Espresso Martinis are making a strong comeback to the bar scene, but you've probably never tried one made by Rohan of Bar Trigona in Kuala Lumpur. In addition to swapping vodka for rye, another thing that makes Rohan's version stand out is how he makes his espresso: he brews it fresh with stout instead of water! Ingredients: 50ml Rye whiskey 10ml Coffee liqueur 60ml Espresso (freshly brewed with stout beer instead of water) 5ml Simple syrup Coffee bean (for garnish) Method: P

Created by Kate Osmillo from Raion (Manila), the Christmas Blush is c ool and refreshing at first sip, finished with a soft berry creaminess and a gentle festive spice. Ingredients: 30 ml London Dry Gin 10 ml Bianco Vermouth 30 ml Melon–Cucumber Juice (half and half) 7.5 ml Fresh Lemon Juice Pink Peppercorn (garnish) Make the Raspberry Cream (1 serving): 60 g Whipping Cream 10 g Raspberry Syrup (equal parts raspberry juice & white sugar) or Raspberry Jam In a chilled bowl, co

Philip Stefanescu of Tropic City (Bangkok) wanted to spread the love for tropical drinks in any format, so Rock Around the Clock is a delicious non-alcoholic jungle juice with fresh juice and something from the spice shelf – a winning combo. Ingredients: 20ml Cinnamon Syrup* (see instructions below) 30ml Coco Lopez or similar coconut cream (if you make your own, add condensed milk) 25ml Fresh Lemon Juice 30ml Fresh Grapefruit Juice 30ml Fresh Orange Juice *Make the Cinnamon s

A Thai twist on the classic Bee's Knees, Chanel Adams of Bamboo Bar in Bangkok brings acidity, sweetness, spice, and a sense of adventure to this drink. Ingredients: 45ml Tanqueray 10 Gin 30ml Green Mango Shrub* 15ml Honey Syrup* 5ml Lime Juice 3 dashes Thai Chili Tincture* *Make the Honey Syrup: 500ml honey 500ml water Whisk the honey in water until completely homogeneous. Refrigerated shelf life: 1-3 weeks. *Make the Thai Chili Tincture: 15pcs Thai (bird’s eye) chili 1

Maria from Penrose in Kuala Lumpur makes the classic Corpse Reviver No. 1 – while not as popular as its cousin the No. 2, this cognac version is a more sophisticated cocktail with a rich finish. The original recipe calls for calvados or apple brandy, but Maria swaps it with Creme de Mure instead for a fruitier flavor. She also adds orange bitters and saline to the final version. Ingredients: 40ml Cognac 20ml Crème de mûre 25ml Sweet vermouth 5ml PX (Pedro Ximenez) sweet sherr

Created by Nicole Slater of Hong Kong's legendary dive bar, Pontiac, her cocktail creation is infused with nostalgia, tea, and her unique third culture experience. Ingredients: 23ml Light Rum 23ml Gin 23ml Strawberry Oolong Tea Cordial* 23ml Fresh lemon juice 2 drops Vegan foamer Strawberry powder* (topping) *Make the Strawberry Oolong Tea Cordial: 340g strawberry tops (with leaves) 4 teabags of Oolong tea 50g of lemon peels 400g white sugar Place strawberry tops, teabags, l

Raz Ng, co-founder of Bar None in Kuala Lumpur, puts her stamp on a Malaysian icon: the Junglebird. Her twist? A thoughtful rum blend that adds depth and structure, paired with caramelized pineapple for a richer, more layered sweetness. Familiar, but dialed up – just the way a classic should be. Ingredients: 30ml Dark rum 15ml White rum 15ml Campari 15ml Lime juice 3 Half wheel slices of pineapple Method: Start by putting 2 slices of pineapple into the cocktail shaker tin. Ad

Sameera Anand of tara in Jakarta created the Irish Chai by tapping into nostalgia, based on her family’s own chai recipe, with an added Irish twist. tara was built on Asian cultures and flavors, and Indian chai was a huge inspiration for this drink on their signature menu. Irish Chai is a twist on an Irish Coffee that brings the comfort of a homemade cup of tea into an equally comforting warm cocktail that is nostalgic and yet novel. The chai mix in this drink is actually mad

Zee of Jakarta's The Golden Tooth creates this twist on the classic 20th Century, featuring rum and fermented cacao nib infusions. Ingredients: 20ml Cacao-infused Spiced Rum* 20ml Cacao-infused Cocchi Americano Bianco* 20ml Crème de Cacao White 20ml Fresh Lemon Juice Absinthe mist *Make the Spiced Rum infusion: 500ml spiced rum 100g fermented cacao nibs Sous vide the spiced rum with fermented cacao nibs at 55°C for 2 hours and fine strain with cheese cloth. *Make the Cocch

Low-ABV (6% ABV) and easygoing, "Yes, Dear", created by Alex Javier of OTO (Manila), is a drink for the husbands and boyfriends who take five minutes to get ready, then spend the next thirty waiting. The drink is designed to stretch the wait without stealing the night. Light and refreshing, with a gentle coffee-rum lift from Mancino Kopi Vermouth and Blanco Rum — just enough kick to pass the time, not dinner. Recipe: 15ml Luisita Blanco Rum 30ml Mancino Kopi Vermouth 7.5ml Fr

Cheryl of Chez Chez in Penang makes her favorite drink: the Mezcal Last Word. With Chartreuse in short supply, she improvises the recipe by using Strega (with some balancing) as the modifier instead of Green Chartreuse. Ingredients: 30ml Mezcal 20ml Cherry liqueur 15ml Lime juice 10ml Strega 10ml Pernod 1 dash Angostura bitters Method: Shake all ingredients in cocktail shaker, then double strain into a coupe glass. Garnish with a wheel of lime.

The Alapadma was created for International Women's Day by Sophia Kang from One-Ninety Bar in Singapore. Inspired by the grace of Bharatanatyam, Alapadma takes its name from the hand gesture that represents a lotus in full bloom. Its soft purple‑pink colour plays an important role. Purple has long been associated with International Women’s Day and carries themes of dignity, justice and resilience. Ingredients: 30ml Jasmine-infused gin* 20ml Orange & purple cabbage oleo saccha

Straight out of Tropic City, the Hibiscus Paloma is a refreshing, sugar-free take on a hot weather classic, perfect for tropical drinking – created by Plai Natrucha. Ingredients: 60ml Tequila 50ml Hibiscus & Stevia water* 30ml Fresh Grapefruit juice 15ml Fresh Lime juice Soda top-up Tajín powder (garnish) Grapefruit wedge (garnish) *Make the Hibiscus & Stevia Water: 500ml water 20g hibiscus 10g stevia Mix all the ingredients in the water and stir until stevia dissolves. Me

A variation of a Negroni, Erika Danielle creates a mezcal concoction that's reminiscent of a bittersweet smokey coffee with a punch. Ingredients: 30ml Mezcal 20ml Sweet Vermouth 5ml Coffee Liqueur 15ml Campari 3 dashes Orange Bitters Method: Add all ingredients into a mixing glass with ice and stir. Strain into an Old Fashioned glass with a large rocks ice and garnish with an orange twist.

At Biso in Penang, Kar Ve puts a playful, almost scientific spin on the classic espresso martini with their signature Double Espresso. The drink combines a classic espresso martini (in sphere form) that's suspended inside a crystal-clear, clarified version of the same cocktail. Ingredients: 45ml Geisha coffee distillate* 15ml Dry vermouth 10ml Giffard White Cacao 5ml Vodka 1 Espresso Martini sphere* *Make the Espresso Martini sphere: First, make the Espresso Martini (shake 50

Created by Eunike Katherine of Modernhaus in Jakarta, this fun cocktail sits at the intersection of Indonesia's matcha craze, strawberries, and chocolate whey. Ingredients: 50ml Gin 20ml White chocolate whey* 15ml Strawberry syrup 10ml Lemon juice Matcha foam* (top up) *Make the White Chocolate Whey: 100g white chocolate 30ml lemon juice 250ml warm milk Mix white chocolate and lemon juice in warm milk until completely dissolved, then double strain with cheese cloth. *Make th

Created by Ning of BKK Social Club in Bangkok, the Smoked Lychee is more than a blend of flavors – it's a tribute to the femininity, creativity, and individuality of women everywhere. The cocktail reveals delicate floral notes, gentle fruitiness, and a subtle woody fragrance that lingers gracefully. Bold yet graceful, complex yet harmonious, it embodies strength expressed with elegance, and individuality celebrated without compromise. Ingredients: 35ml Mezcal 15ml Lychee liqu

Tamaryn Cooper of Dry Wave Cocktail Studio in Bangkok recreates the iconic drink Hanky Panky. It's a classic cocktail created by none other than Ada Coleman – the first female head bartender at the American Bar in The Savoy in London. Coley is thought to have created her now famous cocktail in 1921, which appears in Harry Craddock's The Savoy Cocktail Book . Ingredients: 45ml gin 45ml sweet vermouth 5ml Fernet-Branca Garnish with orange twist Method: Add all the wet ingredien

March 5th is Absinthe Day. Long misunderstood and even demonized, absinthe is actually versatile, approachable, and worth rediscovering. Here are two modern takes on absinthe, reimagined from some of our favorite Southeast Asian bartenders. Created by Angel Ji (the co-founder of KL's longstanding PS150), this cocktail – simply called "That Absinthe Cocktail" – represents an introduction to absinthe: approachable, simple, easily sourced, and NOLO optional. Ingredients: 30ml

Julie Nguyen of Opium Bar (Bangkok) created this cocktail, which was inspired by Chinese New Year traditions: mandarin for luck and prosperity, pickled ginger for cleansing warmth at festive feasts, and smoky mezcal evoking firecrackers that usher in renewal. Spicy, savory, and auspicious. Ingredients: 25ml Mezcal 45ml Mandarin Ginger Cordial* 10ml Lemon 15ml Egg white *Make the Mandarin ginger cordial: Blend together 200ml Mandarin juice, 40g sugar, 1g Chilli powder, 1g Salt