Ornate cocktails have become somewhat the norm in Beijing lately. Even still, it is rare to see a cocktail presented this ornately: Our rum-based Smoking Gun (RMB70) comes out under a glass sheath, smoke swirling around it. At the base of the glass’s crystal stem, a slice of lime rind is tied around a stick of cinnamon in a bow. Next to it, a tiny pile of cinnamon shards burn like logs at a campfire, their embers glistening. Upon lifting the glass cage, we release smoke and the rich scent of burning cinnamon into the air.
In a way, it’s fitting. Herbal takes everything we’ve come to expect from a high-end cocktail bar, and then goes one step further. Take the decor. You know how whiskey bars love to suit up in 1920s, Prohibition-era vibes? Herbal’s gone for pre-Prohibition. The space has the air of a Victorian apothecary, and, thankfully, the good taste to make a 19th-century pharmacy look chic. Think wood paneling, beautiful antique cabinets, and dramatic, heavy drapes. (This is thanks to Glenn Schuitman, formerly of Pop-Up Beijing, who put his interior-design knowhow to work for the space.)
But this isn’t Queen Victoria’s kind of doctor’s office. Instead, mixologist Ah Jian has looked to traditional Chinese medicine in crafting his (lengthy) cocktail menu. His Goddess Vessel (RMB70) features a medicinal beauty formula originally followed by the Imperial Palace. But almost every drink features an ingredient used in TCM – including our Nectar of Whimsy (RMB70). It’s the best tasting medicine we’ve had in a long time, which makes us wonder – why don’t more doctors prescribe tequila?
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