Cheers to Three Years, Hakkasan!

Our longtime customer Hakkasan recently celebrated their 3rd anniversary and we decided it was time to pay them a visit!

No doubt you've heard of the London-based brand and possibly dined or enjoyed a drink on the gorgeous Bund location.  

Stepping into the cool and elegant space, you're immediately transported to an Asian wonderland that's both classic and contemporary. Hakkasan Shanghai employs the concept of "emotional architecture" serving to maximize the restaurant's social dynamic. It's hard to put your finger on it, but there's something special in every detail. 

Bar Manager Matthew Hall took us through the latest caffeine-infused trends:

Espresso Martini  

This was created by a barman, Dick Bradshaw, in the 1980s. The story goes Naomi Campbell walked into the bar,  Rumour has it he was asked by one of his customers to “make a drink to wake me up”, and the result was this creamy, rich cocktail.

  • 50ml Ketel One Vodka

  • 1份 espresso 

  • 10ml coffee liqueur Kahlúa 

  • 10ml sugar syrup 

Combine all ingredients in a shaker with ice and shake very vigorously to combine. This drink has a little bit sweetness, and the espresso brings out the coffee elements as well. The sugar mutes a part of the alcohol texture and binds the flavors together: very smooth, nice texture, and super creamy.

Shanghai Espresso 

  • 40ml Ketel One Vodka 

  • 30ml Volcán Yunnan Hand-drip Coffee 

  • 15ml Huangjiu (Chinese Yellow Wine)

  • 10ml Averna Amaro to add bitter and sweetness 

  • 5ml sugar syrup 

A little more deconstructed from Espresso Martini. The flavor profile should be quite similar, but a little bit softer. The whole taste is a bit sweet and herbal.

"And the most important is that we want to highlight on the final garnish, which we use a Wheat vodka, and the garnish espresses this element. We smoke with hickory wood for aromatics, this is to add a bitter roasted characteristic to the nose of the drink."

Meanwhile working his magic behind the scenes is senior barista, "Orange" -- nice work!