13 Best whisky bars in Hong Kong

Hidden in the fourth floor of a nondescript commercial building in Wan Chai, Mizunara is not the easiest bar to spot. But if you do, you'll find over 600 bottles of whiskies from Japanese, Scottish, American, and Irish distilleries, and enjoy various whisky cocktails on the menu. This Japanese-style bar is headed by award-winning mixologist Masahiko Endo, originally from Fukuoka, Japan. Order from any of the signature cocktails on the menu, or choose a classic cocktail and your preferred whisky bottle and they will create a custom drink specially crafted for you. Though the drinks here aren't on the wallet-friendly end of the scale, they're crafted with care, and you're unlikely to find similar drinks elsewhere in town.

Escape the throngs of Lan Kwai Fong at Club Qing on the tenth floor of LKF's Cosmos Building. This slice of zen is a cosy bolthole housing an impressive variety of whiskies from old and rare bottles, making it a go-to for whisky aficionados. But don't let their credentials intimidate you if you're new to whisky and just expanding your knowledge because their staff is friendly and will guide you to the proper tasting drams. Here you will find past and present Japanese whiskies from the likes of Yamazaki to Eigashima and get to choose from a number of tasting flights if you're looking to explore various drams. They also have an impressive Scotch collection that boasts of rare and old expressions like the Bowmore 1957, Macallan from the 30s, and closed distilleries like Port Ellen and Brora, just to name a few. They also operate as an independent bottling business, so you can also sip on drams made from collaborations with various brands and bars in the city and abroad.

Located just above Butler, Japanese-style Bar Buonasera is the Hong Kong branch of the famous Osaka bar by the same name. Managed by Nick Tse and Ayako Miyake, the bar offers classic handcrafted cocktails and a great selection of whisky. Expect Japanese style mixology where every serving is done to perfection. Don’t miss occasionally opened bottles of rare Japanese whiskies and independent whisky bottling on the menu.  

Not just your average hotel bar that’s often crowded with corporate transient hotel guests. Located in the Hyatt Regency, Chin Chin is a definite hit among whisky buffs as they offer a large variety of whisky to choose from, including rare bottles of Scotch whiskies. You can sip on Talisker 25 Year Old or ball out with a glass of Glenfarclas 1968 while soaking up the tunes from their live music performances. 

As one of the most swish whisky bars in town, this 1920s-style hotel bar houses an extensive collection of whiskies. The bar didn’t start off as a whisky-focused bar, but over the years, they have continually expanded its collection, which, in turn, attracted whisky enthusiasts looking for more varieties, especially since the InterContinental began hosting the annual Hong Kong Whisky Festival, and brought whisky experts from around the world together. The bar’s whisky collection includes bottles from Scottish, Japanese, and American distilleries and their cocktail menu offers a number of well-made classics and seasonal offerings.

The bar houses an excellent collection of nearly 350 bottles of whiskies from Japan, Scotland, Ireland, Australia, and other world whiskies. Veering away from the usual gentleman's leather den, House Welley Bar exudes a modern vibe that appeals to both whisky noobs and enthusiasts. There are no menus here and no bartenders in sight stirring up an Old Fashioned or highballs, only three convivial whisky enthusiasts and a few servers going to and from the shelves serving up drams upon drams of liquid gold. Expect to find single cask, limited edition, hard-to-find independent bottlings (IB), and distillery exclusive original bottlings (OB) from the likes of Yamazaki, Macallan, and vintage expressions from Bunnahabhain, Clynelish, and Bowmore. It's one of the few places in the city where you can taste exceptional and limited-edition bottles in tasting portions and at much lower prices, making hard-to-find bottlings accessible and approachable to a broader public. 

Located on the third floor of Landmark, the whisky bar Wood Ear is another establishment from the makers of Épure and Arbor. The bar shares a space with Parisian restaurant Ami, helmed by executive chef Nicolas Boutin. If you’re into rare whiskies, then you’ll be pleased with Wood Ear’s collection of over 400 labels sourced from auctions and private collectors from all over the world. Along with a menu of whisky-based cocktails, guests can sample a range of rare whiskies, including Hanyu Ichiro’s Malt The Colored Joker and Glen Grant 1955 60 years old La Maison Du Whisky, Martin’s 1960s 12-year-old Circa, and Langs 1940’s Extra Special Old Liqueur. If you want to swap your liquid gold with wine, you can sip on quality vino from their 2,000-bottle collection. 

Located at the steps of Shing Hing Street, you'll find the bar's narrow wooden door with bold brass lettering of Whisky & Words at the front entrance. The area is intimate, and the interior is decked out in muted greys and faux wood decals. Their bottle collection includes rare and hard to find whiskies from Scotland, Japan, and Ireland. Aside from whisky, the bar also offers a selection of other spirits and cocktails that uses gin and vodka as base. 

Located on the first floor of the Mandarin Oriental, The Chinnery – named after the famous English painter George Chinnery – is your usual leather-clad whisky den, with warm wood interiors and suited-up bartenders. The bar serves traditional British cuisine, so you can chow down on food before, during, or after a few drams from their stellar collection of single malt whiskies. They change their whisky menu monthly, so make sure to catch the latest addition to their growing collection.

CNY Bar is the place to go if you want to pair quality whisky drams or craft cocktails with your favourite music. Their bespoke Kenrick Sound system, which is only available in three venues around the world — a collector's item with a seven-digit price tag enough to bring you on the edge of your seat – is enough to give you chills. Pair quality hi-fi music with any of over 150 drams of whisky available in the bar or sip on quality drinks inspired by popular 90s music. If you want to discover new expressions, catch their regularly scheduled whisky tastings.

Housed just shy of Minden Avenue's rowdier strip of bars, this quiet, 20-seater drinking den is one of the original whisky bars in Hong Kong. It is the first independent venture by master mixologist Masayuki Uchida, a man who used to shake and stir at some of the finest cocktail bars in Ginza, Japan. Aside from slinging perfectly balanced mixed drinks on their fifth-floor cocktail bar, Uchida also stocks an impressive arsenal of single malts and blended whiskies on the upstairs whisky bar, which he serves over crystal clear orbs of hand-chipped ice. 

A modern style whisky bar located behind its own shop. It has an entirely unassuming, monotone façade that looks like the exterior of a bank vault, which doesn't look like your usual gentleman's whisky bar. The bar used to be the official SMWS distributor in Hong Kong so you'll find some drams here that are not available anywhere else in the city. They hold over 700 malt whiskies and premium Champagnes, which includes some of the rarest and most expensive whiskies from Scotland and Japan. Their bottle display of whiskies alone will make any whisky geek drool! If you want to learn more about whiskies, don’t miss their occasionally scheduled tastings and masterclasses.

Uncle Ming's is one of the city's newest whisky bars. The bar serves quality drams worldwide, complemented by city skyline views atop the boutique hotel AKI Hong Kong – MGallery. Whether you're into Japanese whiskies, bourbon, and other premium malts, you can explore various whisky distilling countries through a range of flights – served on custom-made boards made from whisky barrels. The bar also provides a bottle-keep service to store unfinished portions of your bottle purchases for your later visit.