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Vicki Williams

Trends in cocktails may come and go, but a select few go on to become classics that never go out of vogue. Perhaps the most enduring cocktail of all is the martini, with a history dating back to the late 1800s.
Over the decades, it has continued to evolve, adapted to suit the mixology trends of the time. We spoke to four local experts to learn their takes on this classic drink.
Our martini is neither shaken nor stirred, but layered
Lorenzo Antinori, Four Seasons

“The martini has never gone out of style, it is one of the most classic cocktails ever,” says John Nugent, beverage director of Leading Nations.
“In our case, we are trying to show the martini in its most original form – stirred over hand-cut ice, using quality gins and vodkas, and infused or rectified vermouth – while at the same time showcasing different flavour elements that will give an extra soignee signature,” adds Nugent, who is also the head mixologist at the recently opened Kyle & Bain, Hong Kong’s first speciality American martini bar.
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“Martinis never stopped being popular. They have been in bars since vermouth was created and will always be there,” says Axel Gonzalez, bar manager of Terrible Baby at Eaton HK.
Meanwhile Lorenzo Antinori calls martini “the king of cocktails”. He should know – as the beverage ambassador for Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts Asia-Pacific, beverage manager of Four Seasons Hotel Hong Kong and the creative mind behind the cocktail programme at the brand’s new opening Argo. “It has always been a staple in the bar world, but I like how modern-day bartenders and consumers are open to new twists on the classic serves, opening the door to new flavours and experiences,” he says.

One of Nugent’s favourites, from an extensive list, is Kyle & Bain’s house K&B Martini. “We are trying to offer very layered cocktails, with two to three flavour elements. With the house martini we combine Plymouth Gin, Dolin Blanc, Mancino Secco and cider vinegar from Normandy, and freeze overnight. It is poured table-side and finished with Amalfi lemon zest,” he explains.
When developing the Argo Martini, Antinori went as far as to create an Argo gin with Never Never Distilling Co., which he says is constantly pushing spirit-making boundaries. The Argo martini contains two elements only: the gin and seasonal hydrosols.
“Hydrosol is a flavoured distilled water-based solution, which we make in-house, using a rotary evaporator. We wanted guests to be able to choose their preferred flavour profile to add,” explains Antinori.

“Citrusy – pomelo peels, sancho pepper and passion fruit; and savoury – toasted corn, chillies and pickled onions. The hydrosols are introduced as the dilution element, straight into the glass, while pouring frozen gin on top. Which is why our martini is neither shaken nor stirred, but layered.”
Darkside at Rosewood Hotel Hong Kong took a different route with its signature martini. Arkadiusz Rybak, the Rosewood Hotel Group’s director of bars, explains: “In order to foster interest in the classics, we first needed to have a well-rounded, approachable signature. That’s why we created the Martini vs Vesper, taking the traditional gin and vermouth pairing and making it a little more light-hearted and approachable.”
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Interestingly the Vesper was invented and named by author Ian Fleming, famed for his character James Bond, a noted devotee of the martini.
Adding a further twist, the cocktail consists of T&T vodka or Widges gin, Mancino vermouth secco, Mancino 160 vermouth bianco, peach bitters (made in-house) and wakamomo (candied green peaches).

“Everyone loves a classic with a twist, and the added home-made peach bitter elevates the cocktail to a whole new level. As for taste, our home-made wakamomo is a game-changer for adding balance and a refreshing sweetness,” says Rybak.
Terrible Baby’s most popular martinis are what Gonzalez calls “new classics”: the Pornstar and the Espresso.
“The Pornstar martini is the most popular cocktail from our classics section. It is sweet, funky and fruit forward,” says Gonzalez.
The cocktail consists of infused vanilla vodka, passion fruit liqueur, fresh lime, pineapple juice, vanilla syrup and a shot of bubbly. “A highlight of this cocktail is the shot,” says Gonzalez.
“We don’t do things by halves here so our shot is a mix of prosecco and tepache, a fermented beverage consisting of cinnamon, pineapple, cardamom and clove-spiced pineapple, giving a unique taste to the final cocktail.”

When it comes to the modern martini, one defining feature is the use of spirits other than gin or vodka.
“We are taking different spirits and showing that these can also be considered a martini – for example we use an unaged Armagnac,” says Nugent. “This is why the martini can be exciting, you can have more fun with components the more you think about it.”
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Antinori agrees, adding, “The martini universe is evolving, thanks to creative bartenders and new products in the market. These days we can see creations like the aquavit martini and mescal martini. It really depends on how the bartender wants to approach the cocktail structure.”
This continuing evolution surely means that the martini has a long future ahead.
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We talk martinis with John Nugent of Kyle & Bain, Axel Gonzalez of Terrible Baby, Lorenzo Antinori of Four Seasons, and Arkadiusz Rybak at the Rosewood Hotel Hong Kong
The Vesper cocktail was invented by Ian Fleming, famed for his character James Bond, a noted martini devotee – even if mixologists today debate the veracity of 007’s catchphrase


Shaken, stirred or even left layered, the martini remains a classic – as seen in the latest crop of bars to specialise in it in the city, from Argo at the Four Seasons to Darkside at the Rosewood
