[New Drinks]: Devil's Share

There is a new whisky and cocktail lounge in Xintiandi, and it's actually pretty good. Bellying up to the bar for a stiff drink.
Last updated: 2015-11-09


I'm not a huge fan of Xintiandi. With a few exceptions it's a soulless warren of overpriced restaurants and shops that cater to a transitory lot—tourists and business travelers. I've heard that XTD's property managers have finally recognized this and are attempting to revitalize the place. Their response has been uneven, with unremarkable tenants like Estado Puro and Greyhound Café. Still, some green shoots are starting to appear. Maybe there is some hope. Bottega, for instance, is a step in the right direction. The place needs more homegrown tenants. Then, more recently, there is Devil's Share.

This little hidden-in-plain-sight cocktail lounge is the work of James Wang. Booze and cocktails aren't so much a calling for Wang as they are a hobby. By day he's kept busy running China-wide retail operations for famed wedding dress designer Vera Wang. Their common surnames are no coincidence, either, by the way. James is Vera's second cousin. So it's a side project by a guy who's presumably already enjoying a great deal of success—a place where he and his friends can have a few drinks. That often raises red flags for me, but Devil's Share has given a strong first impression. It looks like Wang and Co. are doing things right.



The name is a play on a phenomenon common in the world of distilled beverages. When you age a spirit in a barrel, a certain percentage of it evaporates over the years. Lore has it that it goes to the angels, i.e. it's the "angels' share." Wang dispenses with the loftier connotations of the term in favor of something a bit more decadent. And thus, Devil's Share.

It's a small, upstairs space that seats about 40. It was once a private tea room, where the landlord could woo potential business connections. The centerpiece is a low-slung bar of grey marble. Perpendicular at either end are bridges that span the Xintiandi courtyard below. One is indoors and secluded. The other is open-air, and promises to be a cozy terrace in the warmer months. Classic jazz by the likes of Chet Baker and Thelonius Monk oozes from the speakers. The clientele is largely local and upwardly mobile, not your garden variety denizen of Xintiandi, who would likely stumble in, thinking they'd intruded on a private party.



The menu features more than a fair share of single malts. The selection is surprising, with selections from smaller distilleries, like Erdradour and Bruichladdich to more established brands, like Oban and Cragganmore. It's a user-friendly list, too, organized according to flavor profiles—"Floral & Leafy," "Fruit," "Rich"—rather than regions.

Perhaps what's more impressive, though, is that the collection is all above board—no hand-carries from over the Hong Kong border.... for now, at least. The fact that these guys can stock such a wide variety of Scotches without resorting to the gray market is a promising sign for the whisky supply in China at large.

Cocktails here are pretty good, too. Barman Brown Sun runs the show. His drinks skew classic, with simple, no frills presentations—hand chipped ice, fresh-squeezed juice, judiciously counted stirs. I usually go for the stiff stuff, and on my visit, Devil's Share did not disappoint. They do a pretty solid Sazerac with a generous helping of spicy Rittenhouse rye and absinthe poured over a glassy monolith of ice.



High marks go to their Old Fashioned as well—just that classic mix of bourbon (Wild Turkey Rare Breed), sugar, and bitters with aromatic orange peel.



Sun does both of these very much by the book. But sometimes he adds subtle tweaks, like a gin martini with just a splash of orange bitters. It's an addition so small that it doesn't even stain the drink, but you notice it immediately, and it works.



Sun also mixes it up with lighter, sweeter options. Some are easy and refreshing. Think: Tom Collins, champagne cocktails. Others may very well sneak up on you and knock you on your ass, like The Blinker.



This mix of rye, grapefruit juice, and raspberry syrup clocks in at 32% ABV. That's comparable to the seemingly stiffer Martinez (also on the menu). You've been warned.

Supplementing all of this is a small selection of mostly French wines and champagnes and that other popular symbol of Shanghai status, the cigar. And if you get hungry, they've got an Iberico ham behind the bar that they'll carve to order.

Naturally, none of this is cheap. It's Scotch. It's Xintiandi. What are you gonna do? Single malts start at 90 for a glass. Cocktails start at 88rmb but go for as much 160. But they're asking that much for a saffron-infused champagne cocktail. It's saffron. It's champagne. What are you gonna do?

Nevertheless, it's a welcome addition. If you find yourself lost among the stampedes of coach tour groups in Xintiandi, this is where you should be wetting your whistle.

For a listing of Devil's Share, click here

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