There is a "clinic" in Hong Kong that specializes in gin, Dr fern's gin parlour, and there is also a "magic hand rejuvenation" in Xi'an, which incorporates elements of a Chinese pharmacy into the wine. The owner of The Cirque, bartender Ma Mingkang, has participated in various cocktail competitions around the world and achieved good results, winning the runner-up position of the most popular bartender in the 2018 Chivas Regal Cocktail Competition. Ma Mingkang specializes in innovative mixology, incorporating Chinese elements into Western-style cocktails.
Tucked away on the basement floor of a café, The Cirque is decorated in the style of a Chinese medicine shop, reminiscent of the Speakeasy style that has become popular in China in recent years. Speakeasy bars originated in the United States during Prohibition, and due to Prohibition, many bars disguised themselves as other shops or hidden in hard-to-find places, and secretly sold alcohol, also known as speakeasys. Now these bars are starting to be resurrected and gradually becoming a trend, without store signs, hidden in invisible corners, or disguised as hair salons, hot dog parlors, etc.
The wooden medicine cabinet, the medicine jar, the pharmacy on the table, the abacus and other elements do have the feeling of a Chinese medicine shop, even if you know that this is a bar, you may mistake it for a place to sell medicinal wine and soak wine. But after passing through the foyer, you can open an invisible door to see inside, which is actually a standard cocktail bar. In the middle of the bar, there is a huge statue of the giant of Easter Island, which is not very large, but the ornaments, chandeliers and other elements are added to it, and it does not look disorganized. The interior of the store is small and exquisite, even the fragrance of the toilet is Zumaron, and the whole environment is clean and stylish.
The Cirque's cocktail variety is not as diverse as Fano and The Golden Ratio, but its innovative cocktails are in a class of their own. Bamboo Leaf Green and Green Plum Longjing are innovative cocktails of The Cirque, which add Chinese elements such as baijiu, green plum and tea to create a unique flavor. Bamboo leaf green is one of The Cirque's signature pieces. Zhuyeqing is based on Shanxi Zhuyeqing, which has added the fragrance of bamboo leaves, added red sandalwood, angelica, tangerine peel and other raw materials, and the bartender added juice and spices on this basis, covering the original spicy feeling of the liquor. This wine is packed into a wine bowl and presented in a bamboo basket, with a strong Chinese style that is no less than the Japanese style, and the taste of the wine is fresh and sweet. The Cirque is also the heart of The Cirque, with a small jug of sake jugs and a separate bottle of green plums, which is served separately to neutralize the spicy taste of the sake with a sip of green plums. Although the raw materials of this wine are simple, the pairing with green plums just neutralizes the pungency of the alcohol. In addition to innovative cocktails, The Cirque also offers a number of classic cocktails, but they are not as prominent as innovative cocktails.
The service of The Cirque is also comparable to the quality of the wine, the waiter can not only recommend cocktails suitable for different customers, but also carefully introduce the preparation method of the wine to each customer, pour the water and clean it up in time, and will not disturb the nature of the customer's drinking.
If you're looking for a change of flavour and an innovative cocktail, The Cirque won't be able to disappoint customers. However, the bar doesn't open until 8 p.m., and there aren't many seating spaces at the bar, so it's a good idea to call ahead to check if there are any seats available on weekends and holidays.
