Sting & Honey: hidden speakeasy on Julu Lu, Shanghai. Sip signature cocktails (RMB108) like Hot Dog Old-Fashioned. Open 7pm-2am daily. Hunt for 130 hidden bees.
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By Heather Millet
Holding both reverence and risk in equal measure, a dimly lit bar on Julu Lu now translates this mystery of life into the art of cocktail creation.
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The amber glow of the Sting & Honey bar interior
Sting & Honey takes a small adventure to find: up a flight of stairs from the streetside, past other bustling businesses, and into a tiny private elevator, fit intimately for two.
The elevator doors slide open into a massive, hive-like space that is meant to be explored slowly, discovering different chambers of activity.
First, we leave our coats in the cloak room, then weave past one bar station, through an arch, and into the next, longer bar area, where refrigerated wares await.
Sting & Honey's longer bar area
Sneaky peek into Sting & Honey walk-in refrigerators
Two walk-in fridges hold a myriad of bottles, from wine and beer to selected spirits, bitters, and mysterious hand-labeled liquids.
Coming around to the bar, a huge black curtain is pulled aside to reveal candlelit nooks, and the full expanse of the room becomes impressive—the walls black, the bar top stone, the accents wooden.
Lighting sconces cast a sunset glow.
Sting & Honey main bar top
The space reads classic, while the music brings an alternative, playful feel—ranging from grunge to emo, pop-punk to alt-rock, and more contemporary tunes. Sting & Honey feels relaxed and familiar, but matured.
And then there's the game: 130 bees hidden around the bar. Some are stuffed-animal size, others tucked away on the ceiling, and one—a real bee, preserved under plastic—hides in the restroom décor.
Find all 130 and win a round of shots.
Making a powerful case for nominative determinism, the concept comes from the mind of a man known simply by his last name: Bee.
Sting & Honey founder, who simply goes by his last name: Bee
Of Korean heritage, Bee boasts 16 years of industry experience, having worked in Taiwan—where he was raised—Japan, and now the Chinese mainland.
His time in Japan gave him a keen understanding of professional, meticulous bartending techniques and hospitality.
He has consulted on cocktail menu pairings for Michelin-starred chefs, which taught him to pay attention to what's best for customers.
And a tenure at renowned speakeasy Flask in Shanghai served as his perfect introduction to the city.
Bee, a punk band singer bringing a rebellious flare to his work
It's clear from speaking with him that his rebellious personal history—singing for punk bands when he was younger—had to come out when opening his own bar.
The aim: bring the bar back to its essence and reject high-tech shortcuts in cocktail creation...
Sting & Honey's ethos as expressed on their menu
Perusing the nectars on offer, the menu is divided by classic inspirations, from lowest to highest ABV: Fizz, then Sour, Sidecar, Negroni, and Martini.
This categorization, Bee says, is how his team focuses their creativity together. All signatures are priced at RMB108 per glass.
Korean Paloma: Tequila, Korean Hot Sauce Cordial, Grand Marnier, Lime, Carbonated Grapefruit
As a nod to his roots, Bee crafted the Korean Paloma with a twist: Korean hot sauce cordial. It's a perfect, refreshing starter with a hint of bite.
Genmaicha Margarita: Sesame Oil, Tequila, Mezcal, Genmaicha, Celery, Lime
In the Genmaicha Martini, the treatment of sesame oil is well-balanced—as a fat-wash for the tequila, it speaks forth without overpowering the gentle tea syrup.
Hot Dog Old-Fashioned: German Sausage, Black Label Johnnie Walker, Mustard, Butter, Buns
When asked how he came up with the idea for a Hot Dog Old-Fashioned, Bee shrugs with a skeptical expression.
"I just like hot dogs!" he says, before adding: "One of my core values is no bullshit. Let a bar be a fucking bar. I'm not here to sell you a story."
Although clever methods were employed—sous-viding the hot dog with the Black Label, and a fat-wash to infuse butter and bun flavors—in the end the aroma of mustard is strong and the cocktail is straightforward.
It tastes like hot dog!
Smoked Salmon Martini: Smoked Salmon, Gin, Cochi Blanco, Dill
In a shocking turn, the most intimidating cocktail among the cuisine-inspired options is the Smoked Salmon Martini.
Bee says the team experiments in "stupid old school ways"—so in this case, they simply infused the gin for six days with smoked salmon. "We couldn't cook it, or it wouldn't be the same ingredient!"
The result sounds terrifying, but in fact has a light essence of the cured delicacy, and is not fishy. Dill oil drops bring bursts of flavor variation, and a bitter finish rounds the sweetness.
This cocktail is definitely rebellious, yet light-handed—and violates expectations.
Smoky Russian: Mezcal, Averna, Vanilla, Angostura, Cheese
Beyond the signature menu and classics, there is the option of crafting bespoke cocktails, with price varying by selection.
Creative consumers can choose based on what they see on the menu, behind the bar, or while exploring the walk-in refrigerators.
Bespoke cocktails are always an option at Sting & Honey
Once more, Bee ensures not to overtreat the ingredients, crafting a smooth drop with our selection of absinthe, green apple shrub, and palo santo mist.
He thinks for a moment, seeming to calculate the balance—then whips up a beautiful, clean glass of liquid.
Besoke Cocktail: Absinthe, Green Apple Shrub & Palo Santo Mist
And what is green apple shrub?
Bee starts to explain: "Shrub is a method—some kind of liqueur that pulls the acid and sweetness…" Then he pauses.
"It's apple juice, fuck it."
Rebel rebel: Bee serving playful options on a guest shift
There is also a selection of wine from France and Italy, and Champagne. Gargantuan bottles of specialty beers are also available.
Sting & Honey is the perfect hide away to end the day
What can we say except that Sting & Honey is chill, hidden, and delicious. It's an ideal spot to relax in an amber glow and... catch a buzzzzzz!
Daily, 7pm-2am
Sting & Honey 4/F, Building A1, 318 Julu Road, Huangpu District 巨鹿路318号4楼
[All images courtesy of Sting & Honey]