China's new wave of TCM-infused cocktail bars, herbal gelato shops, and apothecary cafes is going viral — and Singapore's wellness-obsessed F&B scene looks ready to follow. Here's what the trend is, where to find its local echoes, and why it matters.
TCM Cocktails and Herbal Gelato: Is This the Future of Wellness Drinking?
Forget your standard gin and tonic. Across China, a bold new wave of entrepreneurs is blending thousand-year-old TCM remedies with craft cocktails, artisanal gelato, and sleek apothecary-style cafes — and the trend is already knocking on Singapore's door. TCM cocktails are showing up on menus from Shanghai to Chengdu, featuring ingredients like goji berry, dried tangerine peel, astragalus root, and even deer antler velvet shaken into drinks that look like something out of a Wes Anderson film. For a generation that wants to feel good about indulging, this is wellness culture at its most seductive.
What Exactly Are TCM-Infused Bars and Cafes Serving Up?
The concept is simple but clever: take the bitterness, earthiness, and ritual of traditional Chinese medicine and dress it up in a way that feels aspirational rather than clinical. In China, bars like those in the so-called "punk TCM" movement are serving cocktails infused with huang qi (astragalus) for immunity, dang gui (angelica root) for circulation, and pu-erh tea as a digestif base. Some venues even offer personalised menus based on your constitution type — damp heat, qi deficiency, you name it — blending the language of TCM practitioners with the vibe of a speakeasy. Gelato shops are folding in black sesame, red date, and longan, not just for flavour but for their supposed restorative properties.
The aesthetic is a huge part of the appeal. These are not your grandmother's herbal medicine halls with walls of wooden drawers and the smell of dried bark. Think exposed concrete, neon signage in classical Chinese script, and bartenders in lab coats explaining the difference between yin and yang tonics while they muddle your drink. It is theatre, absolutely — but it is theatre that has found a very willing audience among millennials and Gen Z who are simultaneously burnt out and deeply curious about ancestral wellness traditions.
Singapore's Own TCM Wellness Scene Worth Watching
Singapore is not sitting this trend out. While we have not yet seen a full-blown TCM cocktail bar open its doors here, several local venues are already threading herbal and wellness influences into their menus in ways that feel genuinely thoughtful. Hvala, the popular Japanese matcha cafe with multiple outlets across the island, has long championed the idea that what you drink can also nourish you — and its minimalist aesthetic shares obvious DNA with the new-wave TCM cafe format emerging in China.
Hvala
📍 Chijmes, 30 Victoria Street, Singapore 187996
⏰ Mon–Thu 11am–9pm, Fri–Sun 10am–10pm
🗺 View on Google Maps
For something leaning harder into herbal territory, Botanic Gardens favourite The Living Café has built its entire identity around functional, plant-based eating and drinking. Meanwhile, TCM-inspired mocktails and tonic drinks have been quietly appearing on wellness menus at spas and boutique hotels across the CBD. Analysts tracking Singapore's F&B sector note that health-conscious drinking — low-ABV, botanical, functional — is one of the fastest-growing menu categories in the city right now, up significantly year-on-year since 2022.
The Living Café
📍 779 Bukit Timah Road, Singapore 269758
📞 +65 6462 0144
⏰ Mon–Sun 9am–9pm
🗺 View on Google Maps
Treatment or Just Theatre — Does It Actually Matter?
Here is the honest question: does sipping an astragalus cocktail actually do anything for your qi, or is it just a very expensive, very Instagram-friendly placebo? Registered TCM practitioners are divided. Some welcome the mainstream visibility the trend brings to Chinese medicine, arguing that even a surface-level introduction to herbs like goji, ginger, and dang gui can spark genuine curiosity and healthier habits. Others are more cautious, pointing out that therapeutic dosages of TCM herbs are precise and that a splash of dried tangerine peel in your gin does not a prescription make. The consensus seems to be: enjoy it, but do not cancel your actual TCM appointment.
What is undeniable is the cultural resonance. For many younger Singaporeans of Chinese heritage, these drinks and foods serve as a kind of soft re-entry into traditions that felt old-fashioned or inaccessible growing up. There is something genuinely moving about a 28-year-old discovering that the red date soup their grandmother made actually has a name, a function, and a 2,000-year-old history — even if they encountered it first in a $22 cocktail.
The Verdict: Keep Your Eyes Peeled for Singapore's First TCM Bar
If you are a Singapore F&B entrepreneur reading this, the blueprint is sitting right in front of you. The demand is real, the aesthetic is proven, and the local audience — health-conscious, heritage-curious, and very willing to spend on experiences — is primed. In the meantime, explore what is already here: seek out herbal tonics at your local TCM hall, experiment with functional drinks at wellness cafes, and watch this space closely. Singapore's first proper TCM cocktail bar feels less like a question of if, and very much like a question of when.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a TCM cocktail and is it safe to drink?
A TCM cocktail is an alcoholic or non-alcoholic drink infused with traditional Chinese medicinal herbs such as goji berry, astragalus, dang gui, or pu-erh tea. Most are safe for healthy adults in the quantities used in drinks, but if you have specific health conditions or are on medication, check with a healthcare professional before consuming herbal-infused beverages regularly.
Are there TCM-inspired cafes or bars in Singapore right now?
While Singapore does not yet have a dedicated TCM cocktail bar, several cafes and wellness venues incorporate herbal and functional ingredients into their menus. Hvala and The Living Café are good starting points, and TCM-inspired tonics are increasingly appearing at spa menus and boutique hotel bars across the city.
Why is the TCM wellness trend so popular with younger generations?
Younger consumers are increasingly drawn to the idea of functional eating and drinking — getting pleasure and perceived health benefits simultaneously. TCM ingredients also carry cultural weight for many in the Chinese diaspora, making these experiences feel both trendy and personally meaningful. The striking aesthetics of new-wave TCM venues make them highly shareable on social media, which accelerates their appeal.
How much do TCM-infused drinks typically cost?
In China, TCM cocktails typically range from RMB 60–120 (roughly SGD 11–22) per drink, putting them in the premium cocktail tier. In Singapore, functional wellness drinks at specialty cafes generally range from SGD 8–18, depending on the ingredients and venue positioning.
Is TCM-infused food and drink actually therapeutic?
Registered TCM practitioners generally caution that food and drink products using herbal ingredients are unlikely to deliver clinical therapeutic effects, as dosages are far below what would be prescribed medicinally. That said, many of the herbs used — goji, red dates, ginger, black sesame — do have recognised nutritional benefits and are a healthy addition to any diet in culinary quantities.
