Laiba Brings China's Best-Rated Cocktails Straight to Your Door

原创 Tom Arnstein theBeijinger

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We're used to the routine now: work from home, bunk off, move the 10 feet from your desk to your couch to settle in for the evening. If you're lucky, you'll have a couple of beers waiting for you in the fridge, or better yet, a minibar to whip up something stronger to drown out the world outside. But what if you're missing your favorite bar or cocktail? That's the sweet spot that Laiba Beverages' Bar in a Bottle concept hopes to fill.

Michael Chen, former GM of of Sydney's Eau-de-Vie, was recruited to oversee creation of Laiba's cocktails

The Shanghai-based company has recruited former GM and mixologist of Sydney's Eau-de-Vie, Michael Chen, to help curate a signature selection of premixed drinks, which can all be ordered online and delivered straight to your door anywhere in China. They've also collaborated with China's first gin company, Peddler's, and some of the country's biggest names in cocktail making to create a line of "bars in a bottle."

There are currently 22 different cocktails in the Laiba collection

Currently, entries come from bars in Beijing, Shanghai, Hangzhou, Shenzhen, and Ningbo. Our city is represented here by Sanlitun's sleek and artsy The Black Moth and popular Mexican eatery El Barrio. Several more come from Shanghai – not a surprise given their comparatively mature cocktail scene – which is a bonus for us northerners, allowing us to sip on mixes from The Union Trading Co., Arch, and Shake without ever having to leave the house let alone get on a train.

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Drinks can be mixed-and-matched and ordered in batches of three minimum

So, what about the cocktails? The first thing you're likely to notice is the packaging: neatly presented and well-cushioned (necessary to withstand China's occasionally hamfisted approach to post), each box comes with six compact 125ml glass bottles at around 12-19 percent alcohol by volume each. The box includes simple instructions on how to best serve each type, including suggestions on glassware and garnish.

One of The Black Moth's entries is simply called "Cumin," and may not be for everyone

We're also happily surprised to find that each cocktail, true to their varied origins, doesn't try and appeal to all palates at once. In fact, there are a couple that will be divisive: The Black Moth's "Cumin" cocktail, which, thanks to a healthy inclusion of said spice, borders on savory. One's enjoyment of this cocktail is likely to depend on how much it does or does not bring to mind chuan'r or fried chicken. Likewise, the Union Trading Co.'s Trans-Pacific Express is a big and bold hit of lime, sherry, and passionfruit with a fire-down-the-gullet dollop of Sriracha – a great drink for chili lovers, arm-flapping and mild sweats for everyone else.

But not all the cocktails are as audacious. The Dangerous Maverick, from Shanghai's The Odd Couple, sticks to Peddler's Gin, pineapple, watermelon, basil, and lime for a lighter, altogether more conventional and fruit-heavy number, whereas El Barrio's alcohol-drenched strawberry margarita (made up of tequila, Cointreau, lime, agave syrup, and strawberry) is replicated here almost identically to the version they sell in-house.

There are currently 22 drinks in total, which means there's enough variety to keep you coming back, and at RMB 50-70 a bottle, they hit a decent pricepoint: cheaper than what you'd splash out at the bar but pricier than something you're likely able to mix up yourself. You too can soon say "lai ba!" from the comfort of your home by browsing the entire range via the QR code above.