Homestyle Cocktail Bar Whisper Bar Opens on Jianchang Hutong

You've got to be pretty confident in your abilities to open a cocktail bar in a quiet, hidden mansion. Finding Whisper Bar feels like following a secret code: walk in to quiet Yonghe Bieshu, turn right, walk to the end, turn left, count to the eighth door, find Room 105, find the small logo reading “小满” (xiǎomǎn, meaning Grain Buds, the eighth solar term in the Chinese lunar calendar), and enter. Compared to the always crowded Arrow Factory Taproom opposite, this bar is true to its name – it whispers to you.

Soft-opening in mid-November, this three-floor loft is more like a friend’s home, with 21 seats in total, 10 of which are positioned around the bar on the second floor. So far, most of the customers have been the two partners’ friends or acquaintances, but that hasn't stunted the bar's range, with more than 20 cocktails on offer, many with a distinctly innovative bent. Compared to pricey Sanlitun, cocktails here are a more reasonable RMB 50-80.

We opted for a Fancy-Free, a gin-based cocktail flavored with lavender and lemon juice, giving it both acidity and a floral aroma. We especially liked the pisco sour, featuring pisco, lime, lemon, syrup, and egg whites, and decorated with orange peel.

Martin Xin, one of the owners of Whisper, is in charge of the cocktail making and is the former mixologist of Mei Bar and Bubble Bar, as well as partner at Vesper Cocktail Lounge, making him more than qualified to now run with his own concept.

“This is more of a family place, a place to have a house party, rather than a dirty, dark place to get hammered," other owner Sarah Sha said. Sha also makes desserts for the bar, like matcha pudding, and a variety of snacks.

Besides cocktails there are also 20 kinds of Japanese whiskeys on offer. Happy hour is from 7-9.30pm daily, will all cocktails priced at RMB 45. Expect the cocktail and whiskey list to expand as the bar comes out of soft opening.

Whisper Bar
Tue-Sun 6.30pm-midnight. Room 105, Yonghe Bieshu, 22 Jianchang Hutong, Dongcheng District (157 1109 1197)
东城区箭厂胡同22号雍和别墅内105室小满

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Email: tracywang@thebeijinger.com
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Photos: Whisper Bar, Tracy Wang