ANTONIO LAI, owner of the Hong Kong bar Quinary, says he saw far more local customers than international tourists over the last year or so. In this same period he also traveled less, with more time near home giving him a newfound appreciation for modest, close comforts. Comforts that are as small as a quick stay (and a nice shower) at a nearby hotel. “I tried it, and it's like, Okay, ‘staycation’ sounds very stupid, but I understand,” he says. He sees this with customers as well: “They're willing to spend a little more money because they know they go out less, so they want something a little bit better than just what they normally have,” he says.

One of Lai’s favorite cocktails, the Taste of HK, is an example of that elevated experience. Its two key ingredients — lychee red tea and sugarcane juice — both come from shops close by that have been run by the same families for 50 years. Traditional Chinese medicine recommends both herbal tea and sugarcane juice to stave off heat and humidity in the summer. “Combining these together allowed me to share a little bit of the memory of Hong Kong, going to tea shops to have tea and having a chat with the boss, drinking sugarcane juice when we are really hot.”