Always on the hunt for the best bits of Hong Kong, we just had to go down and try the new Pin-Up Signatures cocktail collection at Bar Q88. Take a trip back to the good ol' days with these odes to greatness
Yes! We do love to sweat it out with a CrossFit WOD or at the yoga studio every week, but the team at Honeycombers Hong Kong also loves a good cocktail. Recently, we heard a rumour about the new Pin-Up Signatures range at Bar Q88 in Jw Marriott, so we went down to check them out, and may have left a little hazy eyed.
Pin-Up Signatures at Bar Q88
Having undergone a facelift in the not-too-distant past, Bar Q88 at JW Marriott is now a totally standalone element of the hotel that you need to visit. Moody and atmospheric (with the just the right pops of colour), the resident band sets the tone Monday through Saturday from 6:15pm – serenading guests with classic tunes.
And at the bar, Assistant Beverage Operations Manager Bryson Rivera has created the newly-launched Pin-Up Signatures range, a collection of snappy cocktails inspired largely by 50s and 60s starlets, with some contemporary stars thrown in for good measure.
Which Pin-Up Signatures cocktail are you?
Featuring Wild Turkey 81 Bourbon, Gingerbread and Hellfire Bitters, James Dean’s Rebel Without A Cause had my name all over it. Presented in a studded Old Fashioned glass with enough weight to make it feel like a real drink, this cocktail is not for the faint hearted in terms of strength, but I adored it. The heat that settles in as you swallow adds a great spin to the cocktail, and the gingerbread flavour is amazing.
Fans of classic horror movies will be familiar with Hazel Court, yet her cocktail at Bar Q88 represents her offscreen persona. Made with Absolut Lemongrass-Infused Vodka, Macadamia Liqueur, Fresh Orange, Ginger Beer, Lemon Balm and Elderflower, the drink is served in a beautiful champagne glass made from copper and even has some Cotton Candy on the base, as a nod to her signature makeup look.
Dean Martin’s Old Pal is crafted from Bulleit Rye, Carpano Dry and Campari and it’s served on a smoky pillow that adds an element of novelty to the drink (not that it needs it), but the visual star of the show has to be Dita Von Teese Loves Her Martini. A blend of William Chase Rhubarb, Absolut Vodka, Fresh Raspberries, Cointreau, Pineapple Juice, Freshly Squeezed Lemon Juice, Grenadine, Egg White, Rhubarb Bitters and Rose Petals this epic cocktail is topped with Silver Pearls and a peacock feather – and we think the burlesque star would approve of the fruity concoction.
I can honestly say that I loved every cocktail I tried here. The flavours work well together and don’t compete for attention, while the pours are strong – you’ve been warned.
Bar Q88, Lobby Level, JW Marriott Hotel Hong Kong, Pacific Place, 88 Queensway, Hong Kong, p. 2810 8366, 金鐘金鐘道88號太古廣場香港JW萬豪酒店
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