Refer China: Inside the Pre-Opening of Penicillin Shanghai

The most hotly anticipated arrival of 2025

By Heather Millet

Beyond a buzz lies vibration. Beyond carbonation lies fermentation. Beyond sustainability lies community. And beyond cocktail bars lies Penicillin.

Agung (left) and Laura (right) Prabowo, co-founders of Penicillin Hong Kong and Shanghai. Photo courtesy of Penicillin

As surely the most anticipated Shanghai cocktail news of 2025, the opening of Penicillin is shaking up the industry, building on the success of its award-winning Hong Kong flagship, which has been a pioneering achievement under co-founders Agung and Laura Prabowo.

Penicillin streetview: pre-opening with team at work before final unveiling on May 8. Photo by Leo Jin

The glitterati of mixologists from around the world are peeking through the doors as they pass through Shanghai for cocktail competitions and celebrations.

Flavor enthusiasts and devotees of the original Hong Kong bar are licking their lips, pacing in anticipation, ready to pounce.

People passing by the launch site pause to marvel at the glass entrance, marked by a single tree stump suspended from the ceiling.

The entrance of Penicillin Shanghai. Photo by Maria Menand / That's

The team behind the new venue is racing to throw open its doors on May 8, plunging into Shanghai's summer chaos with a message: sustainability goes beyond the closed loop of a single kitchen.

Minimizing waste is an effort that should connect neighbors. Recycling and upcycling ingredients must be a passion—and perhaps it must also be stinky.

Penicillin Shanghai Laboratory. Photo by Maria Menand / That's

Penicillin in Hong Kong has made in-house fermentation a cornerstone of its beverage creation. Laboratory techniques are employed in a kind of mad chemistry to create explosions in flavor.

Many are aware that Penicillin practices several means to reduce waste within the bar—not uncommon in food and beverage—but what truly sets the concept apart is that they also look outside their own doors to work with local businesses sourcing spent or unused ingredients.

One Penicillin, One Tree: Cocktail original from the Hong Kong location which will be available in Shanghai. Photo Courtesy of Penicillin

Famously, their One Penicillin, One Tree cocktail—which will be available at the Shanghai venue—uses frozen avocado seeds from local Mexican restaurants instead of ice.

They also contribute to the wider world with this cocktail—for every glass sold, they plant a tree in Indonesia.

Melatonin in Plants: Cocktail from the Hong Kong location. Photo Courtesy of Penicillin

The Shanghai menu will showcase Penicillin Hong Kong's back catalogue, and include 11 signature drinks, plus three cocktails using in-house fermentations, such as Apple Pulp Cider or Banana Strawberry Wine.

The Apple Pulp Cider will repurpose refuse from juicing which would otherwise be binned, while the Banana Strawberry Wine will be made from "ugly strawberries"—those not deemed beautiful enough to sell on the market.

The team will also be working with local farms to pick ingredients directly, providing reusable bags for waste reduction, while connecting with the origins of the fruits and vegetables being used at the bar.

Flavors will go to extremes, like passionfruit with purple cabbage.

Chris Wu, Bar Manager at Penicillin Shanghai. Photo by Maria Menand / That's

The operation's clear mission cannot be denied, but there is even more happening at Penicillin than can be extracted via pickle jar or distillation.

Backing the bar are individuals truly invested in their vision: founders Agung and Laura Prabowo; silent partners; a freshly trained hospitality team; and key players like Hong Kong-based mixologist Jamie McCleave—in Shanghai for the opening six months—and the city's very own Chris Wu.

Chris Wu in the Green Room at Penicillin Shanghai. Photo by Maria Menand / That's

Chris's career has evolved through so many bar concepts that it's no surprise his next venture embraces deeply conceptual sustainability.

Though born in Macau, Chris first took up bartending in Taiwan's nightclubs, where he honed his skills in theatrical bottle flair.

Gradually, he realized that the ingredients—and the endless possibilities of flavor—drew him in even more, and he went on to work at MOD Public Bar in Taiwan, where Japanese attention to detail was paramount, placing an emphasis on craftsmanship and hospitality at its finest.

Chris Wu, circa 2019

From there, through Faye Chen (co-founder of world-famous Double Chicken Please in New York City), Chris was introduced to Shingo Gokan of SG Group here in Shanghai.

His next chapter took him to Speak Low, where he spent several years mastering the fusion of speed and elegance in a world-class setting.

Later, personal reasons drew him south to Shenzhen, working at a bar specializing in soju cocktails, before making a notable shift into brand representation for Seedlip—the pioneer in non-alcoholic spirits.

Then, at the 2023 World Class cocktail competition finals, Chris met Agung and Laura Prabowo, marking the beginning of a new collaboration.

Laura (left) and Agung (right) Prabowo at Penicillin Hong Kong. Photo Courtesy of Penicillin

"They are my idols, you know," Chris laughs shyly, "Someday, I want to be them."

For Chris, working in Penicillin means meeting a new version of himself, after many prior stages of exploration, and he feels great pride in the nearly finished bar where he will take the helm.

Inside Penicillin Shanghai. Photo by Maria Menand / That's

Penicillin Shanghai Bar Tour

Starting in the foyer, Chris places a hand on the hanging tree stump and explains: "We didn't want to cut down any trees. This tree fell down naturally in a typhoon in Nantong.

"Of course, we still had to buy it, because even sustainability is not free. But we didn't cut it. Inside is still some water. It takes a long time for a tree to dry."

Both Chris and Agung are very honest about the fact that efforts to reduce waste and commit to sustainability cannot be perfect—yet this symbol of the establishment instantly transforms the energy, shifting it from the noise and dust of Shanghai into something special.

In conversation with Chris Wu. Photo by Maria Menand / That's

The front entrance features rounded seating encircling the gnarled golden stump—as if, despite being an entryway, it is the perfect spot for friends to share secrets.

"There are four main chambers." Chris says, motioning us to follow him.

Entering the Main Chamber. Photo by Maria Menand / That's

The bar counter in the Main Chamber is centralized, face-forward to those who step inside.

Bartender's view inside the Main Chamber. Photo by Maria Menand / That's

"We want people to feel like talking," explains Chris. "Because a bartender shouldn't just be mixing and pouring drinks. There should be conversation, like friends."

Main Chamber bar top. Photo by Maria Menand / That's

The bar top itself is a fascination, as there is already a functioning temperature strip lining the counter block.

It looks like a winter frost has set perfectly in line, gathering enough of a snowy surface you could leave a fingerprint in it.

Penicillin refrigerated bar strip with pre-opening highballs. Photo by Maria Menand / That's

"Right now, it's cold—to keep a drink the perfect temperature so the ice won't melt as quickly. But maybe in winter we'll make it hot, if we want to serve hot toddies or mulled wine for the season."

Brown Bottles: More than just décor, these bottle will be reused for bulk acquisition of spirits to reduce waste from labels and manufacturing. Photo by Maria Menand / That's

The brown bottles which cascade behind him also have their own story.

"Actually, at Penicillin we don't want to buy so many new bottles," Chris motions to a whisky bottle that's currently providing two of the few drinks available for staff during this pre-opening period: highballs or whisky on the rocks.

"We work with a company called Eco-Spirits, sending them our own bottles and to refill with what we need, without the labels and extra manufacturing."

Paper labels on Penicillin's bottles are hand-crafted by Laura Prabowo from order slips and citrus peels. Photo by Maria Menand / That's

Further interest lies in the bottle labels, which are crafted by Laura Prabowo herself (in collaboration with LC Studio) and made from paper recycled from bar slips and citrus peel.

As we walk upstairs, Chris explains the many small details they are still working to improve. "Watch your head," he points to a low-hanging corner. "We need to fix that."

The Laboratory at Penicillin Shanghai. Photo by Maria Menand / That's

The two upstairs chambers are the Laboratory and the Fermentation Room.

The Fermentation Room currently stands empty but ready, equipped with high-tech humidity and temperature controls to ensure the perfect fermentation of creative ingredients.

A porthole offers a glimpse into the Fermentation Room from a short flight of stairs—just before entering the Green Room. Photo by Maria Menand / That's

"It's critical to pay careful attention to sugar density, pH value, and temperature to keep the ferments healthy," explains Chris.

They call the Fermentation Room the "Stinky Room"—even with cutting-edge technology, the natural fermentation process is funky.

Tabletop in guest seating area of the Laboratory. Photo by Maria Menand / That's

In a surprise twist for a bar, the laboratory space will feature seating.

"It's like a chef's table—you know?" Agung jumps in. "Guests can sit or stand and watch everything happen."

Agung beams as he gestures to the gigantic rotovap and ultrasonic sous-vide machine, which uses sound waves to oscillate particles for flawless flavor extraction.

This is a cocktail nerd's paradise.

Larger-than-life rotovap for distillations. Photo by Maria Menand / That's

They boast multiple centrifuge machines that can spin liquids at 5,000 RPM to separate sediment from crystal-clear liquid.

"It's just like processing a blood sample!" laughs Agung.

The Green Room: A cozy, intimate additional seating space in a mezzanine between laboratory and office. Photo by Maria Menand / That's

The tour moves up to a small room that glows green from velvet couches bathed in emerald light, bamboo-esque fixtures lining the walls.

"We wanted real bamboo," Agung shrugs, "but our designer warned us—being so close to the Fermentation Room, the changes in temperature and humidity would warp it."

"Look, sustainability isn't perfect," Agung says with refreshing honesty. "We don't want to bullshit people. Not everything here can be zero-waste, especially during opening.

"But we do what we can and it gets better with time. We also need to see what businesses we can work with and what they have for us."

Penicillin Shanghai Laboratory. Photo by Maria Menand / That's

Back in the Laboratory chamber, Agung and Chris laugh about the monstrous ventilation tube they've installed so they can "cook butter without the smells getting in guests clothes."

"And for team building we can put in a hot pot!" adds Chris.

Penicillin Interior. Photo by Maria Menand / That's

Watching the team's interactions, it's clear that passion, compassion, and connection are the core values of this place.

Even silent partners have been on-site, staying late and missing flights—all to focus on hospitality, offer feedback, and spend time among the team of investors and friends, some of whom have known each other for over 20 years.

They are living the concept of community, trusting the process together, knowing that representing this message can't be done alone.

At Penicillin, sustainability is more than waste reduction—it's a celebration of possibilities in what might otherwise go unseen.