Hong Kong’s best festive drinks and Christmas cocktails to celebrate the party season – whether out on the town or at home with friends and family
Whether you’re gearing up for an awkward office party or getting cosy with loved ones, Christmas won’t be quite so jolly without a festive tipple
From celebratory dinners to swinging office gigs, good drinks are as much a Christmas necessity as a succulent turkey and scrumptious mince pies. And with Hong Kong’s increasingly sophisticated bar scene going from strength to strength – Central’s The Old Man is currently ranked Asia’s best bar – there’s a wealth of alluring options to choose from.
Out and about
If your festivities are taking you out on the town, start by the harbour at the InterContinental Hong Kong. “Christmas is my favourite time of the year. It’s amazing,” enthuses InterCon’s resident mixologist Sabrina Cantini-Budden, who has designed an entire miniature menu especially for the season.
Anyone with a sweet tooth will delight in the sugar cane rush, an irresistible mix of cognac with cherry and mint liqueurs. If your preferences are for something more comforting during the winter months, order the lobby lounge Christmas delight. Available hot, neat or on the rocks depending on your taste, this combines cinnamon-infused Irish whiskey, ground coffee, condensed milk, cream, and vanilla and almond essence.
Does your morning pumpkin spice latte lack oomph? Stockton’s Suraj Gurung, Maximal Concept’s group mixologist, has spiked the contemporary winter classic. At the Wyndham Street speakeasy he is serving a pumpkin spice espresso martini made with organic spiced vodka, espresso, coffee liqueur, chocolate bitters and a home-made pumpkin spiced syrup.
“All the ingredients will warm you, and the scents lend a Christmassy vibe to the place,” Gurung informs us. “At the same time, the espresso will help keep you awake so that you can keep on partying.”
