WHAT INSPIRED THE CREATION OF KINSMAN?

There was a big gap in what the bar scene looked like in Hong Kong. There were mainly many Western-style bars, American speakeasies, and whiskey bars, but nothing in Hong Kong celebrated Cantonese and Chinese spirits. There are a lot of unique spirits from Guangdong and Southern China that are worth people getting to know. 

I think Hong Kong has always looked outward, but nobody thought to look inward for what’s ‘cool’ and ‘trendy’, but I think many Hong Kongers will find a whole new category to explore. It matters in this day and age when a lot of Hong Kongers have left Hong Kong, and many feel deflated about the direction of the city. So, I started Kinsman to encourage people to remember that we have a unique culture that more people should know about.

WHAT INSPIRED THIS UNIQUE DRINK COLLECTION?

One of the unique things about Kinsman is its use of 玉冰燒, a kind of spirit that’s made from infusing pig fat into rice wine that results in an approachable cross between rosè, milk and pandan. We use some old brands that have been around since the 1870s-1880s, like Wing Lee Wai and Snake wine from local inherited in distilleries as close as Cochrane Street! A lot of people don’t realise that many Chinese alcohols originated as a form of traditional Chinese medicine for generations as a way of boosting health in one way or another. 

This adds some edge to the cocktails, a forgotten benefit central to Cantonese spirits and allows us to look at both these old spirits and Canton culture in a new light. While other places like Quinary have used 玉冰燒 before, where the entire menu comprises Cantonese spirits, the bartending community lacks awareness. Kinsman represents a unique shift as we try to make people more aware of this kind of alcohol and make it the hero of our cocktail menu. This contrasts the attitudes of many Chinese and Baijiu companies, which aren’t particularly savvy with their marketing and don’t care much for advertising their alcohol to be included in modern cocktails, unlike big Western alcohol companies that pour lots of money into making sure their products are used in cocktails.

WHAT’S YOUR FAVOURITE COCKTAIL ON THE MENU?

My favourite is papaya wine as it’s pretty complex and uses a lot of traditional Chinese medicines, botanicals and herbs blended with Papaya as a spice-forward spirit which helps with healthy blood flow and circulation. This is combined with a local gin called NIP from Magnolia Lab. A poached papaya and fungus dessert inspired the drink, which is appetisingly garnished with a bit of snow fungus. 

HOW WOULD YOU CLASSIFY YOUR CULTURAL BACKGROUND? HOW HAS THAT INFLUENCED YOUR DECISIONS WITH THIS ESTABLISHMENT?

I was born in Vancouver but grew up mainly in Hong Kong’s international school system, studying at West Island School. Although I wouldn’t consider myself 100% local, I love Hong Kong very much, and it’s the one place I see myself living in for the next few years. Maybe because of this, I was inquisitive about the undiscovered side of things, something I wanted to explore at Kinsman. 

Right: Kat Tse ( Editor in Chief of Terms and Conditions Magazine) & Gavin Yeung( Founder of Kinsman)

ARE THERE ANY NEW ADDITIONS TO THE MENU THAT YOU WOULD BE EXCITED TO TELL READERS ABOUT?

The Dragon and Phoneix is our take on the Old Fashioned, where we combine snake wine (dragon) and duck egg (phoenix) with a Hawthorn Lolipop Candy. We also have the Starling Spirit, named after the body of water separating old traditional villages in New Territories from Shenzhen. There are a lot of farms in these villages that specialise in farming persimmon, kumquat and other irregular fruit. What’s unique about the Starling Spirit is that it is easy and changes with the season, being more sour one month using Longan and changing the next while still using the same black glutinous rice wine base. 

FAVOURITE WONG KAR WAI FILM?

Definitely, In the Mood For Love resonated with most people, but Fallen Angels is also excellent. It’s pretty neglected, and not many people know it, maybe because it’s a bit edgier and moodier. 

DO YOU HAVE ANY TIPS FOR ENTREPRENEURS WHO WANT TO GET STARTED IN THE RESTAURANT OR F&B INDUSTRY?

I would say it’s essential to have a story behind your concept. It’s straightforward to open a passable bar and fly above the compensation as long as you have this strong concept that sticks in people’s minds and use the restaurant or bar to educate people about the things that have fallen by the wayside. If you can immerse people in your creation, you might as well use it to do some good! 

INTERVIEWS 

In addition to this exclusive interview with Gavin, we interviewed a couple of guests during the opening night who commented on the whole event. 

SASHA WASEEM

“This is an excellent event in the New Year, and there were many great conversations about the grand opening. The good thing is that the class of people had terrific drinks and were grateful, which everyone enjoyed. The celebrity event atmosphere was charming, with diverse people worldwide. I also got invited by a friend, and it’s also great to see some familiar faces.”

Sasha Waseem | Film Producer & Founder of Film Awards TV

ASHLEY

“It’s been a while, so it’s good to see many familiar faces from the industry supporting each other. A lot of bartenders and a lot of spirit producers came and said hi!”

Ashley | Instagram @hkfoodcrawlers

Left: Angel Lai ( PR) Right: Sasha Waseem ( Film Producer)