Best Sips is a look back on the most incredible drinks — alcoholic or otherwise — we had in the past week. Those which renewed our love for established venues; caught our attention at a new opening, or freshly impressed upon us the creativity and skill of Hong Kong’s talented bartenders and mixologists alike. From tipples at charming dive bars to award-winning apéritifs at five-star establishments, these are the best drinks to try in Hong Kong; the drinks we’d recommend you make a special trip for.
The drink: Tropical Antidote (HK$140)
Gin is not my drink. Sometimes, I wish it were. I mean, gee-and-tee rolls off the tongue like butter and Fleabag has put me on the romance — devastating! — of canned G&Ts; IYKYK. When I found myself at Dr. Fern’s Gin Parlour on a school night, I had to pick something, quickly, that’s a little more complex than a G&T — again; not my drink — and there it was: Tropical Antidote.
Any cocktail with “hot sauce” in its notes is a cocktail worth having. Tropical Antidote, made with lemongrass-infused Widges gin, ginseng aperitif and pineapple shrub, alongside said hot sauce, goes down almost like a margarita — or another cocktail equally as heavy on the tropics. And, for those a little gin-avoidant like me, you really can’t taste it. — Joey Wong, Editor
Dr. Fern’s Gin Parlour, Shop B31A, First Basement Floor, Landmark Atrium, 15 Queen’s Road Central, Central, Hong Kong, +852 2111 9449
The drink: UFC Refresh Coconut Water (HK$34.50)
Nothing groundbreaking here, but if you find yourself deeply invested in our Best Bites this week, here’s an entry on coconut water. Actually, this could fare as very useful information as Hong Kong’s weather forecast continues to skyrocket up to the top 20s and you find yourself feeling extremely parched while in the city. UFC Refresh Coconut Water is the very easy, very accessible find, available everywhere at local supermarkets. It’s imported directly from Thailand and while there’s no coconut husk with a teeny-tiny paper umbrella and sandy beaches in sight, UFC’s one-litre carton is the very real thing of pure sweet, nutty nectar, that once chilled, is the best thing after ice water. Eyes closed, you’re on a speedboat zipping across sparkling waters on the way to Phi Phi Island. — Lorria Sahmet, Editor
The drink: Organic Spearmint Tea (HK$40 for 16 tea bags)
A few weeks ago, I wrote three long paragraphs about the Organic Spearmint Herbal Tea from Equal Exchange. And guys, I think I spoke too soon. I’m not saying that the tea is bad — I stand by my word that it’s minty and refreshing and everything — but I’ve discovered an even better brand of spearmint tea.
Enter Traditional Medicinals’ Organic Spearmint Tea. At HK$40 for a box of 16 tea bags, it’s a little more expensive than Equal Exchange’s version, but the minty-ness is turned all the way up in this one. I can confirm that the tea is as aromatic, minty and sweet as its packaging states. I usually brew three cups per bag to make the most of my money, and even on the third cup, the flavour and aroma remain.
It’s so good that I just repurchased eight boxes. If this isn’t enough evidence of my love for it, then I don’t know what is. — Charmaine Ng, Editor
Available online on iHerb.
The drink: Large Strawberry Green Apple Juice (HK$28)
This week I took a much needed break from alcohol because my skin was not having it, honey. This is also where Fat Girl Juice Bar popped up on my radar and gave me a glimpse into the skinny legend lifestyle. Literally two blocks away from LSA HQ, Fat Girl Juice Bar has an extensive menu that caters to your specific wellbeing concerns, including but not limited to tired skin, dental scares and bathroom troubles.
Cue my go-to order: strawberry green apple juice. Fresh, foamy, sweet and appropriately sour — an easy pill to swallow for glowing skin and overall health. If you live/work somewhere in the vicinity, these shining stars of dietary fibres are but a phone call (or foodpanda order) away. What’s stopping you? — Michelle Chan, Editor
Fat Girl Juice Bar, Shop B4, G/F, Kam Koon Building, 310 Lockhart Road, Wan Chai, +852 2575 7888
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