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Asia’s 50 Best Bars 2024: a curated bar crawl of the best guest bartender shifts in Hong Kong

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Asia’s 50 Best Bars 2024: a curated bar crawl of the best guest bartender shifts in Hong Kong


For the second year in a row, Hong Kong will host the Asia’s 50 Best Bars awards ceremony.

Industry players will toast the top 50 bars unveiled at the ceremony in Tsim Sha Tsui’s Rosewood hotel on July 16. Coinciding with the event, Hong Kong bars will have themed nights and host overseas bartenders flying in from Tokyo, Shanghai, Bangkok and Bali, beginning on July 13 and continuing in the days after the awards.

The Post has curated a list of not-to-be-missed events in the form of a five-day bar crawl for those who enjoy a tipple (or three).

Saturday July 13

Shanghai’s Speak Low at XX – 8pm to 12am

Start strong and get acquainted with the venue for this year’s Asia’s 50 Best Bars ceremony by heading to the Rosewood for views of Victoria Harbour and the Hong Kong skyline – and a one-night-only pop-up featuring Japanese-style Shanghai hidden bar Speak Low at the equally elusive speakeasy XX.

The interior of XX in the Rosewood Hong Kong, which will host Shanghai’s Speak Low on July 13 and the 2024’s Asia’s 50 Best Bars unveiling on July 16. Photo: XX

Founded by Japanese bartender Shingo Gokan, who was voted bartenders’ bartender in 2019 and named the Roku industry icon in 2021 by Asia’s 50 Best Bars, 1920s-inspired Speak Low occupies four floors in Shanghai, each with its own concept, and serves innovative cocktails with a Chinese touch. In 2021, it was ranked 32nd among Asia’s 50 Best Bars.

XX, 5/F, Rosewood Hong Kong, 18 Salisbury Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon.

Japan’s Shingo Gokan is the brains behind Shanghai’s hidden bar Speak Low. Photo: Rosewood Hong Kong

Bali’s Potato Head at Terrible Baby – 9pm to 12am

One MTR stop from Tsim Sha Tsui is Terrible Baby in Jordan’s culture-forward Eaton HK hotel. The bar is joining forces with Bali’s Potato Head, winner of the sustainable bar award at Asia’s 50 Best Bars 2018.

Agustin Da Sambiagio, head of beverage operations of the Balinese beach bar, and bartender Devita Anjani will serve its signature tropical cocktails with an eco-friendly twist and a focus on Indonesian rum brand Nusa Caña.

Staff of Balinese beach bar Potato Head will be serving cocktails at Terrible Baby in Jordan, Kowloon on July 13. Photo: Potato Head, Bali

Terrible Baby, 4/F, Eaton HK, Jordan, Kowloon.

Sunday July 14

“Lion City in Hong Kong” with Singapore’s Atlas, Stay Gold Flamingo and Origin Bar at Cardinal Point – 3pm to 6pm

Singapore, host of the World’s 50 Best Bars ceremony in 2023, will be in focus at Cardinal Point in Central. Three Lion City bars that made last year’s Asia’s 50 Best Bars list or long list of those ranked 51-100 – Atlas (27th), Stay Gold Flamingo (32nd), and Origin Bar (95th) – will have guest sessions at one of Hong Kong’s best-known rooftop bars.

Amos Kew, head bartender at Stay Gold Flamingo in Singapore, will be pouring cocktails at Hong Kong’s Cardinal Point on July 14. Photo: Stay Gold Flamingo

Their staff will show off their expertise and their bar’s specialities, including tropical-inspired and vintage European drinks and American-Japanese bartending styles.

Cardinal Point, 43-45/F, Forty-Five, Gloucester Tower, 15 Queen’s Road Central.

“SG10” with Tokyo’s Shingo Gokan at Gokan – 4pm to 7pm; 8pm to 11pm

A bartender with a big international profile, Shingo Gokan is opening his first Hong Kong bar, Gokan, and to celebrate he has invited 10 of his protégés from Tokyo, Okinawa, Shanghai and Hong Kong.

Gokan is part of his name, of course, but also a word in Japanese that means “the five senses” – and sight, hearing, taste, smell and touch will inspire the 24 unique cocktails it will serve on opening night.

Gokan, 30 Ice House Street, Central. Limited presale ticketing via Instagram @gokan.hk.

The interior of Ser Wong Fun in Cochrane Street, Central. Photo: Jonathan Wong

“Canto Night Takeover” with Shenzhen’s Hope & Sesame, Changsha’s CMYK and Hong Kong’s The Opposite and Kinsman at Ser Wong Fun – 8pm to 11pm

One of the main events during this year’s Asia’s 50 Best Bars in Hong Kong is the Cantonese food, drinks and music party at Ser Wong Fun. One of the city’s oldest restaurants, it has been serving snake soup for four generations.

The restaurant has invited four bartenders who represent Cantonese culture to pour the drinks: Lola Liu, bar manager of Hope & Sesame’s Shenzhen branch; Tiger Liang, senior bartender of CMYK in Changsha, Hunan; and from Hong Kong, Samuel Kwok of newly opened The Opposite and Gavin Yeung of Kinsman.

Lola Liu, bar manager of Hope & Sesame’s Shenzhen branch, will put in a guest shift at Ser Wong Fun’s “Canto Night Takeover” event. Photo: Hope & Sesame
Tiger Liang, senior bartender of CMYK in Changsha, Hunan, will be pouring drinks at Ser Wong Fun in Central. Photo: CMYK

To accompany them, Ser Wong Fun will serve contemporary Chinese bar bites by Little Bao’s chef-founder May Chow, who was named best female chef in the 2017 edition of Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants.

Completing a well-rounded sensory experience will be DJ Fabsabs, who will pump out Cantonese disco tracks all evening.

Ser Wong Fun, 30 Cochrane Street, Central. Ticketing via [email protected].

May Chow, who founded Little Bao, will provide bar bites for Ser Wong Fun’s Canto Night Takeover. Photo: Little Bao

Monday July 15

“Tres Números Unos” with Barcelona’s Sips and Mexico City’s Handshake Speakeasy at COA – 3pm to 6pm or until sold out

The event’s Spanish name, meaning “three No 1s”, may sound bold, but it’s based on the participating bars’ track records: Hong Kong’s COA took first place on the Asia’s 50 Best Bars list in 2021, 2022 and 2023; Sips in Barcelona was No 1 on the World’s 50 Best Bars’ 2023 list; and Handshake Speakeasy is No 1 on the 2024 North America’s 50 Best Bars list.

The three-hour session will operate on a first come, first served basis.

COA, 6-10 Shin Hing Street, Central.

“Taiwan Take Over” with Taipei’s The Public House, Room by Le Kief, and To Infinity & Beyond, and Tainan’s Moonrock at Tell Camellia – 4pm to 8pm

Named 23rd on the 2021 list of Asia’s 50 Best Bars and 97th on its 2024 long list, Tell Camellia’s premise is tea-inspired cocktails; it takes its name from an evergreen shrub native to East Asia used by Buddhist monks for medicinal and spiritual purposes.

William Wu, founder of The Public House in Taipei, will be making his signature British-inspired cocktails on July 15 at the “Taiwan Take Over” evening at Tell Camellia in Hong Kong. Photo: The Public House

It is hosting a one-off pop-up with bars from Taiwan – expect British-inspired cocktails from The Public House, experimental drinks from Room by Le Kief, space-themed concoctions from To Infinity & Beyond and delicate, mellow flavours from Moonrock, which will serve non-alcoholic options for those trying to avoid hangovers during a hectic week of boozy celebrations.

To accompany the drinks, Tell Camellia will serve snacks such as momos, siu mai and fish balls.

Tell Camellia, Shop 2, LG/F, H Code, 45 Pottinger Street, Central.

Tell Camellia is a tea-inspired cocktail joint in Central and will host “Taiwan Take Over” on July 15 from 4 to 8pm. Photo: Tell Camellia

“Tropic Thunder” with Bangkok’s Tropic City at The Daily Tot – 8pm onwards

After grabbing a bite in or around SoHo, make your way to the other side of the Central-to-Mid-Levels escalator for The Daily Tot, where bar manager and rum enthusiast Maikal Gurung will serve rum-inspired midsummer drinks with help from staff of Bangkok bar Tropic City, ranked 6th on the 2023 Asia’s 50 Best Bars list and 62nd on its long list of bars ranked from 51 to 100.

Stirring up thunder behind the bar will be Tropic City co-founder Philip Stefanescu and bar manager Arron Grendon, a self-taught bartender and the first Thai winner of the Global Chivas Masters cocktail competition in 2018.

The Daily Tot, Shop E, LG/F, Felicity Building, 58 Hollywood Road, Central. Passes including other bar events available on singularconcepts.com.

Artifact in Central will host bartenders from Seoul’s Charles H and Singapore’s No Sleep Club on July 16. Photo: Xiaomei Chen

Tuesday July 16

“No Sleep Charlie” with Seoul’s Charles H and Singapore’s No Sleep Club at Artifact – 10pm to 2am

For a cheeky nightcap after the Asia’s 50 Best Bars 2024 ceremony, “No Sleep Charlie” at Artifact bar will have two Asia-based head bartenders to keep drinkers drowsy but awake behind the counter: Odd Strandbakken of Charles H in Seoul, named best bar in South Korea for four years up until 2022; and Juan Yi Jun, co-founder of No Sleep Club in Singapore.

The former, in Four Seasons Seoul, was 7th on the 2022 Asia’s 50 Best Bars list, while the latter was 15th; in 2024, No Sleep Club is 60th on the long list of bars ranked 51-100.

Artifact, Shop 5 & 7, LG/F, Jardine House, 1 Connaught Place, Central.

Founder Lorenzo Antinori at Bar Leone, which will stage a “Pony Pizza Party” in collaboration with Singapore’s Jigger & Pony on July 17. Photo: Bar Leone

Wednesday July 17

“Pony Pizza Party” with Singapore’s Jigger & Pony at Bar Leone – 4pm till late

After an eventful few days, take a break at Bar Leone. Although yet to be recognised by Asia’s 50 Best Bars, the year-old watering hole opened by Roman bartender Lorenzo Antinori that pays tribute to Italy is one of Hong Kong’s most exciting and well-loved night spots.

Bar Leone will co-host a pizza party with Singapore’s Jigger & Pony, 2nd on the 2023 Asia’s 50 Best Bars list and 14th on that year’s World’s 50 Best Bars list. Both establishments focus on elevating seemingly simple classic cocktails and serving delicious, down-to-earth snacks.

Guests can lie back and expect retro disco sounds, tasty slices and a relaxing Mediterranean vibe.

Bar Leone, 15 Bridges Street, Central.

Hideyuki Saito, who leads Tokyo’s Gold Bar, will have a guest shift at The Old Man in Central, Hong Kong on July 17. Photo: The Old Man

Hideyuki Saito of Tokyo’s Gold Bar at The Old Man – 8pm till sold out

With its name a nod to American literary giant Ernest Hemingway, it should come as no surprise that The Old Man would host one of Tokyo’s most extravagant lounges.

The Gold Bar is known for its sophisticated takes on Golden Age cocktails such as the martini, daiquiri and Manhattan. For one night only, its head bartender Hideyuki Saito will be showing his expertise at The Old Man in SoHo.

The Old Man, LG/F, 37 Aberdeen Street, SoHo, Central.



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