Hong Kong: COA

From tequila to mezcal, raicilla and sotol, the vast majority of Jay Khan’s collection of bottles have been carried from Mexico. The bar prides itself on educating guests on agave spirits and even holds a bi-weekly tasting and education event called Mezcal Mission, which donates proceeds to local charities. The bar’s décor is inspired by Oaxacan drinking dens Khan frequented on his travels and even depicts different types of agave plants through hand paintings on the walls around the bar. The cocktail list is also impressive, and the COA team are more than happy to make you a drink with other spirits. Coa is named The Best Bar in Asia 2021.

6-10 Shin Hing Street, Central, Hong Kong, China

Singapore: Jigger & Pony

As one of the top bars in Asia and largely home-grown, Jigger & Pony has always done things a bit differently. The hospitality-driven owner partnership of Guo Yi Gan and Indra Kantono make for a creative combo. Their vision has led to a group of three bars, two restaurants and a new project, their biggest to date. In any case, Jigger & Pony’s space at the Amara hotel is very easy on the eye, has two separate spaces (and accompanying bars) to host myriad clientele and events, and has a great vibe to go with the drinks and food.

165 Tanjong Pagar Road, Singapore 088539

Tokyo: The SG Club

It’s hard to find a seat in Shingo Gokan’s flagship Tokyo bar. It’s also difficult to beat the head-spinning creativity of head bartender Yuya Nagamine. A floor above, everyone can find space in the casual bar where long drinks rule, and up top, the once members-only bar is now open to all, with veteran barman Takahiro Watanabe serving drinks to match the various stages of a cigar. These days, Gokan is next door in his new bar-restaurant Swrl, where innovative wine cocktails are poured alongside South American influenced cuisine.

1 Chome-7-8 Jinnan, Shibuya City, Tokyo 150-0041, Japan

Shanghai: Sober Company

Shingo Gokan’s second Shanghai outpost, Sober Company, is the most recent in his impressive stable of eight bars across China and Japan. The three-tiered concept is made up of a café, restaurant and bar. New York-style Sober Café serves breakfast and coffee until the late afternoon, ​​when aperitives and coffee cocktails are the name of the game. Line your stomach upstairs with modern Chinese cuisine in Sober Kitchen at tables decorated with mahjong tiles, before heading up to Sober Society – the top spot for cocktails.

99 Yandang Road, Huangpu, Shanghai, China

Seoul: Charles H

Charles H is a glamorous affair. Helmed by the ever charming and dapper Keith Motsi, it is a homage to bon vivant and world traveler Charles H Baker Jr, who travelled the world documenting the food and drink he encountered from the 1920s to 1950s. The menu at Charles H draws inspiration from his writings and destinations. Each city has four cocktails, and features either a Friends of Charles H cocktail from a Four Seasons property in that city, or a flight of the bar’s take on classic cocktails from that destination.

Four Seasons Hotel, 97 Saemunan-Ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul, South Korea

Kuala Lumpur: Bar Trigona

Bar Trigona’s Malaysian produce is a mainstay, from the wild turmeric harvested in Pahang, raw honey from the eponymous Trigona hives and tropical fruits from a Bangi organic farm. The local honeybees, particularly, are given center stage. Their nectar – simultaneously sour and sweet – peppers many of the drinks, after head bartender Ashish Sharma (previously of Manhattan, Singapore) uncovered it on a research trek into the jungle. Book a table for sundown – the mosaic and mirroring across the bar splays light all around the room during golden hour. For the third year in succession, Bar Trigona has been named The Best Bar in Malaysia 2021.

Four Seasons Place, 145, Jalan Ampang, 50450 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Bangkok: Tropic City

Award-winning Tropic City is Thailand’s first tropical cocktail bar, known for their innovative cocktails, unparalleled hospitality & passion for everything rum. The brainchild of Swedish bartending duo & hospitality veterans Philip Stefanescu & Sebastian De la Cruz, Tropic City is a high-end neighborhood cocktail bar with a colorful design mixing & matching tropical influences from around the world. Together with their award-winning team of rising stars & established talents, they are redefining what is tropical.

672/65 Soi Charoen Krung 28, Bang Rak, Bangkok, Thailand 10500

Find the full list HERE.