A crowd-pleaser from No Filter in Shanghai. Interview by Elle He, edited by Shu Mi.

“No Filter is a coffee shop by day and a cocktail bar by night. The space is pretty small and we have to share the already limited storage room with our coffee operations, so we’ve been making the best use of our ingredients since opening to save space and cut costs. For instance, we might use the same ingredient for a coffee drink and a cocktail.

Our group also owns a bistro called Bijou next door. I often check with them to see if the ingredients they’re using might work in our drinks. Bijou’s head chef, originally from Inner Mongolia, prepares an American-style roasted lamb rib served with a sauce made from sea-buckthorn and urum. Urum, an Inner Mongolia specialty, is clotted cream made from raw milk. As someone from Shanxi Province who grew up drinking sea-buckthorn juice, I saw the potential in using these two ingredients for cocktails.

We happened to need a milkshake-style cocktail on our menu. I used to work on cruise ships, and I noticed how often American guests ordered drinks like Pina Coladas and fruity Daiquiris. I believed these vacation-style frozen cocktails would also be popular in Shanghai. Conveniently, sea-buckthorn and urum work well in these types of drinks. So, I thought, why not create a frozen cocktail with them?

Zhang Peng, Bar Manager, No Filter, Shanghai

Sea-buckthorn has a strong astringent taste, which makes it challenging to use in drinks. However, when combined with the tangy creaminess of urum, it can offset the richness of the dairy product and highlight the sweet and sour notes. The split base is a combo of tonka bean-infused bourbon and brandy, adding a warm spiciness. I also put in some Mascarpone cheese, which not only adds a touch of umami taste but also ensures the drink won’t be too diluted when blended with ice. We recently sold this drink in a Qinghai-themed market in Shanghai and swapped urum with black barley yogurt from Qinghai Province, making it even more refreshing and therefore perfect for summer.

The theme of our cocktail menu is ‘Legendary Directors’, and we named this drink ‘Zhang Yimou.’ Beneath the seemingly raw ingredients lies a delicate, nuanced drink, creating a contrast that many customers find irresistible. True to its name, everything is straightforward in my bar – No Filter. Our goal is to offer easy-to-drink cocktails with good value for your money, allowing you to relax and enjoy a pleasant evening without any pressure.”

Click below to view recipe:

Zhang Yimou