HONG KONG, CHINA. Airport hospitality services provider Plaza Premium Group (PPG)’s high-class cocktail bar concept Intervals at Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) has launched a series of virtual bar takeovers, with a campaign named ‘Cocktail Globetrotting’.
The initiative will run from this month to March 2025 and spotlights a series of notable bars, bartenders and their signature cocktail creations from around the world.
Intervals – joint winner in the Asia Pacific section of the Airport Bar or Pub of the Year category at this year’s Airport Food & Beverage (FAB) + Hospitality Awards – was introduced last year on the HKIA Skybridge.
Guests experiencing the Cocktail Globetrotting series at Intervals are invited to take in a fully immersive experience of a traditional bar guest shift with monthly rotating cocktails prepared on-site. They are accompanied by a ‘live’ video from respective bartenders at their different bar locations.
The bartenders will share the inspirations behind their creations, along with top travel recommendations within their home cities. According to PPG, the project aims to “further reinvent airport transits with a far-flung beverage adventure before even boarding a plane”.
Kicking off the campaign next week (15 August) is one of Asia’s best-known bars Hope & Sesame, with an appearance from its virtual guest bartender Andrew Ho. The bar, based in Guangzhou, China ranked 14th in Asia’s 50 Best Bars 2024. The list is compiled by 50 Best Stories, the website which highlights the world’s best restaurants, bars and hotels.
Ho will be serving up his signature ANGO, a twist on the classic Trinidad Sour, made with aged rum Matusalem Gran Reserva 15 Year as its base.
The cocktail is reminiscent of the traditional Cantonese dish of stewed pig’s trotter in ginger and sweetened vinegar. It is combined with Angostura bitters, a sugar syrup distilled from concentrated Italian balsamic vinegar, lime juice and beetroot juice for a refreshing mix of sweet-meets-sour.
September will see Delhi’s Sidecar bar (26th on World’s 50 Best Bars 2022) and bartender Minakshi Singh, serving the Gondhoraj cocktail. The beverage features Bengali lime made with a Tanqueray base, a Sidecar-special gondhoraj mix and tonic water.
October will see cocktails at Intervals originating from one of Singapore’s best-known bars, Mandala Club. Bar Manager Diveysh Ramesh will present the Oo-Meshu Fizz, which brings forward the natural flavours of Japanese liquer Umeshu with milk, oolong and Azumaichi Honkaku Umeshu Nautrale.
In November, the campaign extends beyond the Asia region to Mexico’s Rayo bar, ranked 17th on North America’s 50 Best Bars 2024. Co-founders Alvaro Garcia and Tito Pin-Perez will virtually serve up the Number 1, an alternative take on the Old Fashioned cocktail.
The spirits-heavy drink features 7 Misterios Mezcal Espadín, Matusalem Gran Reserva Rum 15 Years, Amaro Averna and a savoury burst of beef, bacon, vegetable lacto ferment, beer and cilantro.
December will feature erstwhile Hong Konger and Founder of Tokyo bar Tokyo Confidential Holly Graham. Created by Graham and Head Bartender Waka Murata, the cocktail is a “boozy take” on a beloved Hong Kong street snack, with the drink named Cheung Fun Old Fashioned. It balances sweet and savoury flavours with peanut- and sesame-infused bourbon, orange and Angostura bitters, finished with a dash of soy caramel.
Kicking off the new year, Kuala Lumpur’s Penrose, currently ranked 8th among Asia’s 50 Best Bars 2024, and its Head Bartender Jon Lee will showcase the Penrose Gibson. The cocktail uses a homemade leek brine recipe paired with gin, Sake Junmai, Tio Pepe and a dash of Naked Malt Scotch Whisky.
In February 2025, Davide Boncimino of Mandarin Oriental’s Vida Rica in Macau will present the Ginger Snaps cocktail. The drink features Roku gin, Bianco Vermouth and elderflower liqueur, a splash of guava juice and lemon juice, finished with fresh-pressed ginger juice and ginger beer.
Completing the Intervals cocktail campaign in March 2025 is Ronnaporn K., Co-founder of Bangkok’s Mahaniyom Cocktail Bar, which ranked 18th in Asia’s 50 Best Bars 2023. His Kaffir Lime cocktail is prepared with kaffir lime leaves-infused vermouth and kaffir lime agave cordial with Fernet Branca and tonic water.
The Cocktail Globetrotting campaign also features “sumptuous” food pairings for these signature cocktails at Intervals. Guests will receive a pocket-sized travel guide to the city of their respective cocktail order filled with recommendations of the best spots to visit, tips on local drinking culture and favourite watering holes from industry professionals.
Each edition will later be compiled into a single book to create the Ultimate Intervals Guide.
Plaza Premium Group Director of Global Brands and Transformation and Intervals Co-creator Mei Mei Song said: “The airport is a destination where every journey begins. For us, it is important to keep innovating and instilling creativity into what we do, offering unique and engaging experiences for travellers.
“At PPG we place a strong emphasis on culture, connections to the destinations, while providing a platform to showcase talents. We also create experiences based on travellers’ needs and travel triggers.
“Bar-hopping is a popular activity among tourists looking to explore a city’s nightlife and culture. With the Cocktail Globetrotting campaign, you don’t necessarily have to travel all the way to specific cities to visit their renowned bars. We bring their famous cocktails to you.” 
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