Shangri-La Kunming has launched its first major project ahead of its full unveiling later this year: SUMA, a destination bar created in collaboration with the award-winning SG Group founded by famed bartender Shingo Gokan. Officially opened on 30 April 2025, SUMA marks Yunnan’s first cocktail bar of this scale and ambition—an immersive space where hyperlocal flavours, cultural storytelling, and modern mixology come together.

Cocktails with a Sense of Place

SUMA offers more than just drinks—it tells the stories of Yunnan’s rich biodiversity and minority cultures through carefully crafted cocktails. Bar Manager Frankie Zou and the SG Group team have designed a menu inspired by local ingredients and daily traditions, transforming flavours like yak butter tea, wild mushrooms, and tamarillo into expressive and unexpected tipples.

Each drink on the rotating fan-shaped menu belongs to a flavour family—Spice, Fruity and Floral, Umami, and Bitter—making it easy for guests to explore Yunnan through their preferred taste profiles.

Standouts include:

• Yak Butter Fashioned: A twist on an Old Fashioned with pu’er tea and yak butter.

• Magic Manhattan: A mushroom-infused cocktail using locally foraged matsutake and jicong.

• Cucumber Salad: A herbaceous, refreshing nod to a popular Kunming side dish.

• Tree Tomato Tree: A playful homage to a Shingo Gokan original with a Yunnanese twist.

• Por Amor: A floral lychee martini served with a rose ice block made from heirloom Yunnan roses.

Non-alcoholic cocktails like the Dianhong Bubble Tea and Lemonless Lemon Sour offer equally creative options, with the former featuring boba pearls and chai-spiced milk tea.

A Space Designed to Evoke Wonder

Designed by award-winning studio AvroKO, SUMA’s interiors mirror the textures, colours, and artistry of Yunnan. From handwoven textiles inspired by minority tribes to garden-filled terraces and tented ceilings, the space invites guests into a layered world of discovery. The Spirit Lounge and Outdoor Lounge offer versatile zones for everything from intimate conversations to celebratory evenings under the stars.

More Than a Bar, A Cultural Beacon

According to Shangri-La Kunming GM Cliff Tan, SUMA reflects the hotel’s broader vision: to serve as a cultural gateway to Yunnan. “This is more than a bar—it’s a portal into a different way of seeing and tasting the region,” he said.

With its ambitious design, local storytelling, and world-class mixology, SUMA aims to put Kunming on the map for the global bar community—as both a local treasure and international cocktail destination.

Let us know in the comments: Which cocktail from SUMA would you love to try?

Visit SUMA

📍 Shangri-La Kunming, First Ring CBD
📱 Follow @sumakunming on Instagram

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Images: Shangri-La Kunming