New Bar: Mixologie

By Lena Gidwani, December 11, 2015

There’s a certain je ne sais quoi stirring at the slightly touristy second floor of Party Pier, and it’s causing the haut monde, Mad Men whisky-teers and craft-cocktail innovators of the city to gape in awe at the genius that dreamed up this bar’s name.

Referring to the dark arts of bartending, the term mixology is a specification for someone capable of doing more than just pushing beer and shots across a sticky bar. But this trending expression is also an example of historical drinking culture brought back to life – it dates back to the 1890s and can easily be found in newspaper archives of that era.

Mixologie thus pays tribute to heritage. The dark wood fittings and rich leather sofas are reminiscent of a gentlemen’s club bar where Don Draper-esque gentlemen languidly sip drinks, holding Romeo y Julieta Churchill cigars (RMB248) while signing off on lucrative deals.

For those who step over the threshold, entering from the pleasant courtyard, you’ll notice that the same deliberation has gone into the choice of canvassed art: a reproduction of the famous Scottish painting from 1263 titled ‘Fury of the Stag’ is hard to miss, as are the suited wait staff and thick menu of almost 200 cocktails.

Brainchild of Bruce Deng – alcohol aficionado, ex-hotel beverage manager, cask lover and one of the founders of the Guangzhou whisky society – Mixologie takes an ingredient-led approach to cocktails, guided by mixologist and wizard of booze Randy. In a quiet fervor, Randy works behind the natural wood and leather-topped bar to bring precisely executed International Bartenders Association (IBA) classics to the fore, including a very strong vesper martini (RMB98), a smooth concoction made popular by Bond himself in Casino Royale.

Of course, dark horse that Randy is, on top of stalwarts like the old fashioned he also delivers novel items that play to your imagination, such as Japanese favorite Yokohama (RMB128), made from rare New Zealand Blue Duck vodka, Black Robin gin, Pernod, grenadine and fresh orange juice.

The diversity of options will satisfy every thirst. There are bottles upon bottles of craft beer, spirits, liquors, wines and about 200 whisky varieties. Of note are the exclusive cask-strength malts that come from private bottlers and blenders like Signatory Scotch and Gordon & MacPhail. Costing around RMB10,000, the 1986 Highland Park and 1985 Bowmore rarities are stocked in a treasure vault of liquids.

Money to splurge and folks to impress? Put in an advance request for a 25-year-old Dalmore, costing a cool RMB18,888, or opt for a Glendronach 1993, part of the very limited-edition Bruce Deng Collection. The RMB6,880 bottle depicts a patriotic image of the Canton Tower in all its print glory, designed specifically for the man behind the brand.