New Bars: Where to drink in Hong Kong this July

Woolly Pig's newest restaurant and bar venture is a cute French bistro over at Kowloon Station, District 8. We have had friends and colleagues raving over the French Breakfast Martini ($90), a beautiful blend of butter croissant-infused vodka, strawberry marmalade, egg white, and fresh lemon served with a slice of toast which is said to be even more impressive than their amazing dishes! It is part of a selection of modern Parisian-inspiration cocktails and picture-perfect cocktails with creative flavours, such as Beef It ($110), a marriage of Wagyu beef fat-washed bourbon, smoky whisky, burnt honey syrup, and bitters, garnished with house-made Wagyu jerky.

District 8, Kowloon Station, R009 Roof Deck, Civic Square Elements Mall, 1 Austin Rd W, Tsim Sha Tsui | (+852) 2537 7555

Cafe and bar Doubleshot by Cupping Room launches its new series of creative Featured Cocktails that stays true to its coffee roots and promotes anti-waste and sustainability. Their cocktails draw inspiration from coffee flavours and brewing techniques, such as the Spent Martini ($118) which is a reinterpretation of a classic espresso martini. The concoction elevates the earthy tones of the double shot of single origin coffee, intensifying its smooth and nutty sensations. The Spent Martini’s coffee liquor is made from coffee grounds from their morning coffee service, while the sweetener is made from Cupping Room’s unsold almond croissants. To showcase the dark flavours of PX sherry and lightly peated whisky with a hint of anise, Upper East Side ($158) is an elegant union of modern classics Black Manhattan and Rapscallion adorned with gold flake as a nod to Manhattan’s most affluent neighbourhood.

Doubleshot by Cupping Room, 1/F, Hilltop Plaza, 49 Hollywood Road, Soho, Central | (+852) 9225 6639

Photo credits: berrychan114

Like its Tokyo counterpart, YAKINIKUMAFIA Hong Kong offers an all-new concept of authentic Japanese bbq, featuring set menus that introduce diners to the range of textures and superiority of premium wagyu. Their drinks menu has more on it than the food menu itself, with highballs, share cocktails, sake, beer and much more. Our favourite is the Shochu Sour Tower ($80), served with sliced lemon that is piled like an ascending tower of sour slices. It is the perfect accompaniment to help cut through the grease of the grilled meats, though we would never say no to sake either!

YAKINIKUMAFIA, 2/F, Hollywood Centre, 233 Hollywood Road, Sheung Wan | (+852) 3105 1250

You may be familiar with Yung Kee, a roasted meats restaurant offering the best Cantonese barbecue cuts in Hong Kong since 1942, but do you know about their sister restaurant in K11 Musea? Forming a quintessential bridge between old and new, Yung’s Bistro takes some of Cantonese cuisine’s most classic dishes and gives them a slight twist to provide a brand new perspective on familiar recipes. If you're wondering just how modern and trendy this sibling restaurant is, let's just say they have an uber aesthetic bar by the entrance with concoctions such as the Roast Goose Old Fashion ($105). we're not sure how it would taste like yet but we are very, very, very eager to find out!

Yung’s Bistro, Shop 701, 7/F, K11 MUSEA, Victoria Dockside, 18 Salisbury Road, Tsim Sha Tsui | (+852) 2321

For summer this year, Terrible Baby at Eaton HK is launching a selection of alcohol-free cocktails, with two summer special Seedlip mocktails as the highlight. The Funky Garden ($70) will remind guests of an English garden with notes of green tea and mint, while the aromatic Let’s Grove ($70) is topped up with Capi sparkling cucumber and has a citrus kick thanks to grapefruit, lemon and orange shrub. For anyone who wants something more on the fruity side, there's the Cool Story Bro ($70) with passion fruit, guava and pineapple and The Green Life ($70) with green grapes, aloe vera and lemon juice.

Terrible Baby, 4/F, Eaton HK, 380 Nathan Road, Jordan, Kowloon | (+852) 2710 1866

Sometimes you have to fight heat with heat, and that is the philosophy Chilli Fagara stands by with their new spice-infused cocktails for the summer. You can sip a tongue-numbing concoction featuring the famed Sichuan peppercorn – handpicked and ground into a house-made syrup – in the Peppercorn Angel ($88). Shaken with gin, fresh and fragrant coriander leaves plus a dash of lime juice, this zesty and aromatic tipple cleans the palette, making way for Chilli Fagara’s signature, craveable dishes to follow. The Spicy Lychee ($88) celebrates seasonal, sweet lychees in an irresistible blend of vodka, lychee liqueur, fresh lime juice and fiery-red hot chillies.

Chilli Fagara, 7 Old Bailey Street, Central | (+852) 2796 6886

Bringing summer drinks to new heights, the innovative homegrown cha brand Cha Long is launching four exclusive carbonated fruit chas in collaboration with Pepsi®. Pepsi Fresh Fruit Jasmine Cha ($38) is fueled by the traditionally blended jasmine green cha adding an explosive mouthfeel of Pepsi in combination with the delicate aroma of jasmine blossoms whereas the 7UP Fresh Fruit Green Cha ($38) presents the ultimate balance of 7UP’s signature citrus flavour and the bittersweet indulgence of green cha. Both creations are further heightened by Cha Long’s signature layers of rich fresh-cut fruit, including sweet and juicy watermelon, apple, strawberries, as well as zesty oranges, lime, lemon and passion fruit. Enjoy a truly chilled out summer with some fizz!

Cha Long, multiple locations across Hong Kong

LPM Restaurant & Bar is marking the start of summer in Hong Kong with a chic new collection of five refreshing cocktails using the finest Mediterranean spirits house-made cordials and fresh garnishes, each named after sunshine hotspots in the South of France. Embodying the clear Mediterranean ocean, we would recommend the Côte-Bleue ($120), a refreshingly transparent highball, expertly poured over a perfectly cut column of ice. Filling the glass flawlessly, this Negroni twist is made with fresh citrus gin from the South of France, a blend of two Italian vermouths and a hint of lavender spirit, spritzed onto the glass to release a floral aroma transporting guests to the Côte Bleue.

LPM Restaurant & Bar, Shop 1, H Queen's, 23-29, 1/F Stanley Street, Central | (+852) 2887 1113

For a limited time only, the imaginative team behind Zuma is launching its first-ever bottled Highball in collaboration with Japanese distillery Nikka and artisanal local craft mixers brand Carbonation, as well as offering two new intriguing cocktails that marry Japanese flavours and unique characters of Casamigos tequila. The limited-edition bottled Zuma Yuzu Highball ($145) is a refreshing and fizzy cocktail to celebrate the 100th wedding anniversary of the founders of Nikka – the father of Japanese whisky Masataka Taketsuru and his Scottish wife Jessie Roberta Cowan. Zuma is also introducing two new creations in conjunction with Casamigos tequila, the smoothest slow-cooked tequila in Hong Kong, adding its signature Japanese infusion into the cocktail menu. The Bajiru Smash ($155), a crisp blend of Casamigos Reposado, agave, cucumber, lemongrass, lime, yuzu and a thick sprig of fresh basil. Shāpu ($145), a delicious mix of Casamigos Blanco, longan sake, lime and yuzu, with a drizzle of watermelon to add sweetness and a lingering heat from shichimi umeshu.