6 Shanghai Cocktails with a Weird Ingredient
We’re coming up on a brand new year, and you know what that means: time to break out of your shell and try some new things! We can’t really help you with fitness goals or personal problems in 2018, but we can tell you where to find some strange cocktails that might push your boundaries a little bit.
A&W @ Candor
[Weird ingredient: alcohol-infused gummy bear]
Address: 57 Maoming lu
Tel: 021 5425 3696
Hours: Tuesday – Sunday, 7pm-2am
Maybe an alcohol-infused gummy bear ( aka ‘rummy bear’) is more cute that strange, either way it’s worth mentioning on our list. The ‘A&W’ at Candor is a scotch Negroni with a Root Beer aroma from high-quality cardamom bitters, served with an adorable Root Beer gummy. It’s s great choice for fans of root beer, gummies, or just great, quirky cocktails. RMB 88.
Flask @ Flask
[Weird ingredient: chewing tobacco smoke]
Address: 108 Xiangyang Bei Lu
Tel: 021 3669 6855
Hours: Sun-Thu, 7pm-2m, Fri and Sat, 7pm-4am
If you enjoy the smell of tobacco with your drink you’ll enjoy Flask's signature cocktail, named simply Flask. It’s a stiff one with quite the presentation: Bourbon Whiskey, Campari, Dolin Sweet Vermouth, served in an actual flask hidden inside a book and finished with Chewing Tobacco Smoke. RMB 105.
Japanese Salad @ The Bunker
[Weird ingredient: dried fish and tofu foam]
Address: No 22, 181 Taicang Lu
Tel: 021 5382 1915
Hours: Daily, 11am-2am
The Japanese Salad has not one, but two bizarre ingredients that may make you think twice about ordering it: dried fish and tofu foam. Don't let that scare you away though, not only is this drink passable, it's amazing. The Bunker has recently hired a new award-winning bartender from Taiwan named Da Tou to revamp their menu and, although some of the concepts might look a little over the top, they’re all 10/10. Dried fish and prune infused apple vodka, rice wine, carrot juice, porcini syrup, lemon juice and tofu foam. RMB 95.
The Mouse @ Sober Company
[Weird ingredient: Parmigianino reggiano]
Address: 99 Yandang Lu
Tel: 021 5309 8261
Hours: Daily, Sober Cafe, Lunch, 10am-4pm, Dinner, 4pm-1am. Sober Kitchen, 5pm-1am. Sober Society, 7pm-2am
It’s safe to say cheese inside of a cocktail doesn’t appeal to most drinkers, but at Sober Company they boldly go there. The Mouse has a slightly unusual smell - pungent, surprisingly sweet yet savoury, and foam topping adds sweetness along with a light kick from the pink pepper. If Italian food was a cocktail this would be it. RMB 120.
Bloody Mary @ Caxton
[Weird ingredient: a cheeseburger]
Address: 374 Dagu Lu
Tel: 021 5888 7258
Hours: Daily, 11am-2am
Is a Bloody Mary a cocktail? Yes. Is a tiny cheeseburger a weird ingredient to have in a cocktail? Well, sort of, but in this case we could care less because it’s so delicious and amazing. The Bloody Mary at Caxton is no joke, it’ll run you RMB 118, but since it’s technically a drink, an appetizer and a meal, you’re getting a pretty solid deal on that one.
Wing Valley Park @ Speak Low
[Weird ingredient: Wasabi Ochazuke Rice Soup Flavoring]
Address: 579 Fuxing Zhong Lu
Tel: 021 6416 0133
Hours: Daily, 7pm-2am
There are a few things in the Wing Valley Park that just might qualify as ‘weird,’ but we’ll go ahead and nominate the Japan-imported Wasabi Ochazuke Rice Soup Flavoring. They mix that with Japanese whisky, tieguanyin tea, and clarified milk for a strange but overall delicious and elegantly-presented cocktail. RMB 130.
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