Classic concoction

Kathleen's Waitan has a rooftop bar, which offers diners an excellent view of Shanghai's famous Bund. [Photo Provided to China Daily]

The owner of Kathleen's Waitan wants her new restaurant to be known for cocktails from the prohibition era during the 1920s and 30s. Shi Yingying takes a sip.

Think you can stump the bartender from Kathleen's Waitan (meaning Bund in Chinese) by ordering a drink that not many had heard of? Go ahead and try.

The restaurant and bar is trying to make a name by serving cocktails that have not been popular since the 1920s - the ones that Americans sneaked to make in their backyards during the prohibition era.

When asked why she chose the concept of cocktails rather than wine, Kathleen Lau, the restaurant's owner, says she loves the whole culture of classic mixed drinks.

"When I was planning this restaurant and I looked at all the restaurants in Shanghai, each one talked about their wine collections, and I thought, you know what?

"In Shanghai, private collectors have better selections than restaurants. What am I doing trying to compete with them?"

And there's no skill to picking wines, the only thing about wine is you pick the country, the grape and the year, you read the magazine and somebody tells you this is great wine, she says.

Once you step into Kathleen's Waitan, a dark wooden bar counter immediately grabs your attention. In Lau's words, "It's a stage and our bartender isn't hiding. She is inviting you to watch her performance with every careful motion."

The stage has its own audience with a big square table, which could easily sit 12 people. Christoffer Backman, the restaurant's beverage operation manager, refers to it as the "communal table" because it offers the space where people can interact more with bartenders.

"I want to launch a revolution, where customers not only sit back and watch our mixologists perform, but also join us and learn how to make cocktails, like Americans during the 20s and 30s," Lau says.

According to her, Americans could only make their own drinks at home, as alcohol was considered illegal during the prohibition era.

"And it tasted awful, people had to figure out how to make it taste better - they added juices, they added fruit, they added bitters - and they created a piece of art and legacy," says Lau.