Drink in Focus: Montana Daiquiri at Montana

When it was announced that two of the world’s most celebrated bartenders, Lorenzo Antinori and Simone Caporale, were teaming up to open a new bar in Hong Kong, the anticipation was palpable. Their new concept, Montana, pays tribute to two iconic eras of Cuban mixology: the vibrant, high-energy flair of 1970s Miami, and the refined elegance of the 1920s Cuban bartending society, the Club de Cantineros.

“What the [Club de] Cantineros did brilliantly,” Antinori explains, “was codify the profession of bartending – they weren’t just mixing drinks, but also creating a legacy. The daiquiri was held to a craft standard. Their precision, their respect for ratios, their attention to every guest, that mindset guided us. We wanted to pay tribute to this growing age of hospitality and cocktails from the 1920s.”

Many of the classics from the Cantineros era are on offer at Montana – see their Piña Colada slushie, or riff on the Hotel Nacional – but inevitably, the most memorable offering is the Montana Daiquiri.

“At its core, the daiquiri is an incredibly honest cocktail,” says Caporale, “it leaves nowhere to hide. With just three ingredients, everything comes down to skill, technique, precision.”

“And it’s deeply personal,” Antinori adds. “Every bartender has their own interpretation, their own subtle tweaks. That’s why the daiquiri is often called the bartender’s handshake. It looks effortless, but mastering it is anything but.”