Cocktails to Try on Vacation: Asian-Inspired Drinks from Shoreditch to Singapore

Short on time but craving a weekend that tastes of place? Start with a pandan negroni.

When you have one night in Shoreditch or a long layover in Singapore, the last thing you want is decision fatigue. You want a standout drink that tells you where you are — a true piece of flavor tourism that’s simple to order, easy to share, and memorable enough to snap a photo of. That’s where Asian-influenced cocktails shine: they translate local ingredients and culinary traditions into drinks that feel novel, travel-friendly, and deeply rooted in neighborhood culture.

The evolution of Asian cocktails in 2026: why it matters now

In late 2025 and into 2026 we saw three clear shifts that changed how travelers experience bars: a renewed appetite for authenticity (heritage spirits and regional botanicals), a sustainability push (low-waste, low-ABV and local sourcing), and tech-enabled personalization at the bar (dynamic QR menus, reservations and tasting flights you pre-book). Together these trends turned many bars into mini cultural experiences — not just places to drink but destinations for learning about a city's palate.

Why this matters for travelers: You can build a two-hour bar hop that reads like a bite-sized culinary tour. One cocktail can introduce you to rice gin in London, another to baijiu's floral power in Hong Kong, and a third to pandan's fragrant sweetness in Singapore. These drinks do the heavy lifting — they tell a story fast.

Start here: Bun House Disco’s pandan negroni (Shoreditch, London)

If you only order one Asian-influenced cocktail on a short city break in London, make it Bun House Disco’s pandan negroni. It’s the perfect opener because it balances novelty and familiarity: the structure of a negroni with a Southeast Asian aromatic twist.

Why it stands out

Pandan leaf brings a green, grassy, slightly vanilla-sugar fragrance that’s immediately recognizable across Southeast Asian desserts and drinks. At Bun House Disco, the pandan is blended into rice gin — a softer, rounder base than London dry gin — and paired with white vermouth and green Chartreuse. The result reads like an intersection of Hong Kong late-night nostalgia and classic Italian bitter tradition.

Make it at the bar (or try the recipe)

1. To infuse pandan gin: Roughly chop a 10g piece of fresh pandan leaf (green part only). Blitz with 175ml rice gin in a blender and strain through a fine sieve lined with muslin. Yield: vibrant green pandan gin.
2. To build the drink: 25ml pandan-infused rice gin, 15ml white vermouth, 15ml green Chartreuse. Stir with ice and strain into a chilled tumbler. Garnish with a pandan frond or an expressed citrus twist.

Tasting notes: herbaceous and resinous from Chartreuse, sweet grassy pandan on the mid-palate, mild rice gin roundness and a lingering bitter finish. Pair with a steam-bun snack or a lightly spiced pork bao to echo Shoreditch’s late-night Cantonese-meets-east-London vibe.

Asian-influenced cocktails to seek out on urban trips (from Shoreditch to Singapore)

Below are a dozen drinks — tested by bartenders and travelers in top neighborhoods — that you can seek out or ask a bartender to riff on. Each entry includes where to look, tasting notes, quick recipe notes, and ordering tips for time-limited travelers.

1) Pandan Negroni — Shoreditch, London (and beyond)

• Taste: fragrant pandan, botanical rice gin, bittersweet finish
• Order tip: ask for it neat or on a large rock — Instagram-friendly and straightforward.

2) Yuzu Sour — Tokyo-style citrus in city bars

• Taste: electric citrus brightness, creamy egg-white texture, floral backbone
• What to expect: yuzu juice, a light base spirit (shochu, gin, or vodka), and an egg white foam; often balanced with Japanese sugar syrup or sake.
• Order tip: ask for low-ABV versions if you have a long night — these can be made with more yuzu and sparkling water.

3) Shiso Smash / Shiso Highball — Tokyo and pan-Asian bars

• Taste: minty-anise herbaceousness, bright citrus, effervescent finish in a highball
• What to expect: shiso leaves muddled with citrus and spirit (often shochu or gin); a highball version uses soda water for a lighter profile.
• Order tip: order as a sharing flight if you’re with friends — it’s great for palate contrast.

4) Baijiu Sour / Baijiu Negroni — introducing Chinese spirits

• Taste: savory-funky floral notes with both heat and a softness reminiscent of aged white spirits
• What to expect: bartenders are increasingly blending baijiu with citrus, vermouth or bitter liqueurs to make it approachable for Western palates.
• Order tip: ask the bartender for a gentle introduction (lower ABV or a small tasting pour) — baijiu can be intense if you jump straight in.

5) Thai Basil & Lemongrass Collins — Southeast Asian bright and herbaceous

• Taste: lemongrass citrus, Thai basil pepperiness, soda lift
• What to expect: light, herb-forward, and refreshing — a daytime or brunch-perfect pick.
• Order tip: pair with street-food style snacks; many bars across Singapore and Bangkok have excellent bar-nibble pairings.

6) Tamarind Old Fashioned — South Asian sweet-sour meets barrel-aged depth

• Taste: tangy-sour tamarind, molasses sweetness, warm aged-spirit backbone
• What to expect: often built with dark rum or aged whiskey and a tamarind syrup or reduction; delicious with grilled meats.
• Order tip: this is a strong, contemplative sipper — ideal for a slow evening in a neighborhood bar.

7) Matcha Martini / Tea-Infused Martini — Tokyo to Taipei

• Taste: bitter-sweet green tea depth, silky texture, clean spirit frame
• What to expect: premium matcha whisked into a martini or a tea-infused gin/vodka; increasingly offered with ceremonial-grade tea for authenticity.
• Order tip: ask if the bar uses ceremonial matcha or culinary — ceremonial will be more floral and pricier.

8) Gochujang Citrus or Korean Pepper Coup — Seoul and international Korean-influenced bars

• Taste: umami heat balanced by citrus and sugar — pleasantly savory and layered
• What to expect: a small amount of gochujang or chili-soy reduction, bright citrus, and a neutral spirit or soju base.
• Order tip: ask for the heat level to be dialed down if you prefer subtlety.

9) Coconut-Infused Rum with Kaffir Lime — tropical riffs in city bars

• Taste: creamy coconut with a citrus-kick from kaffir lime; often served over crushed ice.
• Order tip: looks summery but many urban bars keep this on the menu year-round — a nostalgic, travel-ready flavor.

How to approach these drinks when your time is limited

Travelers have different constraints — a single night in a neighborhood or a full weekend — but there are simple strategies to maximize satisfaction:

• Book a reservation for the destination bar: Many buzzy cocktail bars hold limited seats. Use platforms like Resy, Quandoo, Chope or the bar’s direct booking to avoid waiting.
• Ask for a tasting flight or half-sized pours: If the bar offers flights, take them. If not, ask for a 50% pour to sample multiple drinks without getting too intoxicated.
• Order to pair, not just sip: Pick one herbaceous/aperitif-style drink and one dessert-style or barrel-aged drink to cover contrasts — this gives a more complete flavor map of the city.
• Use neighborhood clusters: Plan 1–2 bars within walking distance. Shoreditch, Shoreham (London), Seoul’s Itaewon, Tokyo’s Ginza/Shimbashi, and Singapore’s Tanjong Pagar have dense clusters of standout bars.

Ordering and etiquette tips across cities

Small cultural shifts make a big difference when you’re short on time. These micro-hacks keep the experience seamless.

• Tipping: In Singapore, tipping is uncommon thanks to service charges; in London tipping 10–15% for exceptional service is normal; in Tokyo, tipping is not customary — offer thanks and politeness instead.
• Dress code: Many craft cocktail bars adopt smart-casual. If they’re in a hotel, opt for slightly more polished attire.
• Communicating preferences: Use concise phrases: “I like herbal and citrus, low sugar” or “I want something smoky and short.” Bartenders appreciate clear signals.
• Transport home: Book a rideshare or know the last train times. Some cities have strict last-call rules.

How to re-create the travel drink experience at home

If a cocktail stops you mid-sip and you want to bring that memory home, focus on these practical steps:

• Buy one specialty ingredient: pandan leaf, yuzu juice, shiso, or a small bottle of baijiu. You don’t need an extensive pantry to echo the flavor.
• Infuse smartly: Use the pandan infusion method (blend, strain through muslin) for instant aromatic impact. For tea or matcha, whisk just before serving to preserve aromatics.
• Keep recipes modular: Substitute rice gin with a neutral gin plus a rice or sake rinse if you can’t source rice gin.
• Document the sip: Note the bar, neighborhood, and pairing — sharing that context with friends recreates the travel story.

2026 trends and what they mean for travelers

These are the developments you’ll notice on the bar list this year and should plan for when you build a drinks-focused itinerary:

• Heritage spirits spotlight: Expect more rice gins, aged soju, regional rums and baijiu on menus — bartenders are treating local distillates like terroir-driven wine.
• Sustainability and zero-waste: Bars are using citrus peels, spent tea leaves and fermentation byproducts creatively — this can affect flavor profiles in exciting ways.
• Low-ABV and alcohol-conscious offerings: Bars offer crafted low-proof cocktails and botanical spritzes — great for travelers who want memorable flavors without heavy intoxication.
• Tech-enabled experiences: Dynamic QR menus with tasting notes, pre-booked tasting flights and AI-driven recommendations reduce decision fatigue for travelers.
• Chef-bartender collaborations: More menus pair bar snacks or mini-dishes with cocktails; look for bars inside or adjacent to modern restaurants for the best pairings.

“A well-made cocktail can be a city’s calling card — condensed culture in a glass.”

Quick checklist before you go

• Reserve key bars in advance (especially weekends)
• Pack a small notebook or use your phone to note flavors and bar names
• Ask for smaller pours or tasting flights to sample more
• Check tipping norms and opening hours by neighborhood
• Bring a friend — share flights to stretch your palate without getting too tipsy

Final takeaways: how to use cocktails to read a city

Asian-influenced cocktails are more than gimmicks: they are a fast, sensory way to learn about a place. From Shoreditch’s pandan negroni that channels late-night Hong Kong nostalgia, to Singapore’s botanical-forward bars, to Tokyo’s tea and shiso precision, each drink is an entry point into local ingredients, culinary histories and contemporary mixology trends.

When you plan smart — reserve, ask for flights, and pair a fragrant drink with a comfort bite — a single night’s bar crawl can give you the satisfying arc of an entire food-and-drink itinerary. That’s the kind of weekend return on investment every busy traveler wants.

Call to action

Ready to taste your next city? Start by ordering a pandan negroni on your next London stop or ask a Singapore bartender for a yuzu sour flight. Share your best Asian-inspired cocktail with us — tag us on socials or subscribe for curated bar crawls and weekend itineraries that match your travel style.

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