Some bars invent trends, others chase them. Then there are places like Argo, which continue to follow their own trajectory. The new Exploration drink list is built around territory, seasonality, and people. It also works as a compelling love letter to Hong Kong. More importantly, it offers a strong example of storytelling applied to cocktails, bringing together tattoo artists, painters, and unusual ingredients including egg tart, sweet potato, and balsamic vinegar.
Exploration, Argo’s New Menu
Any cocktail bar intent on remaining in the spotlight needs a drinks list capable of commanding attention. Argo has grown comfortable under those lights. In 2025, it secured the 11th spot on Asia’s 50 Best Bars and ranked 56th on The World’s 50 Best Bars. The ambition to move further is clear.
That creates the need for a menu capable of matching those expectations. It also introduces the same risk faced by many bars chasing similar goals: choosing the wrong narrative framework, or opting for something overly self-conscious that fails to connect with the drinks themselves, as though concept and execution were moving in separate directions.
Jonathan Gabbay, Argo’s Beverage Manager, and his team have avoided those traps with precision, helped by the fact that the core team has remained largely unchanged for the past five years, creating a strong internal rhythm and shared understanding.
Drink Lists and Storytelling
The starting point was to create a menu in direct conversation with the city. The use of local ingredients and producers followed naturally. What makes the project interesting is the way those ingredients have been integrated into the cocktails, transforming them into drinks that make sense specifically in Hong Kong, and arguably nowhere else.
The stronger move was expanding that dialogue beyond the expected territory of ingredients. The menu also draws inspiration from the people who work in Hong Kong and embody part of its identity. In this case, that includes Dr. James Ting, a specialist in Chinese medicine; artist and painter Tam Mei Yi Amy; and tattoo artist Marcus Yuen.
Twelve Signatures in Two Chapters
The twelve new signature drinks in Exploration have become a way of telling the story of contemporary Hong Kong through the lens of affection, highlighting what makes the city distinctive. Jonathan Gabbay has divided them into two sections, each featuring six cocktails.
Chapter One revolves around collaborations with doctors, painters, tattoo artists, and naturally local producers. Chapter Two shifts the focus toward ingredients themselves. The first tells the story of Hong Kong through the people who inhabit it; the second through the territory of the former British colony, where the seasonal dimension of the drinks emerges more clearly.
What Do Tattoos Have to Do With Cocktails?
The most complex challenge lies in translating people into drinks, and Exploration approaches it in an intelligent way. The strongest example is Classic X Classic, created in collaboration with tattoo artist Marcus Yuen.
There are two layers to the concept. The first is the garnish, illustrated exclusively for Argo. The second lies in the structure of the drink itself: the Old School influences in Yuen’s tattoo style take shape through Scotch whisky and amaro, which form the backbone of the cocktail. Western ingredients reflecting a visual language rooted in Western tradition. The result is a drink that engages in conversation with tattoo culture on two intertwined levels.
The Unusual Ingredients
Both sections of Exploration make use of unusual ingredients. They are not entirely unprecedented in top-tier cocktail bars, though still rare enough to attract attention. One example is Hong Kong Punch, which finishes with a foam made from black tea and egg tart—a distinctly gourmand touch that plays with the idea of the dessert cocktail. It also creates an interesting contrast with the aromatic profile built around cognac, shochu, and herbal liqueur.
Then there is Rooty Slushy, perhaps the most unconventional composition on the list. Its rum base is layered with sweet potato, raspberry sorbet, amaro, truffle honey, root-infused water, and finished with two drops of balsamic vinegar.
Argo’s Classics
The final section of Exploration is dedicated to Argo’s established classics, the drinks that have earned guest loyalty and maintained their relevance over time. Among them, the Argo Martini stands out, made with Argo’s exclusive gin and seasonal hydrosols that subtly alter the signature’s aromatic profile throughout the year.
Images courtesy of Four Seasons Hong Kong
