Summer drinks to try this month in Hong Kong
Summer’s just around the corner and these bars and restaurants are coming up with new drinks to quench your thirst! With unique bursts of flavour, these cocktails are sure to make a great start to your summer.
Darkside, Rosewood Hong Kong
DarkSide at Rosewood Hong Kong, the sultry jazz and cocktail parlour that was recently ranked #13 on Asia’s 50 Best Bars 2022 list and #49 on World’s 50 Best Bars 2021 list, introduces a new menu inspired by retro cocktails of the last century. Each cocktail on the Modern Forgotten Classic Menu, created by the Director of Bars Arkadiuz Rybak and the award-winning DarkSide mixology team, is concocted and presented with an elevated and whimsical twist, and debuts for sophisticated sipping from 9th May onwards when Darkside reopens.
The menu features the Jungle Bird, a Tiki-style cocktail created by Jeffrey Ong in 1978 for the opening of the Kuala Lumpur Hilton’s Aviary Bar – hence the name. DarkSide has re-created this very cocktail with Plantation 5-year-old rum, bitter Campari, freshly squeezed pineapple and lime, served in an Alto highball glass over a block of ice, garnished with a maraschino cherry and banana leaf. Cameron’s Kick is a classic cocktail, said to have originated in Harry MacElhone’s Harry’s ABC of Mixing Cocktails published in 1919. The highly refreshing and citrusy shaken drink exudes a strong almond flavour that blends perfectly with the “peatiness” of Nikka Whisky from the barrel. The cocktail is finished with a garnish of bitter embroidery art.
The house cocktail of the now-defunct La Louisiane, a New Orleans institution famous for its fiery Cajun specialties, La Louisienne is a stirred rye whisky concoction whose recipe was originally printed in Stanley Clisby Arthur’s Famous New Orleans Drinks and How to Mix Them in 1937. The lost New Orleans classic is the choice for any Manhattan cocktail and Vieux Carré lover and is perfect as an after-dinner libation. DarkSide combines Michter’s rye whisky with Mancino Rosso vermouth, with a fresh kick from absinthe, Benedictine and Peychaud’s bitters.
Maka Hiki Tropical Bar and Grill
Summer has arrived in Hong Kong, and Maka Hiki Bar & Grill (Maka Hiki) is primed with a selection of tropical eats and pours overflowing with island vibes to get everyone into the summertime spirit.
Start the morning off right with Maka Hiki’s healthy and colourful breakfast menu which boasts a bevy of fruity and savoury options for any craving that strikes. The best part: bring a friend, family member, partner, or colleague along, as Maka Hiki is offering a Buy 1 Get 1 on all breakfast bowls starting 1 June 2022. Cool off with a refreshing Blue Dragon Bowl (HKD120) blended with frozen blueberries, or turn up the heat with a Dirty Chai Detox Bowl (HK$120) muddled with chai masala spices. Protein-packed Poke Bowls such as the Yuzu Ponzu Salmon (HK$120) and the Tofu Peanut (HK$120) are also part of the deal, amongst numerous other nourishing picks.
Guests craving the balmy feeling of midsummer air whilst enjoying their food and drinks can spill out onto Maka Hiki’s lush outdoor terrace areas, immersing themselves in a verdant oasis. The two terrace areas are equipped with outdoor fans should guests need a cooling breeze as they select their next cocktail to sip on, curated and created by the restaurant’s passionate bartenders. Every cocktail on the drinks menu is sure to refresh the taste buds with a unique blend of fun flavours, such as the citrusy Maka Hiki Punch (HK$180) with tart maraschino liqueur, and homemade falernum liqueur that gives the grapefruit-lemon blend a ginger-infused kick. The Dum Dum Give Me Rum Rum! (HK$130) is another standout sampling of four different types of rum elevated by dashes of orgeat syrup, lime juice, and passionfruit puree.
Staying true to its ‘sharing is caring’ philosophy, larger cocktails are also available for groups to enjoy together. Dive into the Forgotten Shell (HK$1,888) concoction for big groups of 8-12 persons (which is topped up with a whole bottle of Pommery Brut Royal Champagne), and the rum-based Maka Hiki All The Way (HK$900) made sweeter with fresh watermelon and orange for up to 8 persons. All served up in quirky, authentic Tiki glasses of every size and garnished with fresh fruit, umbrellas, and flowers, Maka Hiki’s signature cocktails are bound to transport guests to their very own island paradise.
25:00 (Twenty-Fifth Hour)
25:00 (Twenty-Fifth Hour), a speakeasy cocktail bar hidden above the iconic Luk Yu Tea House, is now open and ready to intrigue guests with an entirely new drinking experience by Head Mixologist Kenzo Lee of Woobar at W Hotel and Sugar at East Hotel fame. The Journey to 25:00 (HK$588) is a groundbreaking cocktail tasting menu that pays homage to Hong Kong’s culinary culture via a chronological exploration of a typical day in the city.
The six-cocktail tasting menu begins with a concoction inspired by the famed morning ritual of Yum Cha: Black Label whisky, cold-brewed jasmine tea, elderflower, grapefruit, and green apple are combined to create an awe-inspiring libation that blurs the line between drinking and dining. Next, guests move onto a midday-inspired tipple that nods to the classic pineapple, coconut and melon-flavoured Nothing cocktail that defined nineties day drinking in Hong Kong.
Kenzo’s love for Cantonese dining culture is undeniable in the creative Bo Jai Fan which ambitiously combines shitake sous vide gin, Chinese preserved sausage fat washed Amaro Montenegro and elderflower. The creation is reminiscent of a comforting clay pot dish with a crisp rice cracker providing all the satisfaction of a coveted clay pot crust.
The cocktail tasting menu experience is available only at the bar and is limited to eight seats per night, from Monday to Wednesday only.
Read more: Enjoy the Dragon Boat festivities with these dumpling menus
Brooklyn Yakuza’s Oyabun Bar
Oyabun has made its impression on cocktail lovers around Hong Kong as a Manhattan-style Japanese cocktail bar located within the city’s designated party area, Wyndham Street. An establishment led by none other than the acclaimed beverage manager Bikram Shrestha and his protégé Arati Gurung. Guests are set to indulge in a myriad of innovative and brilliant mixes.
Oyabun will introduce its much-anticipated Otsumami Yakuza Specials, an unparalleled experience of exquisite drinks and accompanying complimentary bites. Available all day from Monday to Sunday, guests who order one cocktail will receive complimentary signature Brooklyn Yakuza bites and sake. With a variety of classic cocktails available, patrons can sit back, relax and drink to their heart’s content. The Fruity Fuji with Awamori, Yuzu, Guava & Basil or New Age Brooklyn with Whiskey, Fernet Hunter, Lillet & Chocolate and Sapporo Snow with Gin, Pandan & Coconut are just a few of the many signature delectable options available.
The Chef’s G&T concocted with Kyoho tea, red berries and Q tonic holds a variety of flavours and is an elegant choice. For an explosion of tangy flavours, the Tokyo Drift sets the palate on fire with Dark Rum, Plum, Blood Orange & Hibiscus. For those looking for a late-night tipple, Oyabun’s ‘Aged In Barrel’ selection priced at just HK$108+10% includes a dark and unique BYNegroni with Sochu, Campari & Vermouth or the ultra-umami Fashion in Okinawa with Awamori, Bourbon, Maple & Bitters.
Terrible Baby
Eclectic Jordan hot-spot at Eaton HK, Terrible Baby, presents two special cocktails in reverence to World Cocktail Day. Each special libation is made with Yuen Long-grown ingredients like fresh turmeric and beetroot.
Gaia (HK$100) is a turmeric-infused gin mixed with Seedlip Grove 42, combined with a citrus galore of passion fruit, orange and citrus, adorned with turmeric syrup. Seedlip Garden 108, infused with beetroot shrub, citrus and methyl over a Glenmorangie X base, the Humble Beet-Roots (HK$100) strives to explore the link between humans, soil and food by using locally sourced beetroot.
