{"id":80022,"date":"2026-08-27T21:30:05","date_gmt":"2026-08-27T13:30:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/?p=80022"},"modified":"2026-08-27T21:30:05","modified_gmt":"2026-08-27T13:30:05","slug":"how-a-hong-kong-dim-sum-ritual-and-nostalgia-inspired-orchards-fortune-chai","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/?p=80022","title":{"rendered":"How a Hong Kong dim sum ritual and nostalgia inspired Orchard\u2019s Fortune Chai"},"content":{"rendered":"


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\u201cWhen I went to a dim sum place, I had tea in a small teacup and thought the action of drinking tea with your hands felt unique,\u201d Dipesh Rai says. \u201cYou don\u2019t really drink any other drink with such an action. It inspired me to make a cocktail with the action of drinking tea in mind.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rai is poised to take the head bartender position at Orchard next month after developing cocktails like the Fortune Chai in a recent update to the bar\u2019s menu. Founded by Alex Pun<\/span>, Orchard is Hong Kong\u2019s only bar whose primary focus is on fruit spirits or eau de vie, but drinks like the Fortune Chai showcase Rai and the team\u2019s ability to build creatively on that base concept, evoking ideas like the process of drinking tea in a city like Hong Kong.<\/div>\n
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\"Orchard<\/div>
Orchard on Gage Street in Central. Photo: Handout<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Taking cues from the Brandy Alexander, Rai \u201cwanted to capture a dessert cocktail, but \u2026 didn\u2019t want the thick, creamy texture that comes with [it]\u201d. Armagnac, a regional brandy distilled from grapes, is fat-washed in brown butter, then batched with liqueurs \u2013 a creme de cacao liqueur infused with chai masala and another made to evoke the flavours of biscotti. This forms the drink\u2019s base batch.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe warming spices in the masala chai, I felt, always went very well with dark spirits such as Armagnac. It also has a little to do with me,\u201d Rai explains regarding the infusions. \u201cI grew up waking up to warm spices in the air as my mum was brewing chai every morning. To this day, it\u2019s a very nostalgic memory. I chose masala chai as I wanted to add a little part of myself to the cocktail.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\"Fortune<\/div>
Fortune Chai at Orchard. Photo: Handout<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

The base batch is then mixed with Cocchi Americano sweet vermouth, saline solution and chocolate bitters, served on the rocks and topped with a fortune cookie garnish. \u201cObviously, you can\u2019t enjoy warm, freshly brewed chai masala without a biscuit, or maybe that\u2019s just me,\u201d Rai says. \u201cI went through hundreds of types of biscuits, but it suddenly clicked when I saw a fortune cookie. It\u2019s a fun, interactive garnish for guests as well as a small icebreaker to engage with.\u201d<\/p>\n

Between the tea-drinking inspiration, the nostalgia of chai masala, the fortune cookie and the silky reinterpretation of the Brandy Alexander\u2019s mouthfeel, the Fortune Chai offers a deeply personal, tactile way to experience Armagnac. Even though Armagnac may be relatively familiar given its similarity to cognac, guests can also expect to sample a bit of the base spirit, a practice that helps pave the way for other cocktails on the menu that may feature more exotic eau de vie.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n


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