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Drink in Focus: Bancha & Chestnut Alexander at Madara

A creamy, earthy, tea-infused twist on the classic brandy Alexander, this cocktail evokes Hong Kong’s famous winter chestnut carts

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Bancha & Chestnut Alexander, at Hong Kong’s Madara cocktail bar. Photo: Jocelyn Tam
Josiah Ng

At the end of a long year, a comforting cocktail and human connection are always in order, especially during the colder winter months. While most might seek a hot toddy, an Irish coffee or even festive eggnog, the velvety, rich profile of the classic brandy Alexander – combining cognac, crème de cacao and cream – is an underrated option for something sweet and satisfying.

Few places riff on the brandy Alexander quite like Madara, an extension of modern izakaya Yorucho in Causeway Bay. Co-founder Rayven Leung and his team build on the success of Leung’s other venue, Takumi Mixology Salon, by focusing on bespoke cocktails alongside signatures focused on tea, fruits and – more unusually – Shakespeare. The first ingredient was the starting point for the Bancha & Chestnut Alexander.

Leung, who usually prefers to limit the number of ingredients in a cocktail, pushes himself to his maximum of six for this drink: roasted bancha green tea leaves, cognac, a cask-aged mugi (barley) shochu, adzuki liqueur, Sakari matcha liqueur, and cream.

The interior of Madara, in Hong Kong’s Causeway Bay. Photo: Handout
The interior of Madara, in Hong Kong’s Causeway Bay. Photo: Handout
The observant may spot the glaring omission of chestnut as an ingredient. “Hongkongers,” Leung explains, “rarely order cocktails [like the brandy Alexander] that may be too sweet or creamy because they might be heavy. We changed the name so guests can focus on the flavour profile – it allows us to share how we can use bancha and mugi shochu to evoke the flavour of charcoal-roasted chestnuts without actually including them in the cocktail.”

Everything about the cocktail – from ingredients and assembly to presentation and serving vessel – is tailored to evoke charcoal-roasted chestnuts, that local winter treat sold from street carts.

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