Penicillin, Hong Kong
Inside the Experience
Hollywood Road is still humming when you duck down into Penicillin, but the moment the door closes behind you, the city blurs into something quieter, stranger, more focused. White tiles, cool light, and rows of brown glass bottles frame the room; it feels like you’ve just walked into the basement lab of a particularly stylish chemist.
The bar is compact—low ceilings, tight tables, a handful of bar seats—but there’s an immediate sense of purpose. Behind the counter, the team moves with that steady, deliberate rhythm you normally associate with operating theatres and kitchens, not cocktail bars. Fermentation vessels glow behind glass in the infamous “Stinky Room”, labelled jars sit in tidy rows, and the usual back-bar display is replaced with something closer to an apothecary shelf.
You take a bar stool and watch as your drink is assembled, not just mixed. Strawberry brine is measured out drop by drop. Coconut kefir leaves its chilled container in a thin, careful stream. The bartender explains how this element was upcycled, that one fermented, how the spirit was reworked to avoid waste. When your One Penicillin, One Tree lands—creamy, tangy, and layered—you realise that somewhere in Kalimantan, a new tree has been planted because of the choice you just made.
It’s busy, but not chaotic. A couple at the end of the bar is deep in conversation with their bartender about miso-buttered gin. Another pair is sharing sips of Hot, Flat & Crowded, grinning at how something with grilled purple cabbage cream soda can be this drinkable. The staff are relaxed, chatty, and very evidently having fun. No pretence, no performance for Instagram—just a team that enjoys talking about what they do.
You look around again—at the tabletops made from typhoon-felled Hong Kong trees, the repurposed lighting from nearby businesses, the quiet confidence of a room that knows exactly why it exists—and it hits you: this isn’t theme-bar sustainability. This is the whole point.
What People Say Most Often
“One of my favourite cocktail bars in Hong Kong—fantastic concept and vibe.”
“Bartenders feel like chemists; watching them work is half the fun.”
“Sustainability isn’t a buzzword here, it’s the backbone of the menu.”
“Service is warm, welcoming, and completely unpretentious.”
“Space and tables are small, portions are tight—but drinks are world-class.”
“Best as a stop for a few serious cocktails, or part of a bar crawl around Central.”
Editorial Snapshot
Overview
Penicillin is Hong Kong’s first closed-loop cocktail bar—a white-tiled, lab-like sanctuary on Hollywood Road helmed by Laura and Agung Prabowo. Part science lab, part cocktail den, it pushes sustainable drinking from idea to practice, upcycling ingredients, fermenting in-house, and minimising waste at every step.
Named for Alexander Fleming’s discovery of the antibiotic, Penicillin is both a love letter to experimentation and a critique of excess: a place where every ingredient is questioned, every by-product reconsidered, and every drink treated as an opportunity to do more with less.
The Experience
Finding Penicillin means stepping off Hollywood Road and down into something that feels deliberately underground. The first impression is clinical—but in a good way. White tiles, polished surfaces, and lab-style lighting create a crisp backdrop for the more organic chaos of bottles, labels, and glassware.
The room is small and intimate, mostly suited to couples and small groups. At the bar, it’s easy to fall into conversation with your bartender—they’re as comfortable explaining fermentation temperatures as they are suggesting your next drink based on whether you like things bright, creamy, or spirit-forward.
On some nights, especially during guest shifts, the energy spikes: the music feels louder, the room buzzes, and the “lab” becomes a social experiment in its own right. On quieter evenings, it’s an easy place to lose track of time, working your way through the menu while the staff talk you through the stories behind each glass.
This is a bar that feels like it has a thesis. From the climate-controlled fermentation room (“The Stinky Room”) to the reclaimed timber tables and repurposed lights, Penicillin is built to make you think about what’s in the glass—and everything that usually gets thrown away along the way.
Signatures & Standouts
One Penicillin, One Tree
The flagship drink and the clearest expression of Penicillin’s ethos. A creamy, tangy build of:
Strawberry brine
Coconut kefir
White chocolate–infused whisky
For every one ordered, a tree is planted in the Kalimantan rainforest in Borneo through a partnership with Ecospirits and Green Step Group. It’s lush, comforting, and quietly sharp around the edges—and your receipt comes with an invisible side of reforestation.
Diary of Young
Another menu highlight, layered and nostalgic:
Honeydew-infused rye whiskey
Goat’s milk whey
Caramelised muscat wine
Torched ginger flower
It drinks like a memory: soft, fruity, and silky, with the whey giving it this delicate, clarified weight and the ginger flower bringing a fragrant finish.
Third Culture Kid
For everyone who lives between worlds:
Miso-buttered gin
Sesame-pineapple applejack
Green banana sherry
Pandan vermouth
Umami, tropical, and deeply considered—this is identity as a cocktail, executed with grace rather than gimmick.
Hot, Flat & Crowded
A full-sensory trip:
Mango-curd gin
Salted burnt butter
Grilled purple cabbage cream soda
Vitamin C
Tangy, smoky, vegetal, fizzy—it shouldn’t work, but it does, and it’s one of those drinks that gets talked about long after the glass is empty.
The Original (by Agung Prabowo)
A masterclass in minimal waste:
Waste shell vodka
Spiced cherry tomato
Salted coconut cordial
Clear lemon
It looks almost too clean to be so flavourful; tastes like a sharp, savoury, hyper-modern Martini that never wastes a scrap. Some guests say it “tastes like medicine”—but in a room themed around antibiotics and apothecaries, that somehow feels fitting.
One Pot Pan & Slow Grind
One Pot Pan combines pink guava tequila, vitamin B strawberry, charred chives sprig cordial, and clear makgeolli into something funky, layered, and strangely satisfying.
Slow Grind is a quieter favourite among regulars, putting the focus on spirit-forward depth with Penicillin’s signature waste-conscious twist.
The menu itself is tight, focused, and deeply thematic. Flavours can lean adventurous—if you’re expecting easy fruit bombs, you might find some serves challenging. But if you’re here for exploration, this is exactly the point.
Why People Love It
Concept with real substance. Sustainability isn’t decorative; it runs through every step, from menu design to material choices.
Bartenders as storytellers. Staff are consistently praised as warm, chatty, and genuinely excited to walk guests through the drinks.
Aesthetic that fits the idea. White tiles, medicine bottles, reclaimed wood—all of it builds a coherent, memorable atmosphere.
Cocktails that feel like essays. Drinks like Third Culture Kid and Hot, Flat & Crowded carry big ideas without losing drinkability.
Zero pretentiousness. Despite the awards and the complexity of the program, the vibe remains open, fun, and welcoming.
Good to Know
Location: L/G Amber Lodge, 23 Hollywood Road, Central, Hong Kong—right in the heart of one of the city’s best bar-hopping neighbourhoods.
Reservations: Generally walk-ins only. Expect to queue around 15 minutes on busy nights, especially Fridays.
Space: Compact, with a few bar seats and small tables; not ideal for large groups. Great for duos and trios.
Menu: Cocktail list is focused and doesn’t change dramatically between visits, which regulars appreciate and some newcomers note.
Food: Tasty but small portion sizes, with plates and tables on the tighter side—think snacks more than full dinner.
Vibe: Minimalist, lab-like, with an apothecary-meets-basement feel. Noise sits at a comfortable buzz; on guest shift nights, expect a livelier, more electric atmosphere.
Price point: In line with other top Hong Kong cocktail bars; most guests feel the quality and concept justify the spend.
Where to Find It
Penicillin
L/G Amber Lodge,
23 Hollywood Road, Central,
Hong Kong
Look for the modest entrance along Hollywood Road, then head downstairs. Inside, you’ll find a bar that treats every drink like a small experiment—with the planet, and your palate, very much in mind.
