Mixologist Kit Cheung spills his favourite drinking haunts

When Mr Kit Cheung, 43, returned to Hong Kong in 2012 after more than a decade working in bars across Europe, he wanted to create a spirit that would capture the essence of the Pearl of the Orient.

- Sarah Stanley

Speakeasy gin bar Ping Pong 129 offers more than 350 varieties of gin. Mr Kit Cheung (left) co-founded Perfume Trees Gin, an internationally acclaimed spirit made with 13 botanicals. Urban Coffee Roaster cafe at Soho in Central serves various flavours of Irish coffee, including red velvet (pictured).

(PHOTO: HONG KONG TOURISM BOARD PHOTO: PERFUME TREES GIN PHOTO: URBAN COFFEE ROASTER)

In December 2018, after much experimenting and sourcing, Mr Cheung co-founded and launched Perfume Trees Gin.

"The inspiration behind Perfume Trees Gin comes from my deep love of Hong Kong," says Mr Cheung. "I wanted to create a spirit that represents this place, so I started thinking about how we could capture local flavours and ingredients in a bottle."

Five of the internationally acclaimed gin's 13 botanicals are locally sourced: white champaca flowers, sandalwood, aged tangerine peel, Longjing green tea and the Chinese angelica herb.