The Art of Mahjong New Cocktail Menu at DarkSide
In keeping with Rosewood’s A Sense of Place® guiding philosophy, DarkSide invited local artisans who remain faithful to time-honoured crafts to contribute their unique skills towards the menu. Mahjong tile-makers Masters Ricky Cheung and Karen Aruba Art were commissioned to re-imagine the flower and season Mahjong tiles for the menu’s artwork, while local glass-blowing workshop Soekjing Studio designed and handcrafted the cocktail glassware. Ceramics were created by Tung Yao Ceramics, a long-standing local brand renowned for developing and celebrating Chinese pottery.
FLOWERS
The plum, seen as a symbol of winter and harbinger of spring, represents nature’s vigour. Plum is a stirred martini – savoury with a sweet undertone – with Grey Goose Vodka, tomato consommé, Mancino Secco vermouth, calendula cordial and salted plum. The drink is served in a small rice wine terracotta pot, poured into an elegant ceramic martini glass with bespoke plum patterns.
In the Confucian context, the summer bamboo represents vitality, resilience and flexibility. For Old Fashioned lovers, Bamboo is a stirred drink, with peaty notes offered by Scotch whisky followed by bitter and sweet accents from taxillus, and green tea notes from bamboo-distilled sake. The taxillus is infused with Johnnie Walker Black Label Whisky and herbaceous hints of thyme. The drink is served on the rocks in a stackable bamboo vessel, garnished with a nugget candy.
In China, the orchid flower represents refinement, innocence and elegance, as well as wealth and fortune. A shaken drink, the Orchid is composed of earthy notes from Chinese celery, followed by spicy and sweet notes from Altos Blanco tequila infused with spring onion and dendrobium orchid. Siete Misterios Doba Yej mezcal imparts a slight smokiness, making it the perfect drink for agave or Margarita lovers. The cocktail is served in a beautiful handcrafted ceramic bowl with engraved orchid patterns.
Chrysanthemum, a symbol of happiness and vitality, is a popular autumn flower and since ancient times its petals have been fermented to create wine. At DarkSide, the flower is transformed into a cognac-based clarified milk punch with mild, sweet, and floral notes given by chrysanthemum-infused Rémy Martin VSOP Cognac. The drink is balanced with aromatic notes of Campari and Mirto Bianco, and is served on the rocks in a chrysanthemum petal-shaped glass.
SEASONS
Inspired by Mahjong’s summer season tile, Summer is created with lychee, inspired by a local café drink that uses preserved lemons and soda. Salted lemon is replaced with salted lychee, paired with Japanese Nikka Days Whiskey and Hong Kong Amaro that is made using locally grown herbs, then garnished with salted lychee. The resulting cocktail is fizzy and refreshing, fruity and sweet, served in an elegant hand-blown glass. It is served in an elegant hand-blown glass infused with bubbles symbolising the effervescence of summer and with red, green and white stripes that recall Mahjong tile colours.
With a nod to traditional Chinese sweet potato and ginger sweet soup, the cocktail Winter is designed for whisky sour lovers, albeit made with Matusalem 15 Years Rum. Served on the rocks and garnished with sweet potato candy, each sip brings a sweet undertone from taro, spiciness from ginger, hearty notes from sweet potato and a slightly creamy texture from egg white.
For the Spring cocktail, DarkSide reimagines the Gin Highball with Star of Bombay Gin, seasonal tangerine and longan flavours. The effervescent and refreshing drink is infused with bitter notes from Amaro Santoni with hints of rhubarb, while London Essence White Peach and Jasmine Soda further elevates the drink with a balance of aromatics. The cocktail is served in a hand-blown glass adorned with elegantly drawn spring blossoms.
Inspired by Chinese culinary spices, Autumn is rich with the flavours of star anise, goji berry, Chinese dates and persimmons. The complex layers of spices and flavours are elevated with Michter’s Bourbon Whiskey, making this the chosen drink for any whiskey cocktail lover. Depth is added by persimmon and just a hint of coffee, and the cocktail is served straight up in a handmade ceramic teacup with autumn Mahjong tile patterns and garnished with goji crumbles.
The Art of Mahjong Menu will be exclusively available at DarkSide at Rosewood Hong Kong from 14 November onwards with all cocktails from the menu each priced at HKD180 plus 10%service charge.