As we go to publish, Argo’s just celebrated its first anniversary with near-universal praise and great press painstakingly collected over what’s been a difficult year for the industry. Pandemic-induced lockdowns, restrictions, and wide social distancing measures meant more bars and restaurants shut shop over the period than any other time in recent history—as tourism fell by a whopping 98%.
Argo not only threw open its doors during the thick of the pandemic, it maintained a degree of quality and success like no other. A cocktail bar that explores the world of fine beverages, its name is inspired by the myth of Jason and the Argonauts and their journey of discovery and exploration. The debut cocktail menu celebrates six staple ingredients; honey, cacao, vanilla, coffee, rice, and apple. So meticulous is their attention to detail and quality control, Argo has its own beehive located in Mai Po, New Territories!
The bar partnered with local bee farm Hong Kong Raw Honey and cacao farm Chocolate Concierge in Malaysia for the sourcing of ingredients for cocktail creations. Their resident concierge focuses on ethical sourcing of single-origin cocoa from the indigenous people in local plantations in Malaysia, bringing taste profiles from batch to batch.
We grabbed jet-setting (well, pre-pandemic!) Lorenzo Antinori, beverage ambassador of Four Seasons Asia-Pacific and beverage manager of Four Seasons Hotel Hong Kong, to celebrate their grand year. In his multi-hyphenate role, he makes appearances in all the Four Seasons dotted around Asia and maintains a standard of excellence bar none—if you’ll pardon the pun.
What sets Hong Kong apart from all the places you’ve worked in Asia?
I love about Hong Kong is this incredible melting pot of culture. It’s a very vibrant scene, a lot of talent from lots of different backgrounds, and, at the same time, you can develop great projects and establish great friendships. I’m a big believer in connecting with people from around the world.
What’s a special night in Argo? Getting a table on Friday night seems near impossible.
I’d like to think that every night is special! Every night, there’s a different vibe. I personally love Mondays; a great start to the week, and you can feel that our guests are our friends. They come down after a long day at the office, and they just want to unwind a little bit. At the same time, it’s not a crazy night. So it’s a very civilised night of drinking, where you can catch up with friends and call it a night early. On the other end, there’s a Friday night!
I’ve been to the location when it was something else. To be honest, it wasn’t so hot—the view was of a construction site and a lot of trucks were parked outside. Argo is an altogether different experience.
I think the goal was to fill the space with a big personality, with a big character—kind of breaking a little bit from the traditional hotel bar setting. And create an experience that’s a little bit more modern, approachable, accessible, and fun.
It’s been a year of Argo, I’m sure there have been many crazy nights, but what really stands out?
We had a night where there was a very famous Hong Kong celebrity that took over our private dining room. And they basically asked us to create the best cocktail on the spot for them! It was great because the celebrity and his friends, they’re kind of really well-known in the entertainment jet set crowd. So it was just great to party with them. And they started to play music, some of the great musicians in the industry were here and they performed live—it was just a great vibe.
What are the ingredients for a great bar?
A friendly staff. You treat a king or a pauper with equal respect. You get along with everybody and everyone—and the bar has a “personality.” Good music, and, of course, quality cocktails. The overall vibe of the space, when you step into this venue, you want to feel welcome. You want to feel ready to party. Last but not least, you also need to have a little bit of luck. If all the things clicked together, then you have the recipe for success.
There are certain establishments that have a snob value to them. The writing is superscripted. Places in London or Paris where there’s a lack of friendliness, “we are too cool” vibe. For us, human interaction is the most important thing, right? Bars where I usually go, or I’ve often been back to again and again, maybe the drinks and the food are not the best—but the vibe and the staff are so welcoming and so engaging, that it makes me want to return. For us, the rule number one we set in stone with Argo was our staff and our team needs to express their own personality, and need to be themselves. That’s what makes the experience genuine.
What’s your favourite drink?
Well, depends on the time of the day, depends on my mood. I like to start my evening maybe with a cold beer. Moving through, with a gin martini or tonic. I currently am very excited about agave spirits, so tequila mezcal. I am a big fan of fruit brandies, too. Either they are a brandy from Europe or cognac from France. As any barkeep knows, price doesn’t mean always quality—but you give value to what you have based on the experience that you’re having.
You’ve worked in the West for many years and also in Asia—what sets this experience apart?
There are two completely separate things that stand out; flavours and kindness. Let me explain, I always noticed an excitement for flavours. Being a Western coming to Asia, I’m always amazed by flavours in mediums that I’m not familiar with; they can trigger my curiosity, they can trigger my palate. Whenever I travel around Asia, I always get excited about those new finds. Then, there are the people. To me, it’s always about the kindness of the people that I met along the way. The welcoming feeling, the welcome that I received has been extraordinary. Wherever I went, there is an element of kindness that you always see and feel.
Who is your competition?
The standards set within Four Seasons Hong Kong itself are very, very high. We are in a very special place, we have a lot of master craftsmen in the building. We have seven Michelin stars under one roof, we have the chance to work alongside culinary legends—we cannot be the weak link. When we were listed among Asia’s 50 Best Bars, we are so proud to be in Hong Kong. Argo wouldn’t be the same if we had opened it elsewhere.
The cliché about bartenders is they are free therapists and counsellors or pseudo-best friends. Do you find that?
More than that, I’m a bit of a priest! I’m basically their confessional—it’s confession time after midnight! It’s always nice to find a bartender or a host that can listen to you and prescribe you the right cure for whatever you are going through, a bad week or a great one. My role, ultimately, as a host, I have to find the right prescription with all my magic potions.
Signature Drink
Argo Martini
Ingredients:
- 70ml Argo Gin
- 30ml seasonal hydrosol
- Garnish with spherified olive
Taking inspiration from the classic dry martini, Argo has reimagined it, giving it its own twist, but still preserving its DNA. With this cocktail, the guest can first choose between savoury or citrusy distilled water (alcohol-free) which is poured directly into the bespoke glass and adds a distinctive flavour to the drink. After that, frozen Argo gin is added directly into the glass, creating a layer of flavour and still retaining its kick.
Argo gin is the backbone of this martini. It is created in collaboration with the Australian award-winning distillery Never Never Distilling Co. The gin is an expression of Australia with its native botanicals, and Hong Kong with the introduction of three different Chinese teas. The whole batch is aged for a few weeks in Chardonnay casks, previously “washed” with dry vermouth.
Argo
Four Seasons Hotel, Hong Kong, 8 Finance Street, Central, Hong Kong
Tel: (+852) 3196 8882
All images courtesy of Argo.
