Shanghai bar shakes up traditional Chinese medicine with modern mixology
Shanghai bar is drawing attention online for combining traditional Chinese medicine with modern mixology, offering personalised herbal cocktails based on customers’ health profiles.
Niangqing Herbal Bar, which opened in 2025, uses traditional diagnostic techniques such as pulse-taking and tongue observation before producing what it calls a “body constitution report”. Staff then use the report to create a drink tailored to the customer, based on traditional Chinese medicine’s classification of nine body constitution types.
Co-founder Zhou Xingxing, a former student at Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, said the concept was designed to make TCM culture more accessible to younger, wellness-focused consumers. He said customers receive a consultation from a TCM doctor before taking their report to the bartender, who prepares a cocktail using herbal ingredients and Chinese yellow wine.
TCM doctor Lu Sheng said the bar focuses on lifestyle advice and health maintenance rather than medical treatment, with most ingredients chosen from substances that can also be used as food. Visitors described the concept as novel and marketable
This story is written and edited by the Global South World team, you can contact us here.
