The diverse cities of Asia Pacific are united in their approach to making innovative and exciting cocktail experiences, writes Luke McCarthy.

Caretaker in New Zealand is among the top bars to visit in Asia Pacific in 2018

The Asia Pacific region is incredibly diverse, and so are its bars. From the pristine islands of the Pacific, to the densely inhabited cities of the Asian continent, down to the vast open plains of Australia, you can find every type of environment in the region – and every type of bar.

But it’s also a place of constant change and development. It’s the fastest growing economic region globally, and more than 60% of the world’s population resides there.

It’s little wonder, therefore, that some of the world’s most successful bars – New York’s Employees Only and Dead Rabbit and London’s Artesian Bar at the Langham among them – are either popping up or opening venues in Asia.

Likewise, the region’s most sophisticated drinking spaces have always been influenced by North American and European bar cultures, and while this is still the case, change is definitely afoot.

Over the past 10 years, air travel in the region has rapidly developed. It’s now easier – and cheaper – to quickly skip between Asia’s major hubs. Those who own bars and work behind them are travelling around and taking in the flavours of Asian cuisine and culture.

As a result, local ingredients and spirits – spices, fruits, herbs, teas, Japanese whiskies and Australian gins – are now at the forefront of some inspired cocktails.

Click through the following pages to discover the Asia Pacific bars to watch in 2018.

Not to be missed: Atlas – Singapore

Atlas has been one of the most hyped bar openings in the Asia Pacific region in the last decade. Heavy on concept, opulence and design, it’s no surprise that a venture as ambitious as Atlas has found a home in Singapore. Some of the region’s most experimental and daring bars have opened in the influential city-state over the last few years.

It’s also no surprise that the bar, situated in the lobby of the Gotham­-like Parkview Square building, is predominately an homage to one of the spirits of the moment: gin.

The popularity of many traditional white spirits across Asia – shochu, soju and baijiu – has meant that gin production hasn’t boomed in Asia as it has in Western markets. But a glance at Atlas’s collection of more than 1,000 gins, housed in the room’s impressive gold tower, shows that things are slowly changing.

After the English and US expressions, Australian gins have the largest representation on the list, with products from Japan, Thailand, New Zealand and a number of other countries in the region also available.

The bar team, selected by Proof & Company’s Jason Williams, ensures that these gins find their way into faultless cocktails. You wouldn’t expect anything less from an operation on such a grand scale.

Atlas has been named our overall Asia Pacific Bar to Watch in 2018.

Bar BenFiddich – Tokyo, Japan

Since opening in 2013, Bar BenFiddich, located on the ninth floor of a high rise in Shinjuku, has been lauded as one of Tokyo’s most creative drinking dens. The praise centres on the approach taken by founder Hiroyasu Kayama. The family home of this star bartender – located in Chichibu, about two hours northwest of Tokyo – is constantly infused into the drinks he creates.

Kayama grows and forages his own herbs there, and eventually they end up in his cocktails, but he also uses them to make his own spirits and liqueurs (his home­-distilled absinthe is particularly prized).

The cocktails predominately focus on whisky, absinthe, gin and amaro, but Kayama added another bar to the fold on the second floor of the same building in early 2017, Bar B&F, which switches the focus to fruit brandies. For some of Tokyo’s most remarkable drinks, this is your building.

Caretaker – Auckland, New Zealand

New Zealand has long flown under the radar of the world’s bar awards and critics. But there’s a growing energy and sophistication developing in the bar scene there, particularly in cities such as Wellington and Auckland.

In Auckland, Caretaker is one of the leading lights. It was founded in 2016 by husband-­and-­wife team Alastair Walker and Heather Garland, who previously worked under the esteemed Michael Madrusan, owner of Melbourne’s The Everleigh and a former Milk & Honey alumnus.

Their focus is on tailoring the perfect cocktail to each patron’s tastes, using fresh, seasonal ingredients and hand­-cut ice.

Above Board – Melbourne, Australia

It’s slightly odd to walk into a bar with, well, no back bar. But that’s exactly what you find at Melbourne’s Above Board. Co­-owner Hayden Lambert is the creative force behind this minimalist, elegant set­-up. He’s plied his trade across the globe, most notably at Belfast’s award-winning Merchant Hotel, and with Above Board he’s put his own spin on the classic cocktail bar.

For one, you won’t find brands here: all spirits and ingredients are decanted into clear bottles. The position of the bar is fairly unique, too. It sits in the middle of the room, so you can take a seat behind Lambert as he opens various draws and compartments to create his perfectly executed drinks.

Working a bar solo like this isn’t easy, and keeping everyone in a convivial mood while doing so takes serious skill. Fortunately, Lambert has plenty of that.

Quinary – Hong Kong

It’s hard to pass up a visit to Quinary if you’re seeking drinking glory in Hong Kong – a city littered with brilliant bars.

Quinary celebrated its fifth anniversary this year, and its sensory approach to crafting cocktails is still key. Food science is leaned on to meld together different ingredients, playing with perceptions of aroma and texture.

The mastermind behind this laboratory­-esque approach is Antonio Lai, one of Hong Kong’s most respected bartenders. Some of his signature concoctions, including the Quinary Bloody Mary and the popular Earl Grey Caviar Martini, continue to dazzle visitors.

But there’s plenty of encouragement for the bar’s up­-and-­coming-­talent, like Samuel Kwok, one of Quinary’s rising stars. This transference, along with a rich exchange with some of the world’s top bartenders and establishments, has seen Quinary remain at the top of its game.

Speak Low – Shanghai, China

2017 has been a breakthrough year for Speak Low, China’s best­-known speakeasy (pardon the oxymoron). It cracked the top 10 in The World’s 50 Best Bars and its founder, Shingo Gokan, also won International Bartender of the Year at Tales of the Cocktail. What’s behind the success? Exceptional service and exceptional cocktails.

Once you’ve slid open the bookshelf in the downstairs shop, you’ve got three options: on the second floor, a New York­-styled bar; on the third floor, a more subdued, more serious cocktail bar; and the final offering, through yet another concealed entrance, is a refined Japanese-­style whisky bar.

Despite the smoke and mirrors, the drinks are spot-­on, successfully riffing on the classics with some of Asia’s most interesting ingredients and flavours.