Fortune Chai: A cocktail that marries Hong Kong's tea-drinking custom with a bartender's Indian chai memories
Bartender Dipesh Rai created the Fortune Chai cocktail for Hong Kong's Orchard bar, drawing on the city's yum cha tea-drinking ritual and his own memories of his mother's masala chai. The drink features Armagnac fat-washed with brown butter, chai-infused creme de cacao, and a fortune cookie garnish. Rai is set to become head bartender at Orchard next month.
Rai developed the cocktail during a menu refresh at Orchard, the Central district bar founded by Alex Pun that specializes in fruit-based eau de vie. The drink reinterprets the Brandy Alexander template while avoiding its heavy cream texture, instead layering fat-washed Armagnac with chai-spiced creme de cacao and a biscotti-inspired liqueur. A saline solution and chocolate bitters round out the build, served over ice with the fortune cookie as a playful final touch.
The cocktail draws on two distinct cultural touchpoints: Hong Kong's yum cha tradition of drinking tea from small cups by hand, and Rai's childhood memories of his mother brewing masala chai each morning. The warming spice profile was chosen specifically to complement dark spirits like Armagnac, and the fortune cookie serves as both garnish and conversational prompt for guests.
This cocktail could resonate beyond Orchard's clientele by bridging personal heritage with local custom, potentially inspiring other bartenders in the region to explore culturally layered ingredients. It may also introduce Armagnac and lesser-known eau de vie to curious drinkers through a familiar dessert-cocktail framework. The promotion of Rai to head bartender signals growing recognition of diverse cultural perspectives shaping Hong Kong's bar scene, which could influence how venues approach menu development and storytelling in the competitive Asia-Pacific hospitality market.