Drink in Focus: Cigarette at Bar De Luxe
Inspired by a guest’s request, this punchy ‘bartender’s choice’ cocktail has won over fans with a spirit-forward profile that combines smoke, peat and herbal flavours and is now a menu staple
Picture this: you’re at one of the best bars in Hong Kong, with someone you care about, eager to try something new. But when you cast your eyes over the menu, there are so many spirit names, exotic ingredients and techniques, your eyes just glaze over. You’re quite sure everything is well-executed, but how can you possibly know if you’ll like the taste of a drink if you can’t even pronounce what’s in it?
When asked for a recommendation, bars will usually offer a signature as close to your described flavour notes as possible (smoky, not two sweet, strong, sour etc). On rare occasions, the bar may even recommend a classic off-menu, a “bartender’s choice”, if you will. Still fewer bars do the “bartender’s choice” as well as Bar De Luxe.
Founded in 2016 by Tokyo legend Hidetsugu Ueno of Bar High Five fame, the venue was originally helmed by his protégé Yuriko Naganuma when it was first located at the Asia Pacific Centre in Central. Their legacy is Bar De Luxe’s firm foundation in Ginza-style mixology – crisp, balanced and focused.
Under the current leadership of head bartender Ivin Hui and having moved to H Code in 2020, Bar De Luxe continues to be a local favourite for its convivial environment. Combined with their continually excellent signatures and essentially flawless execution of on-the-fly recommendations, the venue is a safe space to try well-made, exotic flavours.
Perhaps no cocktail captures this essence as well as their Cigarette, which was “inspired by a guest with a specific preference,” according to Hui. “He loved it so much, we began sharing it with more guests, turning it into a signature cocktail that we can never take off the menu.”
The libation evokes the rush and strong flavours of smoking a cigarette without any of the associated respiratory risks. Kilchoman Machir Bay Islay whisky is the centrepiece here. “When I drink Islay whisky,” Hui explains, “it feels like I’m smoking, so I wanted to combine The Bitter Truth’s EXR bitters, and roasted tea bitters to evoke that smoking sensation with a hint of bitterness. Using tea aims to bring out the smoky and peaty notes of the Kilchoman whisky, along with rich herbal, nutty and subtle sea salt flavours.”
