Sure, Mid-Autumn Festival and mooncakes are on the horizon, but we still have a while to go before summer ends, meaning there are a few more weeks of block parties, junks and beach BBQs where you can soak up the sun. In addition to our monthly roundup of the best places to drink in town, we’ve put together a list of tropical cocktails specifically made for summer sipping. From Mai Tais and margaritas to piña coladas and punches, here’s a list of 17 summer drinks to help you stave off the heat — drink umbrellas, salt rims and fresh fruit garnishes included.
Pineapple and coconut are the star ingredients in the Tiki Candy, made of a base of clarified pineapple juice slow-cooked with star anise and Havana 3-Year-Old rum that’s been infused with classic Yan Chim Kee coconut candy. Mint leaves, lime juice, ginger beer and a dash of absinthe balance out this powerful tiki tumbler.
Price: $128
The Envoy, 3/F, The Pottinger Hong Kong, 74 Queen’s Road Central, Hong Kong, +852 2169 3311
Nothing says summer like fresh tomatoes plucked right from the garden — even if it’s just an illusion. VEA’s Insta-worthy Red Remedy is served in a glass sphere to resemble a bright and juicy tomato, with Bols Genever gin, tomato cordial, watermelon, pickled cucumber juice, basil and soda water rounding out this clever cocktail.
Price: HK$110
VEA, 29-30/F, The Wellington, 198 Wellington Street, Central, Hong Kong, +852 2711 8639
How about a tall glass of pandan-flavoured booze and crushed ice to save you from the summer heat? Pop into Bitters and Sweets this month for this refreshing sip of Southeast Asia, featuring pandan-infused rum, galangal, lemongrass, kaffir lime, chillies and coconut cream.
Price: HK$120
Bitters and Sweets, 1/F, Somptueux Central, 52-54 Wellington Street, Central, Hong Kong, +852 2788 0103
When in Lantau, make like the locals and while away the day on sunshine and rum. Beachside restaurant Bathers is offering this take on a spiked slushie with El Dorado 3 Years Old Rum, mango, lime and lemongrass making for the perfect seaside sipper. Ask for it in a jug and slurp to your heart’s content as you soak in the coastal views.
Price: HK$75 per glass/HK$260 per jug
Bathers, 32 Lower Cheung Sha Beach, South Lantau, Hong Kong, +852 2504 4788
Tropical fruits are mashed up into a green and red-layered concoction in Le Rêve‘s Kyoho Inspiration, with peach-flavoured vodka providing the base and spicy mango and fresh plum juice adding a fruity kick. Finished off with blue curaçao, Kyoho chateau wine and crushed fresh grape juice, this breezy drink is worth making a trip for.
Price: HK$150 plus 10% surcharge
Le Rêve, 10/F Zing!, 38 Yiu Wa Street, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong, +852 2866 1010
Technically we could add the whole menu of tiki cocktails at Central bar Honi Honi to this list, but if we’re picking just one, we’re partial to the Black Mojo — a powerful hit of dark spiced rum, watermelon, lime and passionfruit that arrives with a slice of the tropical fruit set on fire. The Polynesian sip will knock you back — plus, who wouldn’t want to drink from this extra frightening adorable tiki mug?
Price: HK$130
Honi Honi, 3/F, Somptueux Central, 52 Wellington Street, Central, Hong Kong, +852 2353 0885
It’s all about pineapples at hip hotpot hot spot The Drunken Pot (try saying that three times fast) this summer, with a “Summer Pineapple Fiesta” promotion running through the end of September. Order the bright yellow Pineapple Sake Smoothies to share for the table, with sake ice cubes that slowly melt and make the drink more potent as the meal progresses.
Price: HK$168 for four 100ml glasses
The Drunken Pot, 2/F, 8 Observatory Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong, +852 2321 9038
We never say no to a fun cocktail, even if it is a little bit gimmicky. The Beach Boy Grog is presented like a message in a bottle to really hammer home the island theme — but instead of a letter you’ll get a delicious blend of rum, passion fruit nectar and fruit juices served on crushed ice (a much better way to pass the time).
Price: HK$140
Wahtiki Island Lounge, 3/F, Seabird House, 22-28 Wyndham Street, Central, Hong Kong, +852 2793 0308
Sip on the smooth Sansha at Philippe Orrico’s ON Dining, a mix of Chase Elegant Gin, citrus and apple, with a drizzle of honey adding sweetness and a lingering heat from Thai chillies. The sweet-sour-spicy combo is the perfect precursor to Philippe’s standout dishes at this Michelin favourite.
Price: HK$120
ON Dining Kitchen & Lounge, 29/F, 18 On Lan Street, Central, Hong Kong, +852 2174 8100
Morton’s sweet and citrusy cocktail is full of fresh muddled pineapple and pineapple juice — crisp and refreshing on a hot summer day. It’s topped off with a slice of juicy pineapple and a thick sprig of fresh mint.
Price: HK$150
Morton’s The Steakhouse, 4/F, The Sheraton Hotel & Towers, 20 Nathan Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon, Hong Kong, +852 2732 2343
Sweet and mild, Lee Lo Mei’s Weak Chicken is a light summer sipper to pair with the open-fronted bar’s moreish Canto-style snacks. The buzz comes from Pisco and Wild Turkey bourbon, while rose purée mellows out the drink with a lovely floral aroma.
Price: HK$118
Lee Lo Mei, G/F & 1/F, 8 Lyndhurst Terrace, Central, Hong Kong, +852 2896 7688
Laze away summer days with the Ginger Pomelo at Hyatt Sha Tin’s Pool Bar, a mix of fizzy ginger beer, ginger juice, citron honey and mint leaves. The colour of sunshine, the drink blends in perfectly with the poolside setting as you soak in Hyatt Sha Tin’s tropical oasis.
Price: HK$65
Pool Bar, Hyatt Regency Sha Tin, 18 Chak Cheung Street, Sha Tin, New Territories, Hong Kong, +852 3723 1234
Germana Heritage (an aged Brazilian cachaça) lends a tropical touch to The El Candado at Djapa, rounded out with a kick of sherry, citrus and Peychaud’s bitters. Served with a floral garnish, this stiff drink will loosen you up in a jiffy as you soak up Djapa’s vibrant, Brazil-inspired décor.
Price: HK$188
Djapa, Shops G18-20 & F18A, Lee Tung Avenue, 200 Queen’s Road East, Wan Chai, Hong Kong, +852 2617 2900
The ultimate summer aperitif, we love bellinis for their crisp, refreshing flavour — and the fact that they’re acceptable to drink before the clock strikes noon. Known for their textbook versions of classic drinks make with top-shelf ingredients, Bar de Luxe’s bellini is upgraded with fresh Japanese peaches, peach juice and a splash of Moët.
Price: HK$218
Bar de Luxe, 30/F, 8 Wyndham Street, Central, Hong Kong, +852 3706 5716
Bartenders love adding coffee to their drinks, while baristas are known to splash a shot of liquor to spike up their morning cuppa every now and then, so it should come as no big surprise that Quinary’s Antonio Lai and The Coffee Academics have come together to pioneer a series of summer cocktails. We love the Morning TCA, a fragrant blend of coffee, pandan syrup, gin, rosso and pandan leaves that gives you a kick of caffeine while taking you straight to a tropical beachside setting.
Price: HK$78 for small, HK$88 for large
Roastery Lab by The Coffee Academics, Basement, 41 Staunton Street (enter from Peel Street), Central, Hong Kong, +852 3104 0075
The Waterfall Bar’s Watermelon Martini is a welcome warm weather sipper featuring a generous splash of gin shaken with fresh watermelon juice and lemon juice. Frozen and not too sweet (meaning you can have more than one), this ruby-red thirst quencher gets full marks as a delicious summer cocktail.
Price: HK$110 plus 10% surcharge
The Waterfall Bar, 11/F, Grand Hyatt Hong Kong, 1 Harbour Road, Wan Chai, Hong Kong, +852 2584 7722
Bread & Beast is solving the problem of watered-down drinks by letting you be your own bartender with the colourful Absolut Flavors Flight Set, featuring five mini vodkas and your choice of five mixers. Sporting a range of summery flavours from mandarin to pear, Absolut’s diet-conscious vodkas are free of added sugar; mix them with soda water for the ultimate low-cal, low-sugar alcohol fix.
Price: HK$280 plus 10% surcharge
Bread & Beast, 3 Swatow Street, Wan Chai, Hong Kong, +852 9016 3832
