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The Cocktail Bar with the Incense

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When it comes to choosing a spot for dinner with friends, the conversation usually goes something like, “Do you fancy going to the soup place, or tudou niurou? Or how about dumplings; cheap dumplings, or greasy dumplings? No? What about ‘beautiful bacteria’?”

Not one of us could tell you the actual name of any of these places; it simply makes more sense to refer to them by what makes them memorable. And Don Quixote has just joined the club. I now christen it “the cocktail bar with the incense”. 

Smell is definitely an underrated sense. We do not cook or mix drinks simply to smell them, but we certainly do not complain about the wonderful bi-product. At Don Quixote, however, it was smell that left a lasting impression. It took pride of place in my cocktail, so much so that two people had to deliver it. One to turn over an upturned glass accumulating wisps of incense, another to theatrically pour over a clear blond liquid, laiden with tequila and whisky.

The first waft and sip, and I’m happy as Larry.

The Men’s Talk cocktail is a sobering ¥120, but with 30 percent alcohol content, it does well to soften the senses, packed with ingredients of which I only wish I knew. Carpano Antica Formula? I’m sold! I ordered mine pre-Trump, but I would say now it makes for an even more appropriate tipple. 

Men’s Talk is barman Jacko Chang’s champion concoction. It sits next to other winners on the menu alongside a concise selection of seasonal cocktails, Don Quixote signatures and vintage classics, such as Pimm’s. If you’ve come for a Tequila Sunrise, this isn’t really your place. 

For Jacko is a world class cocktail champion from Taiwan, one brought in to give Don Quixote some fresh blood and a makeover. As part of the Lee Cartel that also includes Tap Planet, The Loft and PCP, it was felt the time was right for a change.

At one side of this cosy haunt, Jacko cooks up the weird and wonderful from a menagerie of spirits. He uses Oolong Vodka and Maraschino (an Italian cherry liqueur), Midori (a Japanese melon liqueur) and Cynar (an artichoke-based bittersweet liqueur). Then there’s Ketel 1, Talisker 10, Zacapa 23 Infusion Earl Grey Tea, Orange Blossom Water and even Sod Water (although I’m pretty sure that last one was a typo). You may need Google. But I suggest instead you pick a cocktail, slide further into that armchair and trust that what you get will be excellent.

Pretentious? Well, yes. Worth it? Absolutely. The curious combination of incense and whisky was enough to impress me, but Jacko’s got plenty more up his sleeve. Each cocktail comes with a good measure of imagination and artistry, and the flair of a professional. So next time you’re looking for somewhere to go, think of that cocktail bar with the incense and head to Don Quixote. 

Don Quixote is located at 39 Chengxian Jie, off Zhujiang Lu. Tel: 13151059788.

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