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Douglas Parkes

Out with the old, in with the new. Hong Kong’s bar scene hasn’t stood still during the Covid-19 pandemic, despite some strict restrictions for a time. Rather, brave bar owners have been using this period to think of new ideas and gaps in the market.
Nor are things slowing down for Christmas. In the run-up to the festive period, a slew of new openings have landed. Here are three of the best to try for when you’re feeling parched.
Quality Goods Club
B/F, On Lok House, 39-43 Hollywood Road, Central

It’s rare in Hong Kong to come across a unique F&B concept, but Quality Goods Club is just that. Not for nothing does co-founder Beckaly Franks say she wants her new venture to “change the narrative”. Fast, fun and flirty, QGC is part bar, part casual fine dining, part live music venue – plus whatever else the team can think to do in the old Drop space.
Although the concept is Franks’ baby, Alex “Happy” Gilmour is the main man behind the bar day to day. Responsible for some of Sydney’s best nightspots, including the highly rated Cantina OK!, Gilmour has helped put together a menu for everyone, from those looking for a drink to pair with their food to those looking for somewhere to finish their night during the early hours of the AM.
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The cognac mojito (HK$130) is the illegitimate child of a sazerac and a mojito, packed with Pierre Ferrand 1840 cognac, Pernod absinthe, lime, mint and soda. Hugely refreshing, the mint and absinthe pair surprisingly well. It’s ideal to sip during a live set. The Goodie Two Shoes (HK$100) is a negroni variation made with Australian cherry gin, mescal, Aperol and Punt e Mes vermouth with grapefruit as garnish. Despite its punchy ingredients, it is weighted just right, with an engaging fruit front-end maturing into a smoky finish.
The frozen martini (HK$120) is one of the bar’s “heroes”, a Vesper featuring Plymouth Gin, Absolut Elyx vodka, Cocchi Americano, young coconut and lemon oil. Intense but not overpowering, the coconut softens the edges of the base spirits, while the lemon oil provides a burst of freshness.
No place in Hong Kong can match QGC for its mix of dinner, all-night cocktails and live music. You could spend the entire night here and everything would be, literally, quality.
Brooklyn Yakuza
G/F-1/F, 29 Wyndham Street, Central, 2866 1034

Lan Kwai Fong has lacked a serious cocktail bar since Employees Only closed in 2019. Brooklyn Yakuza is attempting to fill that void and more. Founded by Showmen Group – responsible for both Kinship and Smoke & Barrel – the city’s newest izakaya serves not only cocktails at its ground floor bar Oyabun, but Japanese-American cuisine, and is home to a dedicated sake bar as well.
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The cocktail menu, devised by group beverage manager Bikram Shrestha, is another reflection of this East-meets-West approach and seeks to marry Western classics with traditional Japanese flavour profiles. One of the stand-out examples of this is the Chef’s G&T (HK$98), which arrives in a large Spanish-style goblet. The Asian spin comes in the form of a Kyoho grape tea, which provides a long fruity finish that contrasts nicely with the bitterness of the Q Tonic.

More generally Asian, the Sapporo Snow (HK$98) is a mix of gin, coconut and pandan. This is a smooth, mellow and refreshing tipple. The flavours come in delicate waves: gin giving way to a burst of pandan, which then dissipates into coconut. Easy to drink, this could be the source of many regrets in the morning.
Less subtle is the New Age Brooklyn (HK$98), which packs the biggest kick on the menu. The cocktail combines bourbon, Fernet Hunter, Lillet Blanc and bitters, and is topped with a chocolate truffle. Citrus notes on the nose are followed by a mild bitterness – something that is smoothed by a nibble of the garnish. An excellent nightcap.
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It takes something special to stand out among Hong Kong’s myriad izakaya concepts, but Brooklyn Yakuza’s strong drinks menu allows it to do just that. It may not be EO just yet, but it’s a start.
Wood Ear
3/F, Alexandra House, 18 Chater Road, Central, 3185 8396

The sister establishment to Parisian fine dining restaurant Ami, located on the same premises, Wood Ear is Hong Kong’s newest whisky and cocktail bar. The venue is all sleek black minimalism, the darkness alleviated by the lowest of low lighting.
The whisky list is impressive – over 400 rare labels gathered primarily from Scotland and Japan, but also less heralded regions. Stars of the show include a Joker bottle from Ichiro’s Card Series – one of only 3,690 – a 60-year-old Glen Grant bottled by Gordon & MacPhail, and a 45-year-old Bowmore from the distiller’s 1972 Signatory Vintage, which costs a cool HK$6,800 per shot.
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For those of humbler means, Wood Ear offers two whisky journeys – one for “original bottles” (HK$680) and one for independent bottlers (HK$1,080) – that promise a range of different flavours. On our visit, we are provided Balvenie DoubleWood 17, Aberfeldy 16 and Bowmore 18 Years Old for our original bottles selection. It’s a pleasant, if unadventurous, voyage taking in the flavours of Speyside, the Highlands and Islay.

The cocktail menu features 10 creations and, having finished our whisky, we move on to It’s Complicated (HK$148), which mixes Bulleit Rye Whiskey, Domaine de Canton ginger liqueur, honey ginger syrup, citrus acid, coriander, Boston Bittahs and peated whisky floa. Despite a batch of strong flavours, the cocktail is refreshing and incredibly well balanced, the coriander providing a pleasing climax.
To end, we try the bar’s speciality – The Secret Mary (HK$188), a Bloody Mary that swaps vodka for tequila infused with jalapeños, and uses Hellfire Habanero Shrub bitters, 16 “secret” herbs and spices, and forgoes Tabasco for an alternative source of vinegar. The result is excellent, with just the right amount of spice to complement the drink’s savoury flavour.
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Hong Kong’s bar scene hasn’t slowed down during Covid-19 and continues to evolve as Christmas approaches – we sampled the cocktails and ambience of 3 of the best new openings
Quality Goods Club expertly blends fine dining with live music and innovative cocktails while Brooklyn Yakuza offers Japanese-American food and a sake bar



Wood Ear offers 400 rare whiskies from Scotland, Japan, and more, Brooklyn Yakuza is a stand-out izakaya and Quality Goods Club expertly blends fine dining, live music and cocktails
