Shingo Gokan is back with Lifestyle Asia Hong Kong for an all-new feature called Cocktail Roulette.
Putting the celebrated bartender and bar owner’s cocktail expertise to the test, we tasked him with making a palatable drink with five ingredients not often found behind a bar counter.
The five ingredients used as the main theme were bitter melon, fish sauce, Lao Gan Ma, Haw Flakes, and oolong tea. Spinning the wheel, Gokan landed on oolong tea where he quickly came up with the idea of referencing one of his favourite drinks while in Hong Kong — Yuenyeung.
The drink blends tea with coffee for a punchy and energising drink. Gokan first uses SG Shochu IMO as the base, then adds in vodka, Cocchi Americano, chilled coffee, and finally the brewed tea that has been refrigerated. The entire concoction is stirred with ice and then served. He calls the drink his Yuenyeung Vesper.
He let us have a sip afterward and the drink can be described as aromatic, and smooth. It starts off with some bitter notes before a zesty and sweet flavour emerges. It is a bit like low-range dark chocolate.
The entire episode of Cocktail Roulette was quite a fun experience and gave us a first-hand look at how Shingo Gokan pulls together inspiration from his travels for his cocktail creation process. It also demonstrated how he works and stays cool under pressure; he didn’t even flinch when he saw the Lao Gan Ma.
Watch the entire video above and let us know who we should challenge next for the next episode of Cocktail Roulette.
Video: Ryan Putranto, Samson Jr C De Guzman
Producer: Ambrose Leung
Production Assistant: Aaron Chow