How ‘Hong Kong spirit’ has helped city’s bars and nightlife scene remain resilient during tough times

Despite ongoing Covid-19 outbreak, many establishments still in business – using collaborations and creative strategies to meet social distancing restrictions

Future of food and drink industry looks vibrant, as new openings such as stylish cocktail bar, Twenty Fifth Hour, epitomise city’s ‘never say die’ attitude

In Partnership With:Hong Kong Tourism Board

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Published: 4:06pm, 4 Aug 2020Updated: 2:42pm, 19 Aug 2022

Hong Kong’s bars remain resilient – despite the fact that the city’s food and drink industry has been battered by the Covid-19 pandemic. It is still reeling from the losses incurred during a mandatory two-week shutdown of 1,200 pubs and bars in early April, and a further period of closures introduced on July 15.

Industry earnings fell 31.2 per cent between January and March compared with the same period last year, resulting in the biggest recorded year-on-year decline.

However, many indomitable establishments are still in business and have come up with creative strategies, collaborations with other brands or companies, and new cocktail concoctions – to entice people back.

Room 309 (above), at The Pottinger Hong Kong in Central, is using creative ways to entice customers back once the Covid-19 restrictions have eased. Photo: Jonathan Wong

Popular hotel speakeasy Room 309, at The Pottinger Hong Kong, for example, teamed up with the Scottish whisky brand, Talisker, in early July to offer its customers two new cocktails with Talisker 10 and 18 Year Old.

Award-winning cocktail bar, COA, and local craft brewery, Young Master, have combined their talents to create La Niña Fresa, a limited edition wild ale, brewed to blur the barriers between two culturally distinct fermented drinks: tepache from Mexico and lambic beer from Belgium.