktails Make Sanyuanqiao's Charles' Whisky Bar a Standout
Most barmen are content to show you what’s on their shelf. Zax Wu of Charles' Whisky Bar, on the other hand, has so much more to show you, such as a case behind the bar filled with various Chinese herbs and spices. He'll describe them and ask you to sniff and choose your favorites, before adding them to a specialty cocktail that he curtails to your tastes.
“More sweet, more sour? More alcohol or less?” asks the bartender and PR rep for the slick and spacious Sanyuanqiao lounge, which quietly opened eight months ago and has flown under our radar until now. That being said, more than a dozen elegant Chinese socialities were there on the Sunday night that we stopped by, leading us to think it already has a strong following. The bar is owned by Panda Brew craft beer company and aims to soon follow that artisan suds brand's lead by opening several other branches in cities across China. Wu continues, sprinkling in some exotic herbs, spinning a mixer stick between his fingers, and tossing the jigger before catching it and finishing with a splash of 10-year-old Laphroaig Islay single malt.
Wu sports a grey wool jacket with white pinstripes, his threads matching the overall vibe at Charles, which is mellow and elegant, replete with squat cushy leather chairs, even softer lighting, bookshelves, and a long bar. The TV screen in the background plays a promotional documentary about Charles MacLean, the author of numerous award-winning books about scotch, granting him the moniker of the "godfather of whiskey."
Having MacLean so prominently features makes sense, seeing as this joint is less cocktail-focused and very much more of a whisky bar (despite Wu and his staff's deft mixing abilities). Plenty of your favorite lowland, Highland, and Japanese favorites are sure to be found on the bar's expansive shelves, yet the true highlights include rarer finds like fairly inexpensive Glen Moray (RMB 80 for a glass of 10-year-old) to downright gems, like a bottle of 35-year-old single malt from the recently closed Port Ellen distillery, which will set you back a staggering RMB 5,000 per glass or RMB 50,000 per bottle. Another special find on offer is the Adelphi private stock bottles that MacLean personally delivered to Charles' Whisky Bar after consulting for that Distillery in Glenbeg.
The bar's ambiance furthers that whisky nerd sentiment with a back wall that acts as a mini museum exhibit about how the spirit is made (featuring everything from wheat stalks to mini barrel models). Next to that is a small row of glasses containing the aromas of different whisky types (which albeit being a little gimmicky, gets props for originality). Wu says the overarching idea is to make whisky newbies feel at home and welcome, while offering plenty of avenues for them to learn without feeling intimidated.
As if to highlight that point, Wu finishes giving us a tour, and we head back to the bar where he pours us a glass of that Adelphi private stock. Before handing it to us, he places a glass of water and another with a bulky ice cube next to it on a tray. When asked whether such high-quality spirits should always be drunk neat, Wu says instead says it should be up to the customer, explaining how adding water can bring out the aroma in certain blends.
After that treat, we also finish up the herbal cocktail that Wu mixed for us earlier. The smokiness of Laphroaig Islay single malt shone through, heightened by the sprig of Sichuan peppercorns which release their spicy and smoldering aroma courtesy of a kiss by Wu's culinary torch. Although an amiable sip, we found that other local cocktail joints like Infusion Room and Long Jing mix such Eastern and Western characteristics with greater success. Saying that, with a little more time, Charles' Whisky Bar is likely to improve and find its own balance and it certainly makes a welcome addition, not only to the relatively sleepy nightlife on offer in the Sanyuanqiao and Liangmaqiao areas, but to the larger Beijing spirit scene.
Charles’ Whisky Bar
Daily, 5pm-2am. S07A, Fenguang Shang Jie, Chaoyang District
朝阳区位置凤凰商街S07A
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Photos: Kyle Mullin
