The Wet Deck on the 76th floor of W Hong Kong is the city's highest alfresco rooftop pool bar. And it's definitely worth going for a drink while the wintry sun is still up, even though the route to the bar is almost a walk of shame past the parents chaperoning their frolicking kids splashing by the poolside (the parents wish they were joining you). But turn the corner, the down-tempo beats are louder, and hey, it's almost happy hour. Grab a high table by the edge bordered by grass and glass, where you can survey the harbour and beyond.
Come sundown, the splashing disappears, and glowing purple spheres are brought out to line the edge of the heated pool. The fact that you're so high up, and that you're sitting outdoors, makes you feel like you're on holiday without being on holiday.
So go on, take off your shoes, no one will mind.
The Wet Deck has a menu full of inventive drinks and snacks, but the one signature cocktail we can't get enough of is the Wet-Spot, a libation that best represents the whimsy of the W brand. For those who prefer their cocktails as multifaceted as their wine, conversations or their character, the Wet-Spot makes for an alluring poolside aperitivo.
This drink uses quintessential Italian ingredients such as Campari and limoncello, but with the addition of fresh ginger juice. It is garnished with a cubes of succulent watermelon.
Campari itself is an acquired taste. Here the classic Italian brand of bitters - with its rich, smoky caramel flavour - blends with the summery sweetness of the fresh fruit. A fragrant hint of citrus and syrup comes from limoncello, the thick, saccharine dessert cordial that is the result of Sorrento lemon peels soaked in liqueur. A spicy spank is provided by ginger juice.