For the month of July, MO Bar’s Nomadic Cocktail Odyssey is featuring drinks from some of the top bartenders in Hong Kong: Jay Khan of COA (#1 in the 2021 Asia’s 50 Best Bars list), John Nugent of The Diplomat (#20 of Asia’s 50 Best), Sandeep Hathiramani of Tell Camellia (#23 of Asia’s 50 Best) and Devender Sehgal of The Aubrey (just opened this Feb).

Since, for the time being, we still can’t make our way to Hong Kong, why not take a journey of the senses with this special four-drink menu? Tell Camellia, a tea-centric cocktail bar, gives us the T-groni (below) – a heady, seductive blend of Bombay Sapphire, lapsang souchong, mezcal and orange bitters. Smoky, delicious, strong.

Although The Aubrey’s Sehgal also presents his take on the classic negroni, the flavour profiles are completely different. Endgame (below), his chess-inspired cocktail, is part of the Signature series and blends slightly outré elements like wasabi and Sancho pepper with Patrón Silver to beautiful effect. PS: this is whetting our appetite for the rest of the menu of this  “eccentric izakaya” at Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong.

Tuxedo +852 (below) is The Diplomat’s version of Tuxedo #2, a smart martini supposedly inspired by The Tuxedo Club in New York. Here, Nugent replaces absinthe with pear eau de vie. Smooth but lethal.

Last, but not least, is COA’s twist on the mezcal and tonic (and my personal favourite) – the La Fresa. Strawberry and pink peppercorn with Patrón Silver and Joven mezcal made for a surprisingly refreshing, flavourful drink. No wonder it’s the Best Bar in Asia 2021.

Each cocktail is $22++ and reservations are recommended.

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