Drink in Focus: ‘Water’ cocktail at Caprice Bar at Four Seasons Hotel Hong Kong

However, the team at the Four Seasons and at Caprice Bar, helmed by bar manager Anyss Saintilan, have been able to combine a storied history of world-class mixology with cutting-edge flavours for their now time-tested Elements menu. One of the strongest examples from that menu, which was launched in June last year, is the Water.

“I began asking myself what naturally exists in water,” Saintilan explains, “that could translate beautifully into a drink. The oyster immediately came to mind. From there, the concept evolved around capturing that marine freshness and salinity in an elegant way.”

The drink’s assembly is as minimalist as it can get. Inspired by the Hugo Spritz, a combination of elderflower liqueur, prosecco, mint leaves and soda, the Water largely innovates by swapping the mint for oyster leaf.

“We infuse the oyster leaf into the elderflower liqueur in advance to extract its marine, slightly saline character,” says Saintilan. “When serving, the drink is assembled directly in the glass over ice, topped with champagne and soda for lift and freshness.”

The result is a full, rich flavour courtesy of infusion. The drink is without the transparent but sterile flavours that might result from more modern techniques like rotovaping, centrifuging or redistillation – an intentional choice that, according to Saintilan, preserves the oyster leaf’s delicate oceanic notes without overprocessing it. He finds that guests also perceive tropical fruit notes even though no fruit is present, as well as a delicate minerality from the oyster leaf and champagne.