Drink in focus: Gin & Apple at Mius
The Gin & Apple – made with pandan, coconut and apple soda – offers a refreshing riff that’s perfect for Hong Kong’s sultry autumn
Indeed, the opening menu includes a drink – alongside a curated list of Champagne and bar bites – that is eminently suited to keep a group of Hongkongers inside and in good spirits, especially as the city’s heat and heavy rain continue through September.
The Gin & Apple is a riff on the gin and tonic that aims to imbue that refreshing and accessible hot-weather classic with a deep sweetness involving zero sugar, using a combination of pandan, kaffir lime, coconut and an in-house green apple soda.
“Gin and tonic is such a universal go-to,” Tai explains. “I wanted to reimagine it in a way that felt light and fresh with an Asian touch. It’s bright, citrusy and herbaceous with a clean backbone of gin. The kaffir lime and coconut add layers of fragrance without heaviness, while the green apple soda balances it all with a refreshing tartness. The result is dry, lively and extremely easy to drink.”
The preparation is almost as easy to understand as it is to drink. London dry gin is infused with coconut oil, kaffir lime and pandan. “[The soda is] made entirely with fresh green apple juice, clarified,” Tai says of the most arduous element of the drink to produce. “Last week, our team juiced over 800 green apples for this cocktail!” The squeeze seems worth the effort – the rounded sweetness, tartness and effervescence of the cocktail are a spot on antidote for tropical cities like Hong Kong or Singapore.