Mad Men ad man Don Draper would hate Mad Bar. One can imagine his wide-shouldered, bespoke suited figure suddenly halting as questions play out across his face. ‘Why is the bar shaped like my 1962 corvette? Why is a huge painting of me on the wall? Why is a quote from my ex-wife emblazoned on the menu?’
The point is, Mad Bar is not a recreation of the late 1950s boozy haunts featured on the television series, it’s a theme bar, and it goes for the theme hard.
To the chip chip chip of ice cubes being hand carved, water is set down in front of us. The service is uncomplicated, fast and friendly – possibly because Lavo founder and Mad Bar proprietor Raymond Kiu is hosting us.
Then we smell it. Something burning. It’s a pleasant smell, but still burning. The gin skim (RMB95) appears, garnished with a lit lavender sprig and loaded with strawberry syrup, lemon juice and egg white as the drink’s foamy top. The No. 3 London Dry Gin is expertly masked, making a dangerous – and delicious – combination.
More complicated (and far less successful) is the off-menu clove old fashioned (RMB88). Maker’s Mark, clove syrup, maraschino syrup, and two different bitters are a twist on the original recipe – a twist in the wrong direction.
Perhaps Mad Bar’s main allure is allowing you to try drinks favored by characters on the spirit-laden TV show. The gimlet (RMB90) enters stage right. Favored by Draper’s ex-model ex-wife, the pink drink employs only Hendrick’s Gin, lime juice and rose syrup. This glass of grog isn’t trying anything fancy and hits the mark with its floral flavor.
The premium spirits sitting on the three-tiered, backlit shelf mostly justify the prices of around RMB100 a glass, but with the bar’s second-floor location in high-rent Coco Park, prices could even be considered low.
When we visit, modern jazz plays at a decibel that would spell the death to the quiet conversations that indirect lighting and low, window-side seating seem to invite.
With off-menu mishaps and a soundtrack that could use some modulation, Mad Bar is clearly still finding its footing, but Kiu has enough experience with food and drink that we believe these hiccups will be burped out.
Mad Bar would not be Draper’s favored cocktail lounge, but it is worth a visit for fans of the television show and anyone interested in a new character on Shenzhen’s craft cocktail scene.
Price: Around RMB100
Who’s going: Mad Men fans, cocktail kooks
Good for: craft drinks, rating Don Draper’s paramours
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