How to Build a Cocktail Menu: Arkadiuz Rybak of Darkside

Last July, Darkside debuted The Moon Menu, a hugely ambitious, high-production cocktail menu that took inspiration from the eight lunar phases, resulting in a custom-built, metal-bound tome that lit up to convey the changing faces of the moon. The cocktails were served in bespoke ceramic glasses, replete with holograms and even an 8-ball for the indecisive.

But what goes up must also come down. After the events of 2022, drinkers might rather prefer the familiar and the grounded, a sentiment to which Darkside's new Modern Forgotten Classics menu caters. There are recognisable crowd-pleasers like the Jungle Bird, the Bramble, and the Sidecar—the latter poured out of a ceramic side car by local artisan Tung Yao Ceramic; while obscure libations like La Louisienne, the house cocktail of a New Orleans Creole restaurant in the '30s, and the Rabo de Galo, a cachaça and vermouth drink popular with Italian immigrants in mid-century Sao Paulo, also make an appearance.

Following the launch of the menu, Rosewood Hong Kong's Director of Bars, Arkadiuz Rybak, spoke to Tatler Dining on balancing classics with cocktails from near-orbit, and what makes a strong foundation for a modern bar.

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Rosewood Hong Kong's Director of Bars, Arkadiuz Rybak

The Sidecar is poured from a ceramic side car

The finishing touches on the Cameron's Kick

La Louisienne

Describe the concept of your bar's newest classics menu.

We are always trying to propose to our guests different classics that are not very common or well-known. We believe classics are more on trend in this case, since we are talking about Darkside. In this menu, we chose modern and forgotten classics that we debuted in a futuristic-seeming social media campaign that highlights the place of origin, who created the cocktail, and when it was first served.

How does this differ from your existing Moon Menu? What made the team decide to go in two such opposite directions and was it difficult to keep a common theme throughout?

We believe if you want to be recognised in terms of quality, service and offerings, you need to have solid foundations—which are the classic cocktails—but at the same time we would like to showcase our innovative side. We want to show that we can go in both directions while elevating our beverage offerings.

How often do you usually look to change your menu?

We change the signature menu and the classic menu once a year.

What are your biggest sources of inspiration? What are the most basic building blocks that you begin with when designing a new menu?

Above all, our DNA as a brand and venue has to match the overall menu ideas. We are always sourcing and getting inspired by local culture, traditions, and ingredients.

Is it important for you to tell a story through your menu? How do you structure the order of the drinks if so?

The storytelling is very important as it is our proverbial business card for our concept. Without storytelling, our menu and ideas have no soul. The drinks need to be easy for our guests to understand with innovative flavours and glassware. Presentation and details are very important to elevate the whole experience. We also choose different spirits, techniques, and styles of serving to make our selection more interesting.

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