Swirl Description

The SG Group (Sober Company, Speak Low, The Odd Couple), backed by Japanese bar industry tycoon Shingo Gokan, just opened Tokyo-transplant Swirl on Fuxing Lu. This wine-meets-cocktail bar offers a laid-back alternative to the high-energy, late-night vibes of sister venue Speaklow – of which Swirl shares a wall – coupled with Asian-fusion sharing plates for relaxed sipping and snacking from afternoon into evening…cheekily followed by a Speaklow nightcap. 

Also known as Swrl., this wine bistro first opened in Tokyo’s Shibuya neighborhood in October 2021, and then closed in July 2023. That same concept has now been revamped and relocated to our own backyard, swinging open its doors this past April. 

Rather than shaken or stirred, here all wine-based cocktails – or ‘winetails,’ as they are branded in this nascent drinks category – are swirled, hence the name, with ice only added immediately before serving so as not to dilute the at once crafted and balanced sip.

Curated by Shingo Gokan himself, the wine cocktails list is divided between light, medium, and full body – based on the structure of each drink’s base wine. Augmented by spirits and sous vide and infused ingredients, most wine cocktails fall in the 12-20% ABV range – on the lower end of the spectrum – so as not to overpower the wine’s natural flavors and aromas. 

While still very much a cocktail, the difference is that most of the work goes on behind the scenes instead of in front of guests’ eyes, so that pre-batched bases can be swirled with wine à la minute and libations come together in a matter of seconds. This translates to equally complex tipples with not only less wait time between drinks but also more guest interactions and exemplary service.