Hong Kong

Neo Nexus cocktail menu launch: OZONE, the highest rooftop bar in the world at The Ritz-Carlton, Hong Kong, is thrilled to unveil its latest cocktail and mocktail menu, ‘Neo Nexus’, marking a bold new era following the bar’s iconic Five Elements cocktail menu. This collection serves as a gateway to new perspectives of creativity, set in the sacred timeline that governs the universe, inviting guests to immerse themselves in a world where the boundaries of reality and imagination meet. Complementing this exciting new cocktail selection is a cyberpunk, tropical-inspired decor that transforms the ambiance of Ozone.

Doors to the world

Behind the bar, Manager Bryan Benitez introduces the time-inspired Neo Nexus Cocktail and Mocktail Menu. Each drink represents a different point on the timeline, governed by three themes: Neo, Nexus, and Tropical Noir. With four cocktails and mocktails under each theme, the 12 concoctions in this menu serve as a doorway – a portal not just to new flavours, but to new ways of seeing and experiencing the world: new, old, and everything in between. One selected cocktail from each theme is served in a bespoke 3D-printed vault created by the Italian company 3D VAULT, utilizing the latest technologies and sustainable materials like PLA, derived from renewable resources such as corn and sugarcane. This menu invites guests to step through our looking glass into the future and taste the essence of possibilities. Welcome to “Neo Nexus”—a tribute to unbound creativity, envisioned through the prism of the most fantastical dreams.

Neo Nexus cocktail menu: Neo

Neo is where the past whispers into the present, blending timeless spirits with contemporary flair. Each cocktail is a reverie that marries tradition with modernity, crafting flavours that echo through time and inviting guests to explore new horizons.

Walled City pays homage to Kowloon’s old walled city, the most densely populated place on Earth, melding bitterness with avant-garde complexity and inspired by the area’s history before its demolition in 1993. Housed in a 3D vessel resembling the green Kowloon Walled City Park today, this drink is a riff on a French Negroni and Hong Kong’s Yuen Yeung milk tea – a blend of coffee and tea cherished for its revitalizing properties.

Famous Last Word whispers from the Prohibition era, merging fresh, herbaceous notes with enigmatic undertones, reflecting a time when bitters were marketed as medicine. A modern twist on the classic Last Word, it highlights the historical significance of bitters in the first printed usage of the word “cocktail” in the 1800s.

The Aviary captures tropical mirage qualities, evoking fresh, bittersweet notes and echoes of forgotten jungles, inspired by the Jungle Bird cocktail created in the 1970s at the Aviary Bar in Kuala Lumpur.

New Eden offers a glimpse of new pastures, intertwining floral notes with bright zest in a non-alcoholic take on a Collins, embodying the essence of “Eden” as a place of perfect harmony, pleasure, and delight.

Neo Nexus cocktail menu: Nexus

Nexus features cocktails that bridge the past and the tropical future. Each cocktail welcomes you to cross a threshold built from both the past and visions of what lies ahead, crafting a flavour profile of worlds both lost and yet to be unveiled. The Glade, inspired by the dystopian novel Maze Runner, unfolds a tapestry of smoky, pickled, and herbal notes that reflect the intricate maze of lost glades and fragmented realities; it symbolizes a safe haven amidst chaos.

Neon Lights draws inspiration from the vibrant glow of Hong Kong’s neon signs, merging urban allure with lush undertones and capturing the essence of a cityscape cloaked in twilight. A reinterpretation of the Vesper, this cocktail pays homage to James Bond’s multiple visits to Hong Kong throughout various 007 franchises, showcased in a 3D vessel that echoes the streets and architecture of the city.

Static Fizz harmonizes ephemeral moments and static dreams, connecting sun-kissed afternoons with a sense of cacotopia, while offering a zero-proof rendition of a Spritz that nods to the German word for “splash,” recalling how Austrian soldiers in the 1800s lightened Italian wines with water.

The Hive merges the remnants of a distant past with a mechanized future, blending restorative vitality with the suffering of cybernetic existence. Featuring Hong Kong wild honey inspired by Wing Wo Bee Farm, one of Hong Kong’s earliest bee farms located near the Ten Thousand Buddhas Monastery – this mocktail embodies the intertwining of nature and industry.

Neo Nexus cocktail menu: Tropical Noir

Tropical Noir invites you into a tropical realm where the vibrant allure of the tropics intertwines with the haunting echoes of imagined futures, steeped in the melancholy of lost Edens and infused with bold, noirish undertones. This collection captures the beauty and tragedy of paradises just out of reach, offering a sip of worlds that are both wildly abundant and poignantly elusive.

Safari Hunter draws inspiration from the tropical Hemingway Daiquiri, named after the legendary author. During his three-month adventure in Africa, Hemingway hunted deer and big game. This cocktail features a unique blend of Pampero Blanco rum, curry leaf, yuzu, Aperol, seasonal berry tea, maraschino liqueur, and egg whites, creating a refreshing tribute to exploration and indulgence.

Cyber Funk represents a collision of future noir and exotic whispers, merging dry and piquant flavours to capture a lost elysium amidst cybernetic landscapes, featuring pink guava – a fruit native to Mexico, Peru, and the Caribbean, named after the Arawak word for fruit, which connects to the first Arawak-speaking Amerindians who encountered Columbus.

The Redeemer bridges Brazil and Japan, blending vibrant equatorial notes with an ethereal, futuristic twist. This fusion is symbolized by a 3D-printed vessel inspired by the Christ the Redeemer statue. The spirit used is cachaça, Brazil’s national spirit, paired with sake from Japan, creating a harmonious cross-cultural experience.

Electric Jungle is an elevated take on the classic sherry cobbler, blending fino sherry with clarified passion fruit, vibrant citrus, pandan, and sugar for a refreshing twist. This zesty cocktail creates an electrifying harmony of flavours that shocks the senses and transports you to a lush paradise.

Ozone Bar Manager Bryan Benitez

Leading the creation of the Neo Nexus Cocktail and Mocktail Menu is Bryan Benitez, a skilled mixologist with over 13 years of experience. He began his career in Manila’s local bars and hotels, where his passion for craft cocktails blossomed. Bryan has competed in various competitions, including being crowned as the Luxury Hotel Champion at the 2024 Marriott x Diadego Greater China Mixologist Competition, and representing the Philippines at the Asia Pacific Cocktail Competition in Singapore. After refining his skills at the Grand Sheraton Macao and other hotels in Macao, he moved to Hong Kong in 2018, where he now serves as the Bar Manager of Ozone.

OZONE “Neo Nexus” Cocktail and Mocktail Menu
Venue: OZONE, Level 118, The Ritz-Carlton, Hong Kong
For reservations, please contact Restaurant Reservations at (852) 2263 2270 or via email at restaurantreservation.hk@ritzcarlton.com.

About The Ritz-Carlton, Hong Kong

Occupying floors 102 to 118 of the International Commerce Centre in Kowloon, The Ritz-Carlton, Hong Kong is the highest hotel in the world. The hotel’s 312 guestrooms all offer spectacular city and harbour views. The hotel also features six dining venues including the state-of-the-art Michelin-starred Italian restaurant, Tosca di Angelo; two-star Michelin Chinese restaurant, Tin Lung Heen; The Lounge & Bar, which features an international all-day dining menu; and Café 103, which serves signature afternoon tea. The rooftop bar, OZONE, is truly a stunning venue at 490 meters above sea level. Enjoy delicacy accompanied by splendid 360-degree views at Café 100 at sky100. For those wishing to relax and indulge, The Ritz-Carlton Spa, Hong Kong, located on the 116th floor, features nine deluxe treatment rooms and two couple’s suites, redefining the urban spa experience in the city and across Asia. The 118th floor of the hotel is home to a fully equipped fitness centre and an indoor pool area adorned with a 28m x 7m mirrored ceiling and high-resolution LED wall. Setting the benchmark for events in the region, the hotel boasts one of the largest ballrooms in the city at 870sqm. Complemented by an additional four meeting rooms, the ballroom has become the major social venue for Hong Kong.