Traditional Chinese medicine cocktail bars become China nightlife trend
Traditional Chinese medicine cocktail bars are opening in major Chinese cities, offering pulse checks and prescribed drinks to young, health-conscious customers.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story.
Traditional Chinese medicine cocktail bars are becoming a nightlife trend in China, with venues in major cities mixing TCM ingredients into cocktails and mocktails.
A report from Chengdu described bars that operate like a mix of pub and pharmacy. Customers can have their pulse and tone checked by dedicated doctors before being prescribed a drink. The bar's resident TCM practitioner assesses blood circulation and whether the body is too hot or too cold, measuring yin and yang, according to the report.
Sophia, who has opened five TCM bars and is about to open a sixth, said Chinese medicine has a long history but is not well known among younger people. She said her team gave it a shot by mixing it with cocktails, and many young people love it. The trend has been described as part of a so-called punk wellness movement, meaning wrecking yourself while saving yourself.
Alcohol is usually discouraged in traditional Chinese medicine. Supporters of the trend say embracing traditions while contradicting them is part of the appeal, as young people put their own twist on ancient practices. The nighttime economy in China is growing rapidly, and so is the wellness industry. TCM bars are promoted as a fusion of both. One person involved said many people still want nightlife, socialising and evening fun, but also care about their bodies, and the younger generation does not want to give anything up.
Drinks cost around 15 pounds each, almost twice the price of a regular cocktail. Like any drink, they will not cure what ails you, but customers who spoke to reporters enjoyed the experience. Traditional Chinese medicine can be hard to swallow, the report noted, but served this way it seems to go down a lot easier.
On screen
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Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, grouped by how many channels reported each one. Select a dot to see the source excerpt.
| Claim |  |
|---|---|
| Only on one channel | |
| At these bars, doctors check customers' pulse and tone before recommending a cocktail. | |
| The drinks cost around 15 pounds, almost twice the price of a regular cocktail. | |
| Traditional Chinese medicine themed bars serving drinks mixed with traditional medicine ingredients are opening in major Chinese cities. | |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
ITV1 treated the story as a light end-of-bulletin feature with a playful tone. It focused on the novelty of bars that combine TCM diagnosis with cocktails, the punk wellness label, and the contrast between alcohol and traditional medicine. It also included price and customer experience details, while noting that the drinks are not a cure.
- “pub meets pharmacy. Pharmacy, they're calling it”
- “It's part of a so-called punk wellness movement, basically meaning wrecking yourself while saving yourself.”
- “At around 15 pounds a drink, it is almost twice the price of a regular cocktail.”
Broadcast Timeline
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