The food and drinks off erings at The Union Trading Company.

Challenges to overcome

When asked about the current problems in Shanghai’s cocktail industry, the first thing that comes to the minds of bar operators is staffing.

It may seem a rather strange phenomenon considering the size of China’s labor force, but Xie was quick to highlight several factors that have contributed to this situation. One of them is the lack of a supply line of talent. While there are several bartending academies in the country, Xie said that many of them don’t actually teach anything useful.

"Some of the schools are just out to cheat people of their money. Many of these so-called bartending teachers have never been behind a bar counter before. The best way to learn about crafting cocktails is through on-the-job training," said the 34-year-old.

At the root of the problem, however, is the fact that most people don’t regard bartending as a viable career option.

"First, it’s the odd working hours. This type of lifestyle can be really tiring and disruptive to one’s social life," said Xie.

"Also, bartenders in Shanghai don’t get paid more than their peers in other industries. When you combine these two facts, there’s really no motivation for people to want to join the industry."

For Yao, another problem lies in the lack of confidence in many locals. He said that because individualism has never been strongly encouraged in Chinese culture, people often shy away from taking up responsibility and letting their personalities shine.