As baijiu makes its way to America, a Scottish company is instead planning to take the lead in bringing top-shelf gin to China.
Pickering’s, an established gin distillery from Edinburgh, launched Beijing’s very first gin bar this summer. This new venture is the result of Pickering’s recent partnership with local craft brewery Panda Brew with the intent to penetrate the baijiu-dominated Chinese market and, if successful, will be followed by 19 more venues across the mainland.
Aptly located on the second floor of Nali Patio, the bar’s goal to cater to Chinese clientele is clear. The interior represents a modern take on the 1920’s spirits bar concept that seems to be all the rage in the city, equipped with bronze finishes, dim lighting, marble countertops and cheeky gimmicks like a large-scale gramophone-shaped cocktail mixer (something you need to see to believe) and a newspaper-themed menu dubbed The Pickering’s Times. It’s all these details that target the curious foodie more than the seasoned connoisseur.
The same is true for the over-the-top seafood menu, made to attract customers day and night with flamboyant offerings such as the standup Irish Viagra (mussels flavored with coriander and Irish beer, RMB125), the Mr. Squid Fashion (squid fried with orange and bourbon, RMB90) and the decadent Seafood Angles (RMB109) – pasta with a seafood mix, topped with airy red prawn foam. Aside from the odd names, every entree is prepared with ingredients sourced directly from Scotland – a great guarantee for quality though sadly, not the price.
But Pickering’s is a gin bar, after all, and you need no other reason to pay a visit than its ‘Great Wall of Gin,’ featuring more than 100 varieties to choose from. Still, the most appealing part of the menu remains their gin-based craft cocktails. The ‘Sparkling Juniper’ (RMB88) we’re told is a crowd favorite, but you can also choose from a curated list of seven creative concoctions named after each of the seven emotions from traditional Chinese philosophy – be it the simple and sweet ‘Delight,’ made with black tea and roasted marshmallows or the dangerously delicious ‘Fear,’ flavored with citrus and cinnamon (both at RMB88).
Despite the somewhat tacky approach, the Beijing location is filled with high-quality offerings and all the classy details that typically characterize a quality gin bar. Only time will tell whether this is the right recipe to stir up a love for gin in China.
[Images by Edoardo Donati Fogliazza/That's]
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