Sugar and Spice

Sweet new drinks, fly new bars and some spicy action at the month-long fiesta that is Mexican September. What more could a barfly want?

The gentrification of Wanchai has begun. Bar 109 (109 Lockhart Rd 2861 3336) plans to bring something akin to civility to the notorious hood by offering a balcony lounge, a covered outdoor marquee area and the sounds of Motown for long day-time lounging. Of course, by the time late night rolls around, you can plough into the extensive cocktail menu. Barfly particularly enjoyed Bar 109’s mojitos – of which there were an abundance of varieties. Of course, being in Wanchai, this is a late-night venue: open till 2am Monday to Friday, and 5am weekends. And we can’t forget the happy hour – 3pm to 9pm daily.

If you’re a lady and you’re up on Knutsford Terrace between Monday and Thursday, zip into either the 8 Fine Irishmen Pub (G/F, 8 Observatory Ct, 2316 2133) or the Que Pasa Tequila Bar & Cantina (2/F, 8 Observatory Ct, 2316 2525), and you’ll be treated to two-for-one drinks after 10pm.

Hola amigo! It’s Mexico’s Independence Day on 16 September, so let’s join the fiesta – with some tequila, of course. Wednesday, September 13 at Tribeca (4/F Convention Plaza, Wanchai, 2824 0523), it’s the Mexican National Day Party. The party gets started at 8pm, with a performance from the Achai Group from 9pm, and the rest of the night will be filled with Latin sounds. Corona, Sol and Tequila Cuervo will be circulating, and games, souvenirs and a lucky draw will add extra spice to the night. Muy picante!

To carry on the Mexican lovin’, keep throwing back those Sol beers. Buy two at participating bars and you’ll get a scratch card, giving you a chance to win a trip for two to Cancun, Mexico for four days and three nights, a $4,000 shopping spree, or other Quicksilver prizes, including $100 coupons, hats, surfboards and other accessories. Sounds like a fair deal for drinking good beer. The promotion runs until the end of the month, so make the most of it early. Oh, and hold onto those scratch cards, ‘cos they’ll get you 15 percent discounts on Quicksilver/Roxy stores.

The Mexican momentum doesn’t stop there. The Devils Advocate (G/F 48 – 50 Lockhart Rd, Wanchai, 2865 7271) is having a ‘viva’ Mexican party on Saturday, September 16, replete with a margarita bar, lucky draw, piñatas, pin-the-tails and plenty of tequila. Come dressed for a Mexican fiesta and be prepared to party late into the night with a mariachi band. And beer of the month? Corona, of course: $25 during happy hour, $35 normal hours.

Any discerning drinker will tell you there’s an art to pouring a good beer. In that case, you can expect the best beer artists to be at the 10th annual Stella Artois World Draught Master Competition at the Stella brewery in Belgium in October. The regional comps are taking place right now in more than 30 countries. Catch the Hong Kong action at Innside Out (10 Hysan Ave, CWB, 2895 2900) from 12:30pm on September 23.

High above the city on the cusp of Wanchai and Causeway Bay, there lies a bar with 200-degree views of Victoria Harbour. The Penthouse Sky Lounge (29/F Sun Group Centre, 200 Gloucester Rd, 2833 9992) is spread over 700 square feet and offers three zones of drinking fun: a karaoke section where you can really let you hair down, a wine bar where you can enjoy the music in sophisticated surrounds, and a chill-out bar to soothe your stresses. And there’s the two VIP rooms, for those of you seeking some high privacy. Just hope the lift doesn’t break down.

For something a little more down to earth, you can get along to Xperience (G/F Asia Orient Tower, 33 Lockhart Rd, 2143 6008), where you can pick up Coronas for $35 all the time, all month long. The bar also has a ladies night to be reckoned with – on Wednesday nights, the fairer sex get free cocktails (yes, cocktails!). For the rest of us, there are $25 shooters every Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

Cognac lover? Looking for a new way to drink it? Rémy Martin has just launched the Rémy Frozen – its fine champagne cognac served at –18° Celsius. Available in four flavours: Zest, Oriental, Frost or Spice.

Get to Ibiza without leaving Hong Kong Island, with a night of endless music, dancing and fun at the HK Exhibition Centre (3/F Wanchai China Resources Building), brought to you by Chivas on September 15. Internationally renowned DJs from Ibiza and beyond will preside over the night’s heady entertainment. But how do you get there? All you gotta do is order a Chivas at participating outlets (see back cover) on specific dates for a chance to play a game with the Chivas music ambassadors. Win the game, and you’ll win your ticket to the party.

For those of you with a craving for a good round meal, it’s hard to go past the latest promotion at Delaney’s Wanchai (G/F & 1/F One Capital Place, 2804 2880). A pie and pint combo – for any variety – is going for $99 from Monday to Saturday, noon to 1am. After that, you can nip across to Agave (Shop C – D, 93 – 107 Lockhart Rd, 2866 3228) to enjoy their new extended happy hour – now running an extra hour from 3pm to 9pm – when you get two-for-one beers, and quality spirits for $39.

A new jazz bar has sprouted up in TST, on the first floor of the Regal Kowloon Hotel 71 Mody Rd, 2313 8738). The Basso Jazz Bar offers warmth, wine, cocktails, New Orleans-style snacks, and, of course, great music.

While checking out the recent Food Expo at the HKCEC, Barfly, sampled some lip-smacking liqueurs and wines. Top of the list of favourites was the chocolate mint Vodka Mudshake, which had a consistency and taste of melted mint chocolate chip ice cream. MG Spirit’s Whisky Ginger Ale pre-mix was also an interesting tipple. At 5.5 percent alcohol, it’s the sort of drink that could creep up on you without notice – but its neat little 250ml bottle should keep you on the straight and steady. Out of the wines, a variety calling itself Mountain Grape Green Wine exhibited a light and zingy freshness that was more than a little sweet, but was good fun all the same. Certainly, it was preferable to Ng Fung Hong’s Zhong Hua Chinese Red, which came across as sweet as sherry with a slightly acidic afterburn.