Love of leaf

Botany is more than a name at one of Beijing's sleekest new bars - it's an embrace of plants that can make magic in a cocktail glass, Mike Peters discovers between fragrant sips.

Frankie Zou is pouring one of his housemade vermouths, this one infused with chamomile, into a gleaming crystal glass.

"That gives the drink a floral character," he says as he reaches next for egg whites, then cognac, then freshly cooked pineapple juice, and finally a lemon juice-syrup blend to produce a sweet-sour finish.