Hong Kong’s best gin bars add a fragrant chapter to a spirited history

Gin appreciation doesn’t always come naturally. “I’m sure every kid has taken a sip of gin and not been a fan,” says cocktail entrepreneur Victoria Chow.

Nisha Xu, owner of SoHo’s G&T Bar, remembers taking a sip of her first gin and tonic. “I wouldn’t say I liked it the first time,” she says.

Gerry Olino, head mixologist at Dr Fern’s Gin Parlour, is originally from the Philippines, the world’s largest gin consumer per capita. “Gin there is more like moonshine,” he says. He stayed away from the stuff for years, even after he got into the bar scene.

Then something changed. For Chow, it was a sip of cucumber-based Hendrick’s, one of the first gins to deviate from the traditional range of botanicals. Xu fell in love with Plymouth, a unique style from Devon that has a protected geographical indication label – the same kind of status enjoyed by rare regional cheeses and other delicacies.

Olino’s awakening was as simple as having a G&T made with good tonic and even better gin. That introduced him to a growing movement of bars in Hong Kong that are exploring a spirit that has achieved greater depth and breadth than ever before.

Never has it been easier to find a bar with a diverse selection of gin. Even restaurants are stepping up their game; the New Punjab Club features a gin-and-tonic trolley, which is wheeled to each table, offering diners a choice of six top-shelf gins.

“Customers now understand that gin can be more complex than just a Gordon’s and a Schweppes,” says Juan Martínez Gregorio, owner of Ping Pong 129.