We help you prepare for the most anticipated week of the year with some highlights.
It’s that time of year again when the red scarves await their worthy recipients as Asia’s bars prepare for another chapter of the most anticipated annual ranking – Asia’s 50 Best Bars.
The awards ceremony will return to Rosewood Hong Kong for the second consecutive year on July 16th. Amidst much excitement and anticipation, we have put together a small round up of the events we think we shouldn’t miss in the city this July.
As always, the team at 50 Best have planned a steady stream of Signature Sessions and official events to keep revellers on their toes. Some exciting ones include “Closed Loop Cocktails” with Zest (Seoul) and Himkok (Oslo) at Penicillin on July 14th – an afternoon session of sustainable cocktail craft from three internationally acclaimed bars
who have environmental consideration at the heart of everything they do, “Tres Numeros Unos” – a double (or triple) header featuring SIPS (Barcelona) and Handhshake Speakeasy at COA on July 15th (3 – 6pm), and an “Indian Omakase & Canteen Meets Izakaya” evening at The Aubrey featuring The Bombay Canteen (Mumbai) on July 18th (seating slots: 5 – 7pm & 6 – 10pm).
Take a look at the complete list of 50 Best Signature Sessions here:
For more information on Signature Sessions, follow this link.
Award host venue, Rosewood Hong Kong is also scheduled to host a considerable number of events that week. Particularly exciting is a two-day pop up by Wax On Berlin, ranked #29 on World’s 50 Best Bars 2023, on July 14th and 15th from 8:30 – 11:30pm. Owner Sam Orrock and Bar Manager Guste Paliukaite will showcase five award-winning cocktails highlighting their renowned bar’s creativity and expertise.
At Ezra Star’s three venues across the city, things look very promising. With a host of guest shifts planned for the week including Jay Gray (Idle Hands, Singapore) at Mostly Harmless on July 13th and Jun Yijun (No Sleep Club, Singapore) at Artifact on the July 16th, the group promises no dull moments. Both Mostly Harmless and its sister venue Call Me Al across the road will inevitably have something on through the week, keeping bloc party vibes alive for those so inclined to explore the city beyond the hill that everyone goes to die on (literally).
On the infamous hill that is Hong Kong Central, the Tell Camellia group is coming in guns blazing across all their venues. While Tell Camellia itself will be hosting some of the world’s most exciting bars like Taiwan’s Public House and Room by Le Kief on July 15th and FOCO (Barcelona) on July 17th, their sister venue Kinsman will welcome SG Club on the same day. BARCODE will also see guest shifts by Vietnam’s Hudson Rooms and Haflington on July 16th.
Side note: All these venues are within a short walk from each other as well as from COA, Savory Project, Penicillin, and Bar Leone.
Up the road, at Hong Kong’s infamous COA, Jay Khan asks that we plan ahead. In our experience, the queues leading up to COA are long on the best of days and serpentine during 50 Best week. Both Savory Project and COA will remain open through the week with a steady flow of international guest shifts including a double header at COA with Handshake Speakeasy (Mexico City) and SIPS (Barcelona) on the afternoon of the 15th July as part of the 50 Best Signature Sessions. But that’s not all – keeping everyone’s physical well being in mind leading up to the awards, Jay will be putting together another hike for industry folks. Keep an eye on his Instagram account for more details and get ready for a real uphill challenge.
Local favourite Honky Tonks Tavern will be keeping things tropical on 14th July with a double act featuring Bali’s iconic Potato Head and our favourite island bar, Smoke & Bitters all the way from Sri Lanka. Expect bright island smiles and drinks that taste like a ray of sunshine.
At Bar Leone, Lorenzo and his team are keeping things light hearted in true Italian style with a Pony Pizza Party featuring Singapore’s Jigger & Pony on 17th July. Get ready for pizza, disco, cocktails, and revelry from 4 pm until late.
Some important things to note about Hong Kong:
- Hong Kong Central has the highest concentration of bars. You can walk to several bars within 5-7 minutes of each other but remember, this is all on a hill so there are steep inclines to take into account. Wear comfortable shoes.
- Temperatures in July range between 28 and 32 degrees celsius with relative humidity averaging at 82% (fun!)
- July is also typhoon season so expect torrential downpours. The HKO app provides weather warnings about typhoons, rain and thunderstorms.
We hope that this (by no means conclusive) list of events helps you plan your week comfortably. Remember to stay hydrated and soak in the best of Hong Kong and Asia’s 50 Best Bars.
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