“The idea was always to have an innovative bar, so we travelled across the world to select next-generation spirits,” says Four Seasons Hotel, Hong Kong beverage manager Federico Balzarini, about his bar, ranked the eighth best bar in the continent by Asia’s 50 Best Bars 2023.
Argo, Hong Kong | Photo Credit: Special arrangement
This quest for innovative spirits and edgy cocktails resulted in their AI-produced gin, where the computer calculates and determines the proportions of different components used to make the spirit. “We make our gin with our distillery in Australia, customised with tea sourced from Hong Kong — this gin doesn’t need vermouth to sustain itself in our martini cocktail. We rest the gin for three weeks in a chardonnay bottle, which previously had vermouth, so we get that vermouth flavour too. The gin bottle is kept in a freezer at -27 degrees Celsius,” says Federico.
The gin is then used for their signature Argo Martini, with the choice of a citrus or savoury hydrosol made using seasonal ingredients, topped up with Argo’s custom-made gin and served with an olive garnish. “It is up to the guest if they want a citrus or savoury flavour,” he says. Then adds with a laugh, “The Argo Martini is something that no matter the menu change is going to stay with us. So it’s kind of my curse, more or less... It follows me everywhere.”
Argo, Hong Kong | Photo Credit: Special arrangement
Such is the passion for spirits that they also boast of using the world’s first molecular whisky in their take on the Old Fashioned. “We use Glyph, which is a synthetic spirit that is made in a laboratory and mimics the profile of an aged whiskey. It tastes and looks like an aged whisky achieved by the right molecular composition,” says Federico.
Last year, Argo (named after the legendary ship that embarked on the epic quest of Jason and the Argonauts in pursuit of the Golden Fleece in Greek mythology) secured the 28th position in the prestigious World’s Best Bars of 2022 list. “I think that there is no sure fire method to break into the top 50 or top 10 bars or whatever ranking in the world. There are only two important factors — one is the level of hospitality; at the end of the day, we are a bar, and we are here to host and entertain. And the second is innovation,” says Federico.
The charming Italian formerly worked with London’s longest-surviving cocktail bar and 2019’s winner of Legend of the List, American Bar. “There is no secret to success here, it is just as simple as working hard and everyone steps up, hoping it gets noticed,” he adds.
Argo single origin Negroni | Photo Credit: Special arrangement
Replacing their award-winning ‘Here Today, Gone Tomorrow’ menu, which pays homage to six endangered staple ingredients, the Argo cocktail series introduces its second volume, known as the Argo cookbook. “Don’t worry we don’t cook at the bar, we have a chef who does that. We don’t want to poison our guests,” chuckles Federico. “What we do is we take six key traditional ingredients of Cantonese cuisine and have two cocktails out of each ingredient,” he says. The featured ingredients include soybean, apricot kernel, XO sauce, vegan char siu, black vinegar, and aged tea.
The revamped menu boasts 12 innovative cocktails, each showcasing the highlighted ingredients in two unique preparations. For instance, the vegan char siu-inspired libations can be savoured in the form of “Hellfire Club,” a pineapple sour blended with rum, smoked pineapple, and char siu nectar (composed of soy sauce, vegan oyster sauce, sesame oil, and maple syrup), or the effervescent “BBQ & Tonic,” a concoction of gin, vegan char siu distillate, fig leaf, and tonic water.
Federico Balzarini, Argo beverage manager | Photo Credit: Special arrangement
In an upcoming event in Bengaluru, Federico will be presenting his innovative cocktails. This two-day affair at Copitas, Bengaluru’s exclusive entry in Asia’s 50 Best Bars 2023, will witness a collaboration with the bar’s head mixologist, Sarath Nair. Sarath will unveil his signature creation, the Leaf cocktail, featuring a blend of tequila, Indian betel leaf, and saffron.
The event will be held at Copitas at the Four Seasons Hotel, Bengaluru, at 7 pm on September 16 and 17 . Call +91 96064 87958 for reservation.
