What happens when you cross tiki cocktails with Asian ingredients and an eye for minimalism? Find out at this new bar opened by Joe Villanueva, co-founder of The Wise King, and Bryson Rivera, previously head bartender at JW Marriott's Q88, who incorporate a cornucopia of Southeast Asian fruits into the makeup of their cocktails. We're particularly fond of Mangosteen, which blends together spiced gin, mangosteen chutney, and a dusting of curry powder for an exotic sweet-savoury combo; and the Coco-Piña, where a pineapple is hollowed out and filled with a cocktail of pandan-infused white rum, kaffir lemongrass coconut milk, and pineapple lager. A snack menu of Cantonese-Polynesian treats promises to keep revellers going late into the night.

The Social Den, 9/F, The Loop, 33 Wellington Street, Central, Hong Kong; instagram.com/thesocialden.hk

Middle Eastern-themed bar Zzura continues its exploration of the mythical desert civilisation of Zerzura with an all-new cocktail menu by Gagan Gurung. The eight new cocktails can be split into six drinks based on Middle Eastern botanicals like pomegranate, olive, almond, beetroot and grape. The Iranian-inspired Sharbat mixes citrus vodka, pori (puffed rice), pomegranate vinegar, rooibos tea syrup and caramel; while the Oly Moly combines gin with olive oil, mountain pepper, rosemary syrup, metil and lemon juice. Meanwhile, classics with a twist riff on well-trodden recipes like the Caffeinated Negroni and the Chamomile Whiskey Sour. 

Zzura, 2/F, Amber Lodge, 23 Hollywood Road, Central, Hong Kong; instagram.com/zzura.hk

The winner of Asia's Most Sustainable Bar 2021 is back at it again with version 3 of their seasonal cocktail menu. Founders Agung Prabowo and Roman Ghale's quest for zero-waste cocktails continues in the shape of drinks named after popular sustainability books: The Human Age is a summer-ready rendition of the martini with its combination of elderflower vermouth, buttered-honeydew gin and calvados; while The Story of Stuff takes inspiration from the piña colada for a clarified and carbonated mixture of cacao-butter rum, pineapple/pandan/kaffir water, and ube. We can also see orders flying off the shelf for How Bad Are Bananas, a cocktail dedicated to the White Rabbit candy of our youth.

Penicillin, LG/F, Amber Lodge, 23 Hollywood Road, Central, Hong Kong; penicillinbar.com 

Asian ingredients are the focus of Dio Store's spring collection of cocktails. Sip on familiar flavours in a novel format with libations like the Dashi Dirty Martini (olive, dry vermouth, vodka infused with bonito, kombu, sun-dried mushroom and bait), the Dried Fruit Presidente (dried apricot, fig and mango-infused rum, dry vermouth, orange curaçao, demerara syrup), and the refreshing Kaffir Paloma (kaffir leaf and lemongrass-infused tequila, grapefruit, soda water, smoked salt). If you're extra picky, bartender Bone Cheng can also tailor a bespoke cocktail using the ingredients of your liking.

Dio Store, 8 Aberdeen Street, Central, Hong Kong; dio.com.hk

To welcome drinkers back into their space, the folks at Candour have introduced a range of new signature cocktails. There's the Green Light, which mixes Tanqueray, tarragon Chartreuse, sugar snap pea, honeydew, and lime; and the Coast to Coast, a tropical formula of coconut oil-washed ABA pisco, falernum, pineapple stock, lime and nutmeg.

Candour is also debuting The Warm-Up, its happy hour from 3-6pm every Wednesday to Saturday, featuring a range of cocktails that can't be ordered outside of this period. 

Candour, 65 Peel Street, Central, Hong Kong

NOW READ

Elemental Malts: Carbon Brews Opens Its First Hong Kong Taproom

Thirsty Shaker is Bringing Back the Cocktails of Your Youth (And Then Some)

By The Glass: Romain Loriot, Founder of ThinkWine