Asia's 50 Best Bars
- Coa, a Mexican-inspired cocktail bar in Hong Kong, has been named Asia's best bar by Asia's 50 Best Bars 2021.
- The bar has a 41-page cocktail menu and a 200-bottle collection of agave spirits.
- Cocktail bars in Singapore and Tokyo rounded out the top three best bars in Asia.
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There's a new best bar in Asia, and it's a Mexican-themed cocktail bar in Hong Kong with a 41-page menu.
Coa, a four-year-old bar in Hong Kong's Lan Kwai Fong nightlife district, has been ranked the No. 1 bar in Asia by Asia's 50 Best Bars. The ranking was created by a voting panel of drinks experts from across Asia, including bartenders, drinks writers, and cocktail specialists.
Bartender Jay Khan opened Coa in 2017 as "a shrine to all things agave," according to Asia's 50 Best Bars. The bar has the city's largest collection of agave liquors, a 200-bottle assemblage of tequila, mezcal, raicilla, sotol, and more.
"It is a well-deserved debut win for Coa and credit goes to Jay Khan and his team who have proven themselves to be at the heart of the continent's cocktail culture," Mark Sansom, Content Editor for Asia's 50 Best Bars, said in a statement. "The bar serves a perfect blend of subtle agave education, relaxed vibes and a simply fantastic drinks list."
Asia's 50 Best Bars
Coa's cocktails include a La Paloma de Oaxaca – with tequila blanco, mezcal joven, lime grapefruit soda, and worm salt – and an Ancho Highball, which is made of tequila blanco, salted plum, ancho chile, and guava soda. During Hong Kong's various coronavirus lockdowns over the past year, Coa canned the La Paloma de Oaxaca and sold it as a takeaway cocktail.
Bartender-owner Khan has traveled frequently to Mexico for drinks inspiration, according to his biography on Coa's website. Coa first made the Asia's 50 Best Bars list at No. 12 in 2019 and ranked No. 3 in 2020.
The No. 2 bar for 2021 is Singapore cocktail bar Jigger & Pony, which was ranked No. 1 last year. And in third place is the SG Club in Tokyo, which fuses Japanese and American bartending styles, according to the ranking.