Speak Low, opened by world-class bartender Shingo Gokan, is undoubtedly the most talked-about star in Shanghai's bar scene. Since 2016, it has been ranked as the World's 50 Best Bars for two consecutive years, including the 15th place in the world in 2016, the 10th in the world and the 2nd place in Asia in 2017. The World's 50 Best Bars is the list of the world's most influential and valued bars, selected by Drinks International, an authoritative magazine in the British beverage industry, and every year professional sommeliers are invited to vote for their favorite bars around the world. Since the list was launched in 2009, Speak Low is the first Chinese mainland bar to be shortlisted.
"It's a hip bar that offers a well-crafted New York flavor that doesn't look out of place in downtown Manhattan," the list says. In fact, this is not a complete story, if a place can combine American, Japanese, and British bar styles, then it is Speak Low in Shanghai. Many of Speak Low's cocktails are creative and enthusiastic with American freedom, but when you taste each one, the taste structure of each one is very rigorous, and even the bartenders and service staff on the third floor can clearly feel the professionalism of the British bar and the attention to detail of the Japanese bar.
In addition, the style of Speak Low is also reflected differently on different floors. Speak Low was one of the first bars to bring the concept of speakeasy to Shanghai, and I believe that many people will be confused when they first come to 579 Fuxing Middle Road, and it is impossible to see the sign that says "Speak Low". It's hidden inside a four-storey bungalow, and on the side of the road you'll see a barware shop called OCHO, and if you walk inside and find that the bookshelf the puppet is pointing to is actually a secret door, then you've found a secret passage to the speakeasy. Walking up the stairs, the second floor is a quintessentially New York-style bar with a fast and lively pace and vibe, offering 20 light-hearted and simple classic cocktails, each with a unique design by Shingo Gokan.
On the second floor, you'll hear nostalgic rock and blues music, while on the third floor you'll hear soft jazz music, slowing down the pace of the guests' movements, and the bar is closer to the refined London and Japanese style, where guests can enjoy privacy in this space that can only accommodate 20 people while enjoying the bartender's smooth and precise movements. The third floor is much more complex than the second floor, with rye, bourbon and rum as the base liquor, while the third floor is dominated by Scotch whisky, Japanese whisky and small production liquors, and the third floor is also more expensive, ranging from 110 to 240. Founder Shingo Gokan loves jazz and has a selection of jazz-inspired cocktails on the third floor.
Shingo Gokan rose to prominence in 2012 when he won the Bacardi Heirloom Cocktail Global Competition, with his own Speak Low, which later became the name of the bar. Although Shingo Gokan doesn't let bartenders recommend the niche Speak Low as a specialty or the best one out of customer preference, it is still worth trying because of its subtle taste.
Speak Low is a tea ceremony-inspired cocktail with a bitter aroma of matcha, based on Bacardi Superior with fresh aromas of tropical fruits such as pineapple, aged Bacardi 8 with sweet caramel and a dry wood aftertaste, as well as walnut and dried nut notes of Pedro Ximénez sherry and soybean flour, made with matcha and served with two slices of mellow dark chocolate. Aged rum and soybean flour build up a strong and thick body, combined with the crisp dryness of white rum and the smooth sweetness of sherry, it is powerful and complex and rich in taste. Because the bitter and fragrant wabi-sabi flavor of matcha is shrouded in the sake taste, the taste conveyed by the whole glass of wine is quite restrained, such as the name of the wine, as if the strong emotions and too many words whispered in the restraint are unforgettable.
As one of Asia's top bars that has conquered many experts, Speak Low is not far from the average person, and if you are not sure what you want to drink, you can tell your bartenders about your tastes and dislikes, and ask them to recommend the right wine, and its excellent creations and carefully selected wine list will make it easy for wine lovers to come across a surprise here. The casual conversation with the bartenders during the drinking process was also very pleasant. It's a bar that really makes you feel happy, not only because of the great drinks, but also because of the warm and cheerful atmosphere.
