Bars are closed all around the city, but there are still ways to enjoy your favourite drinks from the comfort of your home
Back in April, the Hong Kong government dropped a bombshell by announcing that all bars, clubs and pubs would need to close for 14 days. In the end the ban, part of a series of stringent measures being taken against entertainment venues (including karaoke and mahjong parlours) seen as high risk areas for the transmission of coronavirus, saw those establishments closed for more than a month. On May 9, the restriction was lifted.
This story was first published in response to the closures in April, and the city is now grappling with a fourth wave of soaring Covid-19 infections—in early December, the government once again mandated a temporary closure of bars until January 6, 2021 the earliest in an attempt to control the spread of the virus.
See also: An Insider's Look At The Precarious State Of Hong Kong's Bar Scene In 2020
It's another blow for bars, but having gone through this already, more are pivoting quickly to offer their signature cocktails in bottled or canned versions that customers can easily pick up or have delivered to their doorstep. So here is our updated list of which drinks to order and where. We hope that even after the bar ban is lifted and we can return to our favourite watering holes, these venues will continue to offer these products for quick fixes for nights in.
Coa
During the second wave and first of the bar closures, Jay Khan's agave-forward cocktail bar Coa partnered with local craft brewer Young Master to launch a special canned run of the bar's signature cocktail, La Paloma de Oaxaca. Made using the same spirits that you'd find at the Central bar (including Aequitecto tequila and Alipus mezcal) and mixed with homemade grapefruit soda, the refreshing libation also comes with a packet of worm salt—just like how the drink would be served in Coa. Each 330ml can makes the equivalent of two cocktail servings, and is priced at HK$118; you can purchase packs of six, 12 or 24 cans from the newly launched COA online shop. The shop also released their range of bottled cocktails, featuring some of the bar's greatest hits; get all four in a handy cocktail flight that includes the Coconut Milk Punch, Mezcal Negroni, Agave Old Fashioned and Mezcal Martinez.
In response to the ongoing challenges faced by society—in particular, vulnerable communities—COA's founder Jay Khan also launched Mezcal Missions in December, offering mezcal tastings where proceeds go to benefit local charity Habitat For Humanity.