The city is a frenzy of art this month, and you’ll want to get through all the events and exhibitions with a cocktail in hand. Luckily, the arrival of spring means there’s plenty of fresh new drink offerings around town, from new cocktail menus to a Scotch-themed feast for the senses at the upcoming Taste of Hong Kong. Also happening mid-month: the inevitable whiskey and Guinness flowing on St. Patrick’s Day. Keep calm and carry on imbibing (responsibly) at this month’s best places to drink below.
Limited Edition Art Cocktails by Ming Fat House
When: 1–30 March
In honour of Art Basel anchoring this month’s arts festivities, you’ll be able to sip on five new limited edition art cocktails at each of Ming Fat House’s outlets. Known for its quirky and innovative hidden bar concepts such as Mrs. Pound, Dr. Fern’s Gin Parlour and Foxglove, the group has created an equally eclectic list of drinks available at each bar. Try Dr. Fern’s highly Instagrammable “Zoetrope” (HK$150), named after the ancient Chinese shadow lamps that twirled to reveal the illusion of an animated trotting horse. Over at Foxglove, drinks are decidedly more rock and roll, such as the “Schizophrenia” (HK$150), a bold red cocktail influenced by David Bowie’s hit album Aladdin Sane.
Mrs. Pound, 6 Pound Lane, Sheung Wan, Hong Kong, +852 3426 3949
Dr. Fern’s Gin Parlour, Shop B31A, First Basement Floor, Landmark Atrium, 15 Queen’s Road Central, Central, Hong Kong, +852 2111 9449
Foxglove, 18 Ice House Street / 6 Duddell Street, Central, Hong Kong, +852 2116 8949
Art Cocktails by JIA Group
When: All month
Speaking of arty cocktails, JIA Group’s got a few pieces up its sleeve with delicious-sounding concoctions inspired by great masters throughout the ages. The “Yellow Over Red” (HK$88) at Commissary is inspired by legendary abstract expressionist Mark Rothko’s famous colour field painting and is a layered stunner made with Bulleit bourbon, aperol, peach liqueur and orange juice. At 208 Duecento Otto, the punny Limoncello Da Vinci (HK$88) is an Italian feast for the eyes, made with Grappa, house-made limoncello, lemon, thyme, egg white and aromatic bitters.
Commissary, Shop 405, 4/F, Pacific Place, 88 Queensway, Admiralty, Hong Kong, +852 2602 0707
208 Duecento Otto, 208 Hollywood Road, Central, Hong Kong, +852 2549 0208
Beefbar Sparkling Thursdays
When: From 8 March onwards, every Thursday, 5–8pm
Price: HK$390 per person
Beefbar’s new three-hour free-flow package of boutique sparkling wines is the perfect new happy hour spot to get us through that final workweek hurdle. Its launch this week coincides with International Women’s Day, so ladies looking to get some bubbly can enjoy the package on 8 March at HK$320, instead of the regular price at HK$390. Free-flowing bubbly, a live DJ set and a rooftop terrace surrounded by Hong Kong’s iconic skyscrapers: not a bad way to spend a Thursday night.
Beefbar, 2/F, Club Lusitano, 16 Ice House Street, Central, Hong Kong, +852 2110 8853
Spring it On in LKF
When: From 12 March onwards
A total of 18 bars and restaurants in Lan Kwai Fong are banding together with a timely welcome to the spring season (read: the onset of sweaty Hong Kong weather) with some aptly refreshing beverages. The new concoctions are as playful as the slang-infused campaign name, which in Cantonese translates to “飲乜春” (yum mat chun, literally “drink what spring,” or something to the effect of, “what the heck are you drinking?”). Each participating venue has created an exuberant spring cocktail, paired with a lower-calorie alternative for those no doubt working hard at their summer bods. We’re particularly looking forward to Bar De Luxe’s “Spring Field” (HK$188; gin, elderflower liquor, Japanese strawberry, rosemary, grapefruit juice, lime juice) and Bread Street Kitchen’s “Jasmine” (HK$88; Jasmine-infused gin, fig liqueur, house made grapefruit shrub, lemon juice, egg white).
Check out LanKwaiFong.com for more info
The HK EnvironMentalists Bar Takeover at Fang Fang
When: 13 March, 7pm
Recently storming Hong Kong’s drinking scene with radical eco-friendly practices (it’s about time everyone stopped using plastic straws), the HK EnvironMentalists are a group of bar industry folk dedicated to the waste-free cause. Members include Potato Head Hong Kong’s Tom Egerton, The Pontiac’s Beckaly Franks, Zuma Hong Kong’s Arkadiusz Rybak and Fang Fang’s Gagan Gurung. On 13 March, the team will be screening their own “Pass the Pineapple” video showing guests how to make the most out of a pineapple. Cocktails made by the EnvironMentalist team will cost just HK$77 each on the night, with profits going to promote the cause of environmentally conscious bartending.
Fang Fang, 8/F, LKF Tower, 33 Wyndham Street, Central, Hong Kong, +852 2983 9083
Garden of Botanicals at Dr. Fern’s Gin Parlour
When: 14 March onwards
A refreshing gin and tonic may be just what the doctor ordered for this month of seemingly endless social engagements and arty events. And with over 300 types of gin on offer, Dr. Fern’s Gin Parlour is one of the best places in town for a boozy respite. From 14 March onwards, the doctor’s office will also be transformed into a blooming botanical garden, thanks to the intricate work of famed Indonesian decorator and florist Nefianto Setiono, who regularly fashions the most show-stopping art displays for weddings and events for the country’s elite. The display is set to be inspired by the bar’s own sophisticated botanical flavour wheel, so expect a profusion of juniper, citrus, herbs and spices alongside elegant florals.
Dr. Fern’s Gin Parlour, Shop B31A, First Basement Floor, Landmark Atrium, 15 Queen’s Road Central, Central, Hong Kong, +852 2111 9449
An Afternoon with the Potato Enthusiasts’ Association
When: 17 March, 3–6pm
Price: TBC from Ticketflap
U2, Sinead O’Connor, Irish whiskey and unlimited potato — sounds like the ultimate way to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day to us. Head to Potato Head Hong Kong for a whiskey flight on arrival, a curated list of free-flow cocktails featuring Teeling whiskey, a Dublin craft distillery, and your potato cravings sated by unlimited hot fries plus a “Baby Huey” burger by Three Buns Burgers’ pop-up at the space. All set to vinyl classics, it’s sure to be one satisfying afternoon. Enquire via email at reservations.phhk@
Potato Head Hong Kong, G/F, 100 Third Street, Sai Ying Pun, Hong Kong, +852 2858 6066
Cachaça and Sake at Uma Nota
You may think you know your cachaça thanks to sipping caipirinhas, but the versatile sugarcane spirit works in a wide variety of cocktails as well. Get a little better acquainted with cachaça at Brazilian-Japanese restobar Uma Nota and order an “Ameixaroni” (HK$100; pictured) — the fusion take on a negroni with Yaguara Blue small-batch cachaça, vermouth, Doris plum, Earl Grey syrup and chocolate bitters — amongst a wider menu that also includes five kinds of caipirinhas for you to sample. If you do end up deciding cachaça’s not your jam after all, you can also opt to switch it out for sake or vodka.
Uma Nota, 38 Peel Street, Central, Hong Kong, +852 2889 7576
Natural Wines at Winebeast
“Natural wines mean low sulphur, which means no hangover, right?” The trend of chemical- and additive-free natural wines have been making their way into regular conversations in recent years, and if you’re a vino keen on dipping your feet into the world of organic wines, you can now take your pick from Winebeast’s cellars: with now more than 130 of its 600-plus collection made by eco-friendly winemakers. Ranging from price tags of HK$275 to HK$1,200, bottles can be enjoyed at the restaurant, Le Bistro Winebeast, without additional corkage, or ordered by delivery on the Deliveroo app.
Le Bistro Winebeast, G/F & 1/F Tai Yip Building, 141 Thomson Road, Wan Chai, Hong Kong, +852 2782 6689
The Singleton of Glen Ord Single Malt Whisky Sensorium
When: 22–25 March
Price: HK$188 from Ticketflap; includes Singleton Sensorium access and whisky flight as well as Taste of Hong Kong general entry ticket
There’s bound to be a motherlode of fantastic drink offerings at the Taste of Hong Kong festival later in the month (22–25 March), but one incredible highlight is the world debut of a Whisky Sensorium — a giant purpose-built cask surrounded by a panoramic video projection. Over at the central tasting bar you’ll be able to explore all sorts of tactile props and instruments for you to see, smell, hear and experience the production of The Singleton in the Scottish Highlands. Of course, you’ll also be able to taste the whiskies: each ticket gets you a taster of The Singleton of Glen Ord’s 12-, 18-, and 15-year-old expression (the latter debuting for the first time ever in Hong Kong). Buy the bottles on-site or sip by the glass at The Singleton of Glen Ord bar just adjacent to the tent.
Taste of Hong Kong, Central Harbourfront Event Space, 9 Lung Wo Road, Central, Hong Kong
Exclusive Gin and Gin cocktails at The Ritz Carlton Bar & Lounge in Macau
Finding yourself thirsty over at the 853? The Ritz-Carlton, Macau’s own mixologist Maxim Schulte is fresh from receiving the winning title at the Beefeater MIXLDN 7, the world’s largest gin-based cocktail competition. Try his signature creation “Stack of Fortune,” made with Beefeater 24, lime juice, white crème de cacao, fresh mint, and homemade bitter orange blossom sherbet, topped with butterfly pea flower soda.
If you’re a true gin aficionado, you’ll also want to sit down for a sumptuous tasting of the world’s most prestigious gin: the Watenshi, distilled by The Cambridge Distillery in the UK, created from the angel’s share yield of just 15ml of the purest of the pure from their innovative Japanese-style gin. There’s only 36 bottles so far made in the world of this stunning gin — and likely a stunning price tag to match. They’re served in Baccarat glasses, because why wouldn’t you?
Hungry for a bite while you’re there? One of Singapore’s premier hotspots for slinging cocktails and sharing bites, Neon Pigeon, is collaborating with The Ritz-Carlton, Macau for a 7-course-dinner and cocktail pairing (MOP598 with four drinks; MOP388 without) on 16–17 March. Dishes include confit duck leg inspired by a French tarte tartin and an umami-bomb of a crispy pork belly. For Neon Pigeon’s playful cocktails alone — created by award-winning head bartender Symphony Loo, this is well worth the ferry trip. Make your reservations via +853 8886 6706 or email rc.mfmmr.fnb.res@ritzcarlton.com.
The Ritz-Carlton Bar & Lounge, Galaxy Macau, Estrada da Baía da Nossa Senhora da Esperança, s/n, COTAI, Macau, +853 8886 6706
I Was Not Invited (The Organ Grinder’s Canto)
When: 30 March–28 June (Opening performance 29 March, 10pm)
Price: RSVP to the opening performance via programs@duddells.co
If you prefer to have your drinks sessions surrounded by art, mark your calendar for American artist Leila Hekmat’s cutting edge performance created for Duddell’s Hong Kong. With initial performances which debuted in Paris and Berlin, Hekmat’s musical performance tells the story of a singer and a pianist searching for humour through the lowest points of their lives. After opening night, Duddell’s is presenting a joint exhibition of the artist together with Berlin’s Galerie Isabella Bortolozzi.
Duddell’s, 3/F, Shanghai Tang Mansion, 1 Duddell Street, Central, Hong Kong, +852 2525 9191