The ABV Project | Southeast Asia cocktail scene

Independent media for
Southeast Asian cocktail culture.

Stories, insights, and industry data from the people shaping the region’s bar scene.

How to Make a Smoke Amber by Jimmy Eng of Mandarin Bar (Penang)

A Negroni with a smoky, spicy twist? Jimmy Eng from the Mandarin Bar in Penang has a riff on the Oaxacan Negroni called Smoke Amber. Swapping out sweet vermouth for a homemade yuzu kosho liqueur, Jimmy brings a punch of citrusy heat to the classic. Give it 10–20 revolutions of the bar spoon, and you get a smoky, spicy indulgence that’s hard to resist. Ingredients: 45ml Mezcal 45ml Campari 45ml Yuzu kosho liqueur 1 dash Angostura bitters Method: Add all the ingredients in a ro

Iza Juano on Manila's Cocktail Scene (Manila)

Demitria Ramona on What Makes Cocktails Worth It (Jakarta)

Rose Amor on the Cost of Becoming a Bartender (Manila)

Explore More

Recipes

Bottle Basics

Classic Low-Alcohol Cocktails for Those Lighter Nights

The Daiquiri: Three Ingredients, One Impossible Standard

All About Shochu: How I Learned to Stop Calling It “Japanese Vodka”

2 3 4 5

Editorial

Southeast Asia's Hotel Bars Are Challenging Independents

Bar Sathorn, W Bangkok Once pioneers of inventive drinks for travelers, hotel bars slipped into stagnation by the 1990s, built around standardized classics. In the past decade, however, they’re closing the gap with independent cocktail bars in creativity, talent, and global recognition. To understand the return of hotel bars in Southeast Asia, you have to start with a simple truth: for a long time, they were the only game in town. An Old Story, Retold It is easy to forget tha

Can You Call Yourself a Bartender If You Can’t Make a Daiquiri?

You sit down at a modern cocktail bar and ask for a Daiquiri, Manhattan or Old Fashioned. But instead of making it, the bartender asks what you like, then proposes something from the signature menu — or creates a custom drink by asking: “What kind of flavors do you like?” That isn't necessarily bad. But there's a difference between choosing not to make a classic and not knowing how to make one. This raises an increasingly interesting question for the modern cocktail industry:

Classic Low-Alcohol Cocktails for Those Lighter Nights

Not every night calls for a Martini (avg ABV 29%), Manhattan (avg ABV 26%) or Negroni (avg ABV 21%). Sometimes you want a proper cocktail — something stirred, chilled, aromatic, and complex — without committing to a heavy pour of spirits. That is where low-ABV cocktails come in. Long before “sessionable” became a buzzword, bartenders were mixing sherry, vermouth, amaro, sparkling wine, and fortified wines into drinks that delivered plenty of flavor without the alcohol punch o

Explore More

2 3

Book Review

Be the first to get the latest updates by signing up. Stay ahead with fresh content, news, and exclusive insights delivered straight to you—so you never miss out on what’s new and exciting.

Iza Juano on Manila's Cocktail Scene (Manila)

Demitria Ramona on What Makes Cocktails Worth It (Jakarta)

Southeast Asia's Hotel Bars Are Challenging Independents

How to Make a Smoke Amber by Jimmy Eng of Mandarin Bar (Penang)

How to Make a Smoke Amber by Jimmy Eng of Mandarin Bar (Penang)

Iza Juano on Manila's Cocktail Scene (Manila)

Demitria Ramona on What Makes Cocktails Worth It (Jakarta)

Rose Amor on the Cost of Becoming a Bartender (Manila)

How to Make a Smoke Amber by Jimmy Eng of Mandarin Bar (Penang)

[Recipe] Latik by EJ Soriano of Run Rabbit Run (Manila)

[Recipe] Tokyo Banana by Alaimie Pangan of Matador (Manila)

[Recipe] Amelie from France by Lance Tabilin of Bar Flora (Manila)

Classic Low-Alcohol Cocktails for Those Lighter Nights

The Daiquiri: Three Ingredients, One Impossible Standard

All About Shochu: How I Learned to Stop Calling It “Japanese Vodka”

Southeast Asia's Hotel Bars Are Challenging Independents

Can You Call Yourself a Bartender If You Can’t Make a Daiquiri?

Classic Low-Alcohol Cocktails for Those Lighter Nights

What To Drink, by Bertha E. L. Stockbridge

The Gentleman's Companion, by Charles H Baker Jr

Liquid Intelligence, by Dave Arnold