The Opposites Pours Dual Twists on Three Classics

The Opposites, the Central, Hong Kong bar from Tastings Group, adds six new signature cocktails on November 4, 2026, built around a simple, high-concept format: three classics, each reimagined twice, in two deliberately contrasting directions. Co-founders and World Class champions Antonio Lai and Samuel Kwok guided the team through dual takes on the Clover Club, the Midori Sour, and Sangria, with a refreshed four-part snack menu from chef Logan Hester landing alongside.

Two Columns, One Classic Down the Middle

The menu makes the concept literal. Each classic is printed down the middle of the page, with its two interpretations split into columns: the left headed “Balanced · Classic · Adventurous,” the right “Theatrical · Experimental · Dynamic.” It is a neat visual shorthand for the bar’s founding premise. Since opening in summer 2024, The Opposites has argued that cohesion can exist in spite of stylistic difference, and the new drinks follow that principle, retaining a shared identity per classic while venturing toward opposite moods and palates.

Lai, the mind behind Quinary and Draft Land Hong Kong, and Kwok, Quinary’s bar manager for eight years, have worked together for more than a decade, and both hold World Class titles. The menu itself does not say which founder made which drink; the columns speak for the styles instead.

Clover Club, Reimagined Twice

The first pair takes the Clover Club beneath an evening sky. Moonlit Lover (HK$140), from the left column, is billed as velvety, bright, and floral-fruity: N.I.P Catnip Tea Gin No.3 and raspberry drift into the cloudy glow of nigori sake, while lemon verbena and orange blossom round out a silky, moonbeam-pale pour finished with egg white.

Afterglow (HK$150) answers from the right. Salted caramel redistilled gin meets lacto-fermented strawberry for a gentle tang, rounded with cacao nibs and a bright splash of mixed aperitif, then crowned with what the bar describes as a weightless cloud of lemon balm.

Midori Sour Goes to the City at Night

The second pair reworks the modern-classic Midori Sour. Mr. Ginza (HK$140) plays the sharp-dressed gentleman of the left column: sencha-steeped Midori and dry sherry in polished conversation, with peach, lime, and honey adding charm, a quiet spark of green Sichuan pepper oil, and a basil leaf sitting neatly on the lapel.

Neo Kakigori (HK$140) is its neon counterpart. N.I.P Exotic City Gin and Midori groove with clarified kiwi and jasmine essence, fizz with a tangy splash of pickled soda, and arrive topped with a frosty mountain of genmaicha shaved ice, a grown-up nod to a midnight festival street-stall treat.

Sangria for Wide Open Skies

The Sangria pair evokes sharing open evening skies with old friends. Garnet (HK$140) gathers red wine, red apple, and tomato around Darjeeling-steeped oloroso sherry for a round, easygoing pour, warmed by a dash of peated whisky and a drift of rice straw smoke for harvest-time, fireside character.

Jewel Box (HK$140) goes silky and crisp instead: gyokuro-steeped white wine and umeshu open up with blended citrus, guava, and white peach, and each glass is scattered with frozen fruit gems in three colors for guests to dig in and discover.

Four-Part Snack Menu from Logan Hester

The food program gets a matching upgrade across all four sections, crafted by chef Logan Hester, whose background runs from farm-to-table roots through Anan Saigon and Chôm Chôm in Saigon to dining concepts at Kimpton Tsim Sha Tsui.

“Fresh Start” pairs a new look for the Black Garlic White Meat Rice Paper Roll (HK$100) with the playful Drunken Hamachi Pani Puri (HK$150), which uses Shaoxing wine, cucumber, and chili to give the South Asian classic a Chinese drunken-fish twist, while Market Veggie Dippers (HK$90) serve seasonal vegetables with a house-made preserved tofu “ranch.” “Guilty Pleasure” keeps the fan-favorite “Hot Wave” Fries (HK$100) and adds Spicy Bar “Tenders” (HK$120), chicken tenders coated in fried Shin Ramyun noodles and finished with hot honey. “Comfort Food” holds the staple Lobster Dan Dan Mac n’ Cheese (HK$140) alongside new Cumin Lamb Wraps (HK$130) of spiced minced lamb and fresh herb salad in flaky pancake. “Sweet Finale” closes with PB&J French Toast (HK$100), toasted peanuts wrapped in Hong Kong-style French toast with a Campari-macerated strawberry dip, plus optional macadamia ice cream for HK$30.

A Format Built on Contrast

By printing the classic down the middle and letting two interpretations answer it side by side, The Opposites turns its founding premise into the menu’s actual architecture, drink against drink. The new cocktails and snacks are available at the bar from November 4 onwards.

Details

The Opposites LG/F, Hilltop Plaza, 49 Hollywood Road, Central, Hong Kong Sunday to Thursday, 5pm to 1am; Friday and Saturday, 5pm to 2am Tel: +852 2711 0038 Email: info@theopposites.hk Website: theopposites.hk Instagram: @theoppositeshk