We’re back at rum sanctuary The Daily Tot to try some of the new libations created by bar manager Bikash Gurung and lead bartender Mikael Gurung, who recently joined the team. Mikael honed his experience at Lobster Bar and Grill at Island Shangri-La. Together, he and Bikash have put together some exciting rum flights and cocktails.
Volume 3 features 14 cocktails, focusing on Caribbean ingredients found in Hong Kong, including local fruits and herbs.
What the Duck ($120) and Caribbean Coco Milk Punch ($130) are a great way to start your rum adventure. Completed with a floating mini rubber duck, the What the Duck glass is rimmed with sugar and contains Plantation Original Dark mixed with Plantation Xaymaca Dry, lime juice, coconut-chamomile curd and lemonade. It’s creamy and tart, with a sweet-and-sour ending.
The punch is intense and rich in flavour. Aluna coconut rum is shaken with Plantation Dark, pandan, wasabi, coconut milk and English breakfast tea. We could immediately smell the fresh wasabi, which gives a tickle to the nose, and each sip comes with complex layers. Pineapple juice is also mixed in to give a fruity touch, but it doesn’t cut the edge of the black tea and spicy wasabi.
Filled with powerful but refreshing flavours, I recommend trying Fuego 2.0 ($110) and Twelve Miles Daisy ($120). Spicy Fuego 2.0 contains tequila infused with jalapeño. Pomegranate juice gives a sunset-pink colour and some sourness to the cocktail, which is also mixed with rosemary, cardamom and pineapple-skin tincture.
Twelve Miles Daisy is for those who love citrus, served in an icy brass coupe glass. Havana Club 7 Years, dry curaçao, fig jam, citrus oil, hazelnut and nutmeg are shaken together. You can see the nutmeg settling on top, but this cold drink focuses on lemon, balanced by the fig jam, which gives a bit of earthiness to each sip.
Verdict
Until rules and restrictions change, I recommend checking out The Daily Tot for early happy-hour drinks with clients and colleagues or as a chill day-drinking spot with friends (Thursday–Sunday, 12–6pm). This menu is truly creative and one of my favourites right now – Volume Three brings a lot of surprises to the palate. The drinks on the previous menus focused on sweeter flavours, but this time they’ve taken a turn in the intense, complex and rich direction.
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This write-up is based on a complimentary media tasting provided in exchange for an honest review and no monetary compensation. The opinions expressed here represent the author’s.
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