COA: Hong Kong's Cocktail Pride

Hong Kong's night life has always been famous in Asia. However, it's not simply the plethora of bars and clubs in the city that light up its night sky, it's also the quantity of celebrated, world-class cocktail bars in Hong Kong that make it Asia's best. COA is one of those bars.

If you've not heard of COA, you will have to jot this down. As the bar that shot up to stardom during those COVID years when the rest of the world was in lockdown, COA is a bar to take note of. Established in 2017, COA ranked 8th in 2020 and 7th in 2021 on the World's 50 Best Bars list. It was listed as THE best bar in Asia's 50 Best Bars from 2021-2023. That's 3 years of being the reigning mixologist champion of the region. Their spot on the podium has recently been claimed in 2024 by another local bar (Bar Leone) which is ranked 1st in Asia's 50 Best Bars and 2nd in the World's 50 Best Bars. That's 2 of the world's best bars within 180m of each other — not to mention the 7 other bars in the city also on the same global ranking, mostly within 10mins walk of each other.

Hong Kong is the best place for a bar crawl, because those celebrated bars are so close to each other, a literal crawl is possible; every 200 metres or so, you'll hit a world's best.

Back to COA. Despite its recent slip in ranking, it's still a top bar in the world and one of my favourite cocktail bars to go to in the city. For such a famous bar, it can be hard to find. As a speakeasy, it lacks an obvious sign, and its façade blends seamlessly into the plain walls of the side street it's located on. Though, given how renowned it is these days, there is usually a line by the door, making it quite easy to identify when you are in the vicinity.

The backstory

COA (pronounced 'co-ah') - named after the round-blade hoe used to harvest agave - specialises in 100% agave spirits, and is the first bar in Hong Kong to do so. Think tequila, mezcal, and the boozy flavours of Mexico. COA boasts a 41-page agave spirit menu including Raicilla, Bacanora, Sotol and Charanda for those who know. This focus on agave spirits comes from the founder Jay Khan's passion for these spirits that have been understated in the industry. As a veteran mixologist, he opened COA following from his pilgrimage to Mexico.

Like many concept establishments in the city, the interior transports guests to a different world, time, and atmosphere. At COA, a Mexican cantina is the muse. The concrete and brick walls, wooden furniture, low seating and textile cushions send one to Oaxaca - the heartland of Mezcal, where the rustic harvesting tool (the bar's namesake) fixed onto a ceiling beam of the bar was hand-carried from. Dimly lit by candles and soft yellow bulbs, the bar has a lived-in charm; casual yet intimate, it the perfect place for drinks with close friends on an easy night out.

The drinks

As mentioned, there is a 41-page spirit menu if one is up for a raw experience with agave spirits. Though, like most people, I refer to their cocktail menu that is conveniently sorted from the lightest drink to their heaviest cocktail.

A favourite of mine is their 'Bitter Melon Collins'.

Easily recognisable, it is served in a delicate stemmed glass with a thin ribbon of cucumber decorating the drink like an award-winning sash.

On the lighter end of their menu spectrum, the 'Bitter Melon Collins' is perfect for G&T drinkers. It is a fragrant and savoury cocktail that tastes just like a Thai green curry, in the best way possible. After all, this signature cocktail was inspired by Khan's trip to Bangkok, made with coconut, lime leaf and lemongrass botanicals, bitter melon, tequila and elderflower tonic. Given how clean this cocktail looks, whoever picks up this glass for the first time is in for a surprise - 'fragrant' is an understatement to describe this perfumed powerhouse of a cocktail.

For a heavier drink, I would recommend their 'Pepper Smash'. Served in a fine tumbler, it has a cloudy mustard tinge, a frothy surface, on top of which sits a delicate sprig of bud leaf mint. It is also deceivingly innocent looking. Made with yellow bell pepper, jalapeño-infused agave spirit, sweet Italian basil and pineapple juice, this cocktail has a loud peppery and sour kick that is sure to give you a jolt.

The verdict

COA will always remain a top bar for me even if its world ranking changes. The atmosphere and absolute brilliance of Khan's mixology make it a place I am eager to go back - and I know I am not the only one who thinks so.

With a wait of 2-3hrs, getting into COA always feels like winning the lottery.

A pro-tip would be to check yourself into their digital queue at their door before having dinner nearby. This way, you can spend the wait eating in Soho where you will find a high concentration of the city's best restaurants. By the time you are done with dinner, your table at COA should be just about ready for you and your crew. If it is not, start your bar crawl in any of the cocktail bars in the area and pray that a table in COA will free up before they close at midnight. It has worked for me time and again on Friday and Saturday nights, I hope it works for you too. ¡Salud!