CHINA
Mostly Harmless, Hong Kong In a bar scene that has historically relied on imported goods to deliver world-class cocktails, Mostly Harmless stands out for its locally sourced omakase experience that celebrates the rich variety that Hong Kong’s subtropical climate is capable of producing. Working exclusively with local farms for its fresh ingredients, the bar offers a rotating list of four cocktails, all developed using closed-loop principles that minimise or eliminate waste in the process. Ezra Star and her team have created a pretension-free zone in their popular bar, giving people an opportunity to enjoy sustainable cocktails without sacrificing flavour, variety or vibe. “Mostly Harmless is all about building community, and we do that through every aspect of our approach.” Unfortunately, some of the challenges they face can’t be fixed in-house. “We would love to use more local liquor – however, production in Hong Kong is quite challenging and limits our ability to do so.” Rather than letting those challenges get her down, Ezra has big plans to get even more involved with local growers. “We are currently working with one of our farm partners to start our own plot within their fields to grow our own plantings.” There can be no doubt that the drinks at Mostly Harmless represent a collective labour of love.
ENGLAND
Ugly Butterfly, Carbis Bay Sourcing as much produce from in and around Cornwall as possible, the team at Ugly Butterfly celebrate the agricultural abundance of the region. Part of a growing group, Ugly Butterfly has earned acclaim for turning kitchen offcuts into elevated, flavourful cocktails. Having worked in big-city bars as well as countryside destination venues, group bar director Josh Linfitt relishes the creative opportunity in closed-loop cocktail creation. “Whether it be something as easy to use as spent coffee or something trickier like carrot tops, I find it hard to ignore an ingredient’s potential. It’s that ‘lightbulb moment’ when you’ve got the ability to vent creatively.” Some ingredients are unique to Ugly Butterfly, like its pandan liqueur, which uses leaves foraged (with permission) from the Eden Project. It’s one of Josh’s seasonal favourites. “I love our Drop Sails, Knot Nets cocktail – the pandan has so much more flavour when it’s fresh. On the palate, think popcorn banana Daiquiri with a Gimlet citrussy botanical booster.” In the long term, chef-owner Adam Handling and executive chef Jamie Park intend to have their own farm that supplies restaurants and shops across the region. In the meantime, there is plenty to forage in the Cornish countryside. “Extracting as much flavour as possible allows us to abide by that foragers’ code: only take what you need and leave enough for the plant to flourish,” Josh confirms.
36 THE COCK TAIL LOVERS / ISSUE 45
