Hong Kong mixologists serve up Insta-worthy cocktails in style

Imagine this: you’re sitting on a terrace overlooking the water, bathed in the buttery glow of the late afternoon sun. In front of you is an Aperol spritz, orange slice tucked between chunks of ice, its sultry red hue the very embodiment of summer.

Or how about this? It’s a sweltering August afternoon, one of those Hong Kong days when walking feels more like swimming. You take refuge on the verandah of a colonial-style bar, ceiling fans swirling overhead, and order a gin and tonic. It arrives ice cold, sweating in its glass, sweet enough to refresh but bitter enough to take the edge off the heat.

More than any other season, summer lends itself to cocktails - and they don’t necessarily need to be hot weather classics. This summer, many Hong Kong bars are rolling out special offerings, including some unusual concoctions.

“As we know, Hong Kong in summer is very hot and humid, so a great cocktail needs to be refreshing and light,” says Simone Rossi, bar manager for Aqua Roma, Aqua Tokyo and Aqua Spirit. “It needs to quench a thirst while still exciting the taste buds - and of course, [it has to be] ‘Insta-worthy’.”

Rossi’s new line-up of summer cocktails is indeed Instagram friendly, presented with theatrical panache. At Aqua, which serves Italian and Japanese cuisine, the Japanese Garden is wrapped in floral-patterned chiyogami paper, while the #NoFilter is nestled in a handwoven basket.

Social media aside, other Hong Kong bartenders agree that summer cocktails should be light-bodied and easy-going. The Iron Fairies, Ashley Sutton’s mine-inspired new bar in Central, has introduced two new cocktails for the summer, the Watermelon Daiquiri and Smoked in the Bottle No. 1.