Discover a futuristic bar in Shanghai with mad-scientist energy

In Shanghai’s cocktail revolution – and ensuing evolution – Nanchang Road has emerged as something as a hub, where young mixologists come to debut herbal infusions and established ones come to earn accolades. In a refurbished townhouse at the leafy far end, Penicillin is a bit of both. A ‘closed-loop sustainable bar’ by Agung and Laura Prabowo, who opened their award-winning sister bar in Hong Kong in 2020, it operates with mad-scientist energy, turning out experimental distillations with foraged and repurposed ingredients.

Penicillin Shanghai – well worth a shot

The magic happens in the upstairs lab, accessible to patrons who want in on the making process. Designed in clinical steel and concrete by Louis Chon of Hong Kong’s LC Studio, it centres on two chef’s tables flanked by vats, funnels, rotary evaporators and distillers. Guests can sit at the glass terrarium table with, say, a One Pot Pan, a ‘flower tequila’ cocktail with leftover hops, fermented rice water, charred-chive cordial and strawberry hydrosol, as the ingredients steep and ferment around them.

‘There’s been a surge here of artisanal cocktails infused with Chinese ingredients, appealing to adventurous palates,’ says co-founder Laura Prabowo. ‘And that’s led to a trend towards themed venues that offer curated experiences rather than just drinks.’

Groups of up to six people can proceed to the Green Room and sink into sofas the colour of grape leaves. Yet Chon has done his most memorable work on the main floor. In a rotunda at the entrance, he’s suspended a fallen Chinese hackberry tree trunk rescued from a village outside Shanghai. The desiccated roots, floating inches off the floor, are a reminder of Penicillin’s foundational principles: renewable resources, organic elegance and zero-waste practices.

Fully visible from the pavement, the tree has become a neighbourhood curiosity. ‘Every guest who walks past touches it,’ says Prabowo. And thanks to its popularity on Xiaohungshu, the social networking app also known as RedNote, Penicillin has swiftly become the pinnacle of every Nanchang Road cocktail crawl. ‘With younger patrons, the emphasis is on aesthetics, ambience and visual appeal.’

Circling the tree is a backdrop of reflecting panels and a ring of banquettes where guests can perch for photos and wait for friends. The main cocktail lounge is more intimate, outfitted in gunmetal greys and manned by Jamie McCleave, a founding member of the Hong Kong branch, with local veteran Chris Wu. The Penicillin ethos means branded liquor is eschewed in favour of house-infused spirits, so a feature wall behind the bar is stacked with brown recycled eco-spirit bottles.

Prabowo knows this will attract just the right kind of cocktail junkie, and raise the bar of the neighbourhood offering. ‘Contributing to the identity of Nanchang Road, being part of this transformation, excites us.’

Penicillin Shanghai is located at 62 Nanchang Rd, Putung, Shanghai, China 200025.