Glass Gardener
Tony Hsu and Henry Ho are the do-it-all mixology duo behind Glass Gardener, a team offering cocktail workshops and bartending needs to suit any whim and fancy. Aptly named, the pair are heavily ingredient-driven, looking towards local farms to supply them with fresh and fragrant herbs and fruits to use in their carefully crafted drinks. For the Gardener’s Basil Smash, basil is first blended to maximise its potent flavours. “We blend it with local honey to extract a really aromatic fragrance.” In another drink, the Shiso Breeze, local fragrant red shiso leaves from Nokei Seinen are paired with a tart grapefruit juice and a sweet Riesling white wine to balance the flavours. By using the ingredients around them, Tony and Henry are not only reducing their carbon footprint, but also using their skills to teach others how local produce can easily form the basis of delightful and creative cocktails. “Learning about the process from start to finish is the only way to build a sustainable consumption model and to give people additional perspective on our land.”
Thirsty Shaker
Award-winning mixologist Sandeep Hathiramani presents his first solo venture with Thirsty Shaker, the newest Soho haunt dishing up punch-style drinks and nostalgic cocktails from a long-forgotten past. For this drink, Sandeep took inspiration from an old-school gimlet, a gin based cocktail typically paired with cordial. But Sandeep’s version offers a creative, local twist. “We pickled local red cabbage with some gin, and then paired it with local honey and a Hong Kong craft gin, N.I.P.”. Sandeep also admitted to his bubble tea phase during lockdown, hence the cheese foam for added texture, much to the guest’s delight. In his quest to minimise waste, Sandeep works with suppliers to aid with glass recycling and buying in bulk where possible to cut down the bar’s carbon footprint, which also includes a tight and curated edit of drinks. “Some places you go they may have a lot of offerings, but every week they are throwing it away and no one sees that”, he explains. “Our goal is to be less wasteful.”
3/F Floor, Hilltop Plaza, 49 Hollywood Road, Central; thirstyshaker.com
Penicillin Bar
Agung Prabowo is a sustainable pioneer in Hong Kong’s fast-paced F&B scene, with his bar Penicillin most recently crowned the most sustainable bar in all of Asia. Closed-loop and locally-sourced, Penicillin strongly considers its carbon footprint and the small steps they can take to make a big change. And Agung does it all in style, as evidenced from his white candy-inspired drink, How Bad Are Bananas? The margarita-style cocktail uses a tequila that has been distilled with white rabbit candy. “We want to remind ourselves of the nostalgia of being a kid, snacking on these candies”, Agung explains. Clarified celery syrup brings a pungent sweetness, while whey from banana that has been fermented with protein powder, rounds out the drink for a balanced and measured flavour profile. “The texture is a bit heavier, but also very refreshing, sour and sweet.”
Amber Lodge, L/G, 23 Hollywood Road, Central; penicillinbar.com
Mostly Harmless Bar
Mostly Harmless sources seasonal, local ingredients, carefully crafting cocktails that capture and draw out the essence of each core ingredient. Founder and mixologist Ezra Star explains the concept behind her papaya-tequila drink, which is freshened up with citrus and a homemade fermented spice made from papaya seeds. “I really love papaya, so I wanted to do something based off of a red papaya as it’s in season right now.” The menu rotates almost daily, with every single ingredient sourced from different local farms. “I’ve been working with an organisation called Farmer’s Pride, an NGO-funded organisation connecting farms with restaurants, and in my case, a bar”. Sourcing locally is incredibly important to Ezra, who firmly believes that this is simply how you can get the best of what there is. “Hong Kong has a lot of incredible fruit and vegetables that people don’t know about”, she explains. “Our quest is to always bring out whatever can enhance that flavour the most. We start with the heart of the drink – in this case the papaya – and then build around it, inspired by what we taste.”
2/F, 110 Queen’s Road West, Sai Ying Pun; @mostlyharmlessbar
Photography: Samantha Sin
Styling: Ella Wong
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Carina Fischer
