Mostly Harmless before turning into 0.042 I Photo by Tatum Ancheta
It’s been a trend lately for bars to embrace zero and low-alcohol beverages on their menus, but with Hong Kong recognized as a leading bar destination in the world, you might not think of it as the go-to place for a boozeless night out. However, the award-winning bar Mostly Harmless (No. 45 on Asia’s 50 Best Bars in 2024) has made a bold move by removing all the booze behind the bar and going completely alcohol-free. Is Hong Kong ready for this?
“We do expect a drop in sales,” shares Mostly Harmless founder and award-winning bartender Ezra Star. “I don’t drink and thought it would be a good thing to try for a while and explore texture and flavor in a different way,” she adds. “We have always been about serving people; the drinks are the excuse.”
Ezra is one of many bar owners in Hong Kong who don’t drink and has been practicing sobriety for some time now. But that doesn’t change the fact that she’s an incredible mixologist and one of the best in Hong Kong and Asia, able to whip up any amazing cocktail on the fly. Before moving to Hong Kong to establish her own ventures, she served as the general manager at Boston’s award-winning cocktail bar, Drink. She opened Mostly Harmless in 2022 during the pandemic, and it quickly became one of the hottest bars in the city.
Mostly Harmless adopts the principles of a kaiseki bar by focusing on seasonality in its drinks instead of food and featuring a tasting menu style. The venue is spread across two floors: the downstairs hosts a bistro offering a weekly rotating selection of food and beverages, including distinctive fermented items. The upstairs area is dedicated to cocktails that change daily, all crafted with ingredients sourced from local farms.
The new program offers over four drinks ($100/drink), with the bar team adding items as they see fit. Like the old menu, it changes weekly. We will miss her boozy libations at Mostly Harmless, but Ezra believes that a bar encompasses drinks, music, food, bartenders, and the delicate balance between indulgence and personal control. “My role is to harmonize these elements for the enjoyment of guests and staff,” she explains. “We use the drinks to explore and create something that allows people to connect. Changing the menu to a zero-alcohol program is simply a further exploration of that,” she adds.
Prior to the change, Mostly’s recent consumers are a broad range and before the switch they had about 10% of people drinking non-alcoholic drinks but since Ezra opened the bar they have always offered 3/4 of the menu with a non-alcoholic option and have even done tasting menus for expecting mothers.
Now dubbed Mostly Harmless 0.042—a nod to being zero ABV, as any drink below 0.5% ABV is legally considered non-alcoholic—they are three weeks into the new program. According to Ezra, they have received many positive reviews and comments from people who are pleased with their direction.
Adding to the excitement, they are hosting a series of activations, including a weekly takeover every Sunday with a local bar to celebrate Hong Kong and explore how each bar approaches this non-alcoholic category. Their ongoing series, Sazerac Sunday, kicked off a no-alco menu on March 30 with guest bartenders from The Pontiac. Sundays have become a Mostly Harmless staple for fans and friends who stop by, so they’re making it official with an MH 0.042 twist. Each bar will showcase its approach and ideas for non-alcoholic beverages. The schedule for upcoming Sazerac Sunday Zero is as follows:
- Bar Leone: Sunday, April 6
- Penicillin: Sunday, April 13
- Savory Project: Sunday, April 20
- Tell Camelia: Sunday, April 27
- Coa: Sunday, May 3
Led by the bar’s bartender, Alex Helle, they’ve also launched a range of Mostly Harmless’ canned zero-proof ferments, such as ‘Chinese Medicine,’ a kombucha made from black tea, smoked passion fruit, and common rue. Their kombuchas are dealcoholized to below 0.05%.
So, what if folks come by the bar looking for booze? No worries! Their sister venue, Call Me Al, located just across the street, serves alcohol, and the bar team will politely steer you in that direction. According to Ezra, they plan to reintroduce alcohol to the menu at some point, but for now, they want to explore a different path.
Isn’t it exciting to see how this journey will unfold in Hong Kong? We are looking forward to discovering the unique experiences it will offer to the community.
Mostly Harmless is located at 2/F, 110 Queen’s Road West, Sai Ying Pun, Hong Kong, and is open from 5pm to 12am, Tuesdays to Sundays. Follow them on Instagram @mostlyharmlessbar for updates!
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