Conceptually, the menus have ranged from focusing on local ingredients, such as vinegar and char siu, all the way to the current menu, which offers concoctions that integrate anywhere from a single element to four or more ingredients from a list of 10. Its continued presence on Asia’s 50 Best Bars since 2022 – ranked ninth in 2024 – is a testament to the success of its team, helmed by beverage manager Federico Balzarini, and the strength of its concept.
However, as World Martini Day approaches on June 21, we look at the signature Argo Martini, a key component of the Argo experience, an “old reliable” that requires just as much attention to detail as all the creative original cocktails that the team has drummed up.
“The Argo Martini is designed to be an approachable version of a classic martini, allowing us to incorporate flavours into the dilution using hydrosol,” Balzarini says. “Our aim is to make one of the most iconic yet often ‘not for everybody’ drinks more accessible to everyone, similar to what we are doing with Argo as a hotel bar.”
There is no doubt Balzarini and the team continually pour effort into what is a variation on the classic martini, but historic variations of the cocktail involved much simpler additions, such as adding olive brine or orange bitters, or even substituting the base for vodka and adding Lillet Blanc (the Vesper) or espresso. When we asked Balzarini if he ever considered any of these to complement the hydrosol or the gin, he says none were considered.