WHAT IS THE BEST COCKTAIL TO SUM UP YOUR CITY? SOPHIA ANDERSON TALKS TO SOME OF THE BEST BARTENDERS IN ASIA
Bangkok
Cocktail of the moment? The Lemongrass Martini.
Where? Three Sixty at The Millennium Hilton.
Why does it sum up the city? Bangkok is a hot destination for culture, spa, shopping and culinary activities. It’s a cultural melting pot and this cocktail uses one of the country’s most ubiquitous ingredients. The herb has many uses, not just as a cooking ingredient, but also in beauty and lifestyle products. It also has medicinal properties. Lemongrass is found everywhere, from curries to body oil, scents and candles. Lemongrass and ginger will give your taste buds an Asian taste explosion – just like your first visit to Bangkok. Like liquid Thai curry!
Ingredients, please?
•75ml gin
•15ml apricot brandy
•Ginger and lemongrass
How to make it:
•Mince ginger and lemongrass
•Shake spirits with ice. Drain into a martini glass and serve.
The Millennium Hilton, 123 Charoennakorn Road, Klongsan, Bangkok, Thailand 10600. Tel: +66 (2) 442-2000, www.hilton.com
Kuala Lumpua
Cocktail of the moment? Rambutini.
Where? The Zeta Bar at the Hilton.
Why does it sum up the city? The rambutan takes its name from its distinctive hairy appearance – rambut, in Malay, means hair. The white flesh is sweet and succulent and a favorite among Malaysian families who organize outings to pick the fruit and then eat it under the cool shade of its trees. The bar pays homage to this, with their version of this cool, thirst-quenching cocktail. The fruit works well in a potent cocktail concoction and packs as much of a punch as its prickly shell.
Ingredients, please?
•30ml vodka
•15ml rambutan liqueur
•15ml rambutan syrup
•Pitted rambutans
How to make it:
•Mix vodka, liqueur and syrup together with crushed ice.
•Pour into a glass and garnish with pitted rambutans.
The Hilton Kuala Lumpur, 3 Jalan Stesen Sentral, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia 50470. Tel: + 60 (3) 2264-2264, www.hilton.com
Singapore
Cocktail of the moment? The Fullerton Hairpin.
Where? The Post Bar at The Fullerton.
Why does it sum up the city? As if the heat isn’t enough to contend with, Formula One fever is driving temperatures up further. The island’s first race may be another year away, but that hasn’t stopped the Fullerton Hotel’s classic, colonial Post Bar capitalizing on the event. Try the Fullerton Hairpin, one of the bar’s new F1-inspired cocktails. For some upmarket chic, get revved-up with this fruit and vodka concoction. Singapore is constantly reinventing itself while staying true to its many cultures. F1 is sure to be a hit, bringing with it a bounty of visitors to the Lion City. If you’ve always fancied living life in the fast lane, here’s your chance…
Ingredients, please?
•30ml Belvedere vodka
•10ml Midori
•10ml Archers peach schnapps
•30ml pineapple juice
•60ml cranberry juice
•A dash of grenadine
•1 strawberry
How to make it:
•Shake all the ingredients. Muddle one strawberry in a glass. Fill with crushed ice. •Garnish with a strawberry and lime wedges. The Fullerton Hotel, 1 Fullerton Square, Singapore 049178. Tel: +65 6733-8388, www.fullertonhotel.co
Taipei
Cocktail of the moment? The Lalu Plum Vodka Martini.
Where? The Lalu Bar at The Lalu Sun Moon Lake.
Why does it sum up the city? The plum is one of the local fruits in Taipei. Plum trees are in abundance at The Lalu and each year when they are ripe, the chef picks and preserves them. When you taste this cocktail, the mixture of plum juice, black tea and vodka is well balanced and the sweet and sour taste represents the sweet yet sour ambience of Taipei. This flavorful cocktail demonstrates the traditional side of Taipei with its use of local ingredients.
Ingredients, please?
•40ml Stolichnaya vodka
•60ml plum juice
•3 grams Taiwan black tea No18
•2 plums
•1 drop of dry vermouth
How to make it:
•Boil the tea in 150mls of water and add the plum juice. Allow to stand for one minute then pour into a cup to cool.
•Add the vodka to the cold tea then shake with ice and vermouth and decorate with the plums.
The Lalu, Yuchr Shiang, Taipei, Taiwan. Tel: +886 (49) 285-6888, www.thelalu.com.tw
Hongkong
Cocktail of the moment? The MO Tox.
Where? The MO Bar at The Landmark Mandarin Oriental.
Why does it sum up the city? Hong Kong has a vibrancy and energy that needs a strong tipple to match. The MO Tox is light and sweet, not too strong, with a ginger, oriental finish.
It’s sophisticated, distinctly Asian and contemporary with a fusion of ingredients. Christophe Pointaux, the hotel’s food and beverage director, says: “Hong Kong is a vibrant city and we have a lot of very sophisticated and well-traveled guests – both local and visiting. Guests are also very modern and willing to try out new tastes and brands from around the world.”
Ingredients, please?
•30ml Absolut Citron
•30ml Luxardo Limoncello
•90ml fresh apple juice
•30ml oz fresh pineapple juice
•15ml fresh lemon juice
•15ml sugar syrup
•Two slices of ginger
•Five coriander leaves
How to make it:
•Muddle and shake, then pour into a glass and garnish.
The Landmark Mandarin Oriental, 15 Queen’s Road Central, The Landmark, Central, Hong Kong. Tel: +852 2132-0188, www.mandarinoriental.com
Jakarta
Cocktail of the moment? Campari Blush.
Where? The Space Lounge at Alila.
How does it sum up the city? Old meets new and blends together in eclectic style. This deliciously fruity cocktail matches perfectly the vibe of the city. The mix of subtle but sophisticated flavors is a guaranteed thirst quencher.
Ingredients, please?
•40ml dry gin
•15ml Campari
•10ml tequila
How to make it:
•Shake ingredients with a dash of fresh lime juice and ice then garnish with raspberries and mint leaves.
Alila Jakarta, Jalan Pecenongan Kav 7-17, Jakarta 10120. Tel: +62 (21) 231-6008, www.alilahotels.com
Davao
Cocktail of the moment? Mango Margarita.
Where? Eagles’ Bar at The Marco Polo Hotel.
Why does it sum up the city? As mango is a popular export from the Philippines, it makes sense to combine alcohol with this succulent, soft, fruit. This juicy number quenches the thirst. Mangoes from the Philippines are arguably the sweetest in the world – and are abundant year-round.
Ingredients please?
•60ml tequila
•30ml triple sec
•30ml lime
•1 slice of fresh mango
How to make it:
•Mix alcohol with mango and ice, then blend.
•Serve in a martini glass.
The Marco Polo, PO Box 81540, CM Recto Street, Davao City 8000, Philippines.
Tel: +63 (82) 221-0888, www.davao.marcopolohotels.com
Bookmark This Post
