The Boogie Down from Sean Halse of Hudson Rooms (Hanoi) takes its inspiration from the amazing club culture of New York Ciy, including greats like Studio 54. This drink is designed to make the night continue whilst staying low on booze (around 10%ABV). Ingredients: 10ml Malbec Reduction* (see instructions below) 5ml Black Garlic Honey* (see instructions below) 20ml Cognac 15ml Coffee Liqueur 40ml Espresso *How to make Malbec Reduction: 500ml Malbec 50g Palm Sugar 2g (1pc) St

Cocktails are served (and drunk) in very different glasses or stemware, depending on what you order. Not all cocktail glasses are created equal because they’ve all been specially designed to enhance the flavors, aesthetics, and temperatures of the cocktails you’re drinking. Yes, there’s actually science behind your favorite bar drinks! Here are some of the most popular cocktail glasses: Highball / Collins glass These tall and narrow highball glasses (8-12oz) are compatible wi

Created during his earlier years of bartending in the US, Michael Callahan's – currently of Old Square East in Chengdu – Bourbon Julius was wildly popular during the end of summer peach season (July-Aug). "It's from era where we didn't use a lot of specialty ingredients. We used what was at the bar and fresh fruit from the farmers market. If a find a nice peach at a market I always make this drink," says Michael. Ingredients: 60ml Bourbon 20ml Ginger Liqueur (Domain De Canton

Created by Miriam Nini of Capella Bangkok, her cocktail “Sao Noi” means little girl in Thai. It was the very first cocktail she created when she stepped into Stella and also one of the first Thai words she learned. The inspiration comes from the elegance of Thai ingredients, combined with the bright, refreshing flavor profile of a classic gimlet. The result is a delicate yet vibrant cocktail that reflects both the spirit of Stella and her early days discovering Thailand. Tip

Lal Muan Puia's cocktail is a Gimlet with an Asian twist: by adding Kaffir lime leaves and toasted sesame oil. Created in 2018 at Gekko Restaurant in Yangon, this cocktail is simple enough to make at home. Ingredients: 50ml Dry Gin 20ml Simple syrup 15ml Fresh lime juice 1-2 Kaffir lime leaves 5 Drops Toasted Sesame oil (garnish) Method: Add all ingredients into a shaker tin, shake with ice, and then fine strain into a martini or coupe glass. Garnish with 3 drops of sesame o

Created by bar veteran Jen Queen of The Pontiac in Hong Kong, the Lavender Menace cocktail is named after a lesbian vigilante group from the 70’s (a bag of lavender hangs in The Pontiac as an homage), and is inspired by strong female bartenders who are too often underestimated. The drink is possesses a savory, yet citric expression with a heavy punch of booze and aroma; a pretty exterior, with a much greater complexity beneath. Ingredients: 45ml Gin 25ml Pineapple juice* 25ml

Jason Wong of Remedy Cocktail Bar in the KL neighborhood of Taman Paramount takes on the Vieux Carré – a classic built for slow sipping. With its 7-ingredient structure, it’s a drink that invites tweaking, and Jason leans into that flexibility with a less sweet rendition that lets the spirit and spice shine through. Ingredients: 20ml Rye whiskey 20ml Cognac 15ml Sweet vermouth 2 barspoons Benedictine D.O.M. 12 dashes Peychaud's Bitters 6 dashes Angostura Bitters Method: Put a

In The Gentleman’s Companion, Volume II: An Exotic Drinking Book, Charles H. Baker Jr. offers something far more revealing than a conventional cocktail manual. Baker was a bon vivant, and spent much of his life traveling the world chronicling food and drink recipes for magazines like Esquire and Town & Country. "If you ever wondered whose oyster the world is, meet Charles H. Baker, Jr.” Esquire Magazine, 1954 His account of Southeast Asia unfolds as a drifting, alcohol-soaked

Hailing from the US, Payman of Vagabond in Jakarta enjoys the challenge of stirred cocktails because the creative process can be less forgiving: no sharp acidity or fruit juices to hide behind. His Freek Power cocktail features a rare grain infused in tequila, with flavors of light smoke and baking spice layered atop orchard fruit. While the drink itself may look unassuming, it takes its inspiration from the famous “gonzo journalist” Hunter S. Thompson, who was anything but.

This refreshing take on a Paloma by Jake Erder of Honky Tonks Tavern in Hong Kong uses both tequila and mezcal as the base. The Bandida shines with the addition of hibiscus syrup and orange liqueur, creating a refreshing but layered citrus-forward flavor with floral tartness and subtle smoke. Ingredients: 25 ml Tequila Blanco 25 ml Mezcal 10 ml Unico Zelo Mando 20 ml Lime Juice 10 ml Hibiscus Syrup* 80 ml Grapefruit Soda Half Rim of Citric Salt Or Tajin (garnish) *Make the H

This cocktail is rooted in Myanmar’s Anyar region, the central dry zone where flavor is built through balance rather than richness. Toddy-palm jaggery and tamarind form the backbone. In Burmese cooking, tamarind is not just sweetness but structure, used as an acid, while jaggery brings a deep, mineral warmth. Being half Burmese Alejandra May grew up in Yamethin, a true Anyar town. Growing up, her great aunts would treat her to desserts built on jaggery, tamarind, and spice. T

The Pink Me Up is the signature cocktail of Ronnaporn, co-founder of Bangkok's Mahaniyom cocktail bar. This was his Bacardi Legacy 2019 competition-winning drink – a rum-based concoction that balances fruity and savory notes with tomato, basil, lemon, and olive brine. His inspiration? The lack of 'pick me up' cocktails in the rum category; unlike vodka's Bloody Mary, or gin's Corpse Reviver No.2 nothing stood out for rum. He simply wanted to create a surprisingly refreshing a

While the structure of the drink is inspired by Tommy's Margarita, the flavor direction comes from Chester Smith's background growing up in Myanmar. In Burmese cuisine, balance is essential. Many traditional dishes combine sour, salty, and spicy flavors, creating vibrant and layered tastes. Ingredients such as lime, chili, and aromatic herbs are deeply rooted in everyday Burmese cooking. By infusing Mezcal with kaffir lime leaves and using chili-infused agave, this drink refl

When we talk about Myanmar's alcoholic drinks, beer and rum always take the spotlight, as they were introduced to the country by the British in the 19th century. However, hidden in mountains and valleys beyond the cities, you’ll find traditional spirits whose origins have long faded from record. Rarely commercialized, they persist in small isolated pockets where one must travel off the beaten path for a chance to have a tipple of it. Palm Drinks: Htan Yay and Htan A Yet Nestl

This signature cocktail from Hnin Pwint Aye of Bangkok's Rangoon Tea House introduces the unique depth of Burmese Lephet (fermented tea leaves) with the smoky soul of Mexican agave. The tropical acidity of homemade pineapple shrub meets the savory "umami" of Burmese green tea, finished with an elegant topping of Cabernet Sauvignon reduction. Laphet has a very long history in Myanmar; in ancient times, they were used as a peace offering between warring kingdoms. Nowadays, the

Justin Yow of Good Friends Club in Penang created The Screwpine with sustainability in mind, utilizing twice-extracted pandan to create the homemade liqueur. This modern classic cocktail is clean, refreshingly bright and citrusy, with gentle but long floral and herbaceous notes from pandan. Ingredients: 45ml Gin 25ml ⁠Homemade Pandan liqueur 15ml ⁠Riesling (moderately dry) 10ml ⁠Lime *Make the Pandan liqueur: 100g Pandan 200g Neutral grain spirit Sugar (20% of total weight of

Created by Giovanni Magliaro of Neo Bar in KL, the Filthy Gajus is a twist of the Gimlet, but using local flavors and recycled ingredients from their menu, turning what could have been discarded into something unexpected, playful, and full of flavor. Ingredients: 30ml Tuaq 30ml Cashew distillate 10ml Kantan cordial 5ml Lacto-fermented Tomato Tomato salt rim (garnish) *Make the Cashew distillate: Add toasted cashews (20% ratio) into vodka, blend, and then strain (or use roto

You wouldn’t immediately connect one of the earliest ingredients in cocktails to a photo-sharing app that now serves as the primary language of cocktail bars worldwide. But without bourbon, there might not have been Instagram – or at least, not the Instagram we know today. The Bourbon Drinker and the Bad Idea Long before filters and flat lays, Kevin Systrom was known among friends for two things: tinkering with side projects, and a genuine fondness for bourbon. Not in a conno

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